Want to spend some time boosting your home's value over autumn? Here are 7 projects you can easily tackle over a three month period, and the best news is, they won't break the bank.
Read: Why smart sellers are gearing up for an autumn sale
Increase the natural light in your home
When you live in a dark home, you can easily become used to it and don’t realise how much extra light can transform a space and add value to a home. Have you ever wondered why open homes and auctions are held at a time of day when natural light is at its best? Because a light and bright home adds to the perceived value of a space.
You can maximise natural light by:
- Installing basic fixed skylights
- Installing glass doors to encourage light to flow through your home
- Paint walls in varying shades of white
- Mount large mirrors to reflect light around a room
Plant annual flowers for year round colour
We know for a fact that a maintained garden adds value to property, and an important component of this is ensuring your home has distinct curb appeal. A great way to amp up the street appeal of your home is by planting some year round colour. This will help to ensure that the front of your home looks easy on the eye no matter what time of year it is.
Some plants that flower throughout the year include:
- Sweet peas
- Snow princess sweet alyssum
- Cornflowers
- Pansies
Read: How to amp up your home's street appeal
Repair the basics
Embrace your inner handyman and get around to fixing those little problems in your home that you’ve been putting off for months. You might not notice them, but others will. Fix plumbing leaks, replace missing handles, tidy your garden, paint or remove scuff marks from walls and repair leaky gutters and windows.
Revamp your flooring
By simply cleaning your carpet you can transform the look of your home. To really boost your property’s value, check under your carpet to see if you have floorboards or concrete. Floorboards can be sanded and concrete can be polished to ramp up the modernity and mass appeal of your home.
If this isn’t an option and your carpets are tattered, then simply replace them. If you have floorboards that are looking worse for wear, polish them. If you have cracked tiles in your kitchen or bathroom, then replace them. All of these cosmetic fixes can instantly add value to your home.
Read: How much does cleaning cost?
Give your kitchen or bathroom a facelift
If you can’t afford a full kitchen or bathroom renovation, that are a few changes you can make on a budget that’ll make the world of difference.
Instead of a full bathroom renovation, you can:
- Have your tiles cleaned and regrouted
- Possibly have your tub and basin resurfaced (this should be done by professionals)
- Paint your walls
- Paint your vanity and replace the handles
- Modernise your light fittings
- Replace your shower enclosure with a more modern shower enclosure
- Replace your showerhead and taps
If you don’t have the time or budget for a full kitchen renovation, you can make some small cosmetic changes. For example, you could give your kitchen a slight facelift by replacing the handles on kitchen cabinets and buying modern light fittings or taps.
A few coats of paint in new colour or oiling old wooden kitchen cabinetry can also work wonders and not break the bank. You can even paint dated tiles, or go further by adding new cabinet doors or benchtops without having to replace frames and fixtures.
Re-seal or re-stain your outdoor deck
In autumn, we can expect some wetter weather, and since you’re not likely to be using your deck over the cooler months, you could spend your time re-staining or re-sealing it. This is of particular importance for older decks which may have withered more with time.
Cement rendering
If you’ve been thinking of a way to cover unsightly brickwork, then perhaps you should consider cement rendering. With a bit of preparation and perseverance cement rendering can also be a DIY job. Always remember to try it out on a small patch first.
