Cheapest way to add value to your home

If you’re planning to sell your home in the near future, it’s totally understandable that you’d want to get the most money for it that you can. And, thankfully, there are plenty of inexpensive ways to increase your home’s value without breaking the bank.

In this guide, we look at the cheapest ways to add value to your home so that you can make the most of your property and boost its sale price.

What is the cheapest way to add value to your home?

It can be surprisingly quick and easy to make changes to your home and add value, it just requires a little effort to spruce things up and make obvious repairs. What you need to remember is that first impressions count, so you want your home to look and feel fresh, clean and homely.

The key is to create a home that potential buyers can see themselves living in, without having to immediately do lots of odd jobs.

Some of the cheapest ways to add value to your home include:

• Decorating
• Fixing broken fixtures and fittings
• Decluttering the main rooms
• Tidying up the garden
• Smartening up the driveway

These cheaper alternatives may not add as much value as the bigger projects, but they can have an impact on anyone looking to buy your property.

Our top 10 inexpensive ways to increase your home value

Here’s our list of the best inexpensive home upgrades that add value to your property:

1. Freshen up the paintwork

A fresh lick of paint can do wonders for a home, making rooms look new and adding value at the same time. Stick to light, neutral colours to appeal to the masses – avoid any striking or dark shades, as they tend to be a turn-off for buyers.

2. Replace door handles

Updating door and cupboard handles is one of the quickest cheap fixes to increase home value.

It might sound like a very subtle change, but you’d be surprised at how many buyers will notice small details like handles and be swayed by them.

3. Make the most of your front door

As we’ve said before, first impressions are super important when selling your home and your front door can help or hinder a sale. If your front door is looking tired, dented or damaged, do yourself a favour and replace it with a shiny new door to boost curb appeal.

4. Fix up shabby fencing

If your home has outdoor space then repairing or replacing any fencing is a relatively inexpensive way to increase home value. Buyers like to see a clear and well-maintained border of the property and they’ll want to feel like it’s secure. So, if you have any broken or rotting fence panels, get them sorted to add value to your home.

5. Give your lighting some love

When it comes to inexpensive home upgrades that add value, never underestimate the power of a good light fixture. Lighting and light fittings can really add style and character to a home – just make sure they’re in keeping with the rest of the property.

Many buyers these days are conscious of energy efficiency, which means swapping to LED bulbs could be a smart move.

6. Get your grouting sorted

Dirty grouting in kitchens and bathrooms is a detail that’s often missed if you’ve been living in your home for a while, but it’s often one of the first things potential buyers will notice. And the good news is, it’s pretty quick, cheap and easy to remove. Worst case scenario, you need to pay for regrouting – but it certainly counts as one of those cheap fixes to increase home value.

7. Spruce up your outside space

If you have a garden or other outside space, doing a bit of tidying is one of the cheapest ways to add value to your home. Mow the lawn, cut back any overgrown plants and get rid of any weeds to give your garden a cheap but important facelift to increase the value of your home.

8. Clean your carpets

If you don’t want to spend money replacing the carpets in your home, at the very least you should give your existing carpets a thorough clean – ideally by hiring a professional carpet cleaner. Not only will a professional clean get your carpets looking brighter and cleaner, it will also leave your home smelling fresher.

9. Invest in home security

Motion sensors, flood lights and strong door locks are all features that can help add value to your home for a relatively low cost. If buyers feel that your home is safe and secure then they’re much more likely to want to buy it

10. Tap into the value of taps

Upgrading old or rusty taps to fresh, modern taps is another of the cheapest ways to increase home value. They’re another of those small details that doesn’t seem like much but can have a big impact on the overall look and feel of your home, and add value to it.

Other ways to increase your home value

If you do have the budget to make bigger changes to your home, rather than just looking for the cheapest ways to increase home value, we’ve put together some other guides that you might find useful:

• How to add value to your home – with renovations, conversions and new builds
• How much value does an extension add?
• Does a garage conversion add value to your home?
• How much value does a new kitchen add to your home?
• Does an annexe add value to a house?
• How much value does a conservatory add to your home?