If you’re thinking about making home improvements on a budget, or thinking of a long-term plan which involves selling your home, the good news is that you can add value to your space without spending a fortune. In this guide, we’ll take you through some of the easier ways that you can modernise your home and bring your sale price up. Keep reading as we introduce some lesser-thought of tips and tricks to steer you away from putting off potential buyers or attracting lower offers due to simple fixes.
How to modernise a house on a budget
If your property is looking a little outdated, you can breathe a new lease of life into it by following some simple design principles that will add a sense of timelessness whilst still maintaining the core essence of its character. What you do will of course depend on your personal style alongside the era your home was built in. For example, if you have a lovely period home we wouldn’t recommend totally stripping the original character, but rather updating bits and pieces such as skirting boards, doors, and flooring so they are more in line with today's tastes.
If it’s within your budget, we’d also recommend updating core elements of your home such as the lighting, fixtures, heating, and insulation. This will help to add value to your home, bringing your house up to date with modern equipment and will hopefully lower your energy bills as these improvements should be more efficient than the original systems. However, if you are in a listed building you will need to ensure you have permission to install these systems.
If you’re concerned about long-lasting implications of modernising your home, you can always opt for things that are easy to install and remove without damaging the structure should you decide to remove it or swap it for something else. For example, you could consider something like exterior cladding which is an affordable way to spruce up the outside of your home, whilst also being cheaper and easier to maintain than a render. Otherwise, we’d recommend the following steps for affordable ways to modernise:
1) Choose a neutral colour palette for your walls - modern trends seem to favour minimal designs, with lots of homes painted in beige, off-white, grey, or cream. This is completely up to you, as some people love this modern look and some people prefer bold colours. In any case, we’d recommend removing outdated wallpaper and replacing it with something more contemporary.
2) Pull up your old carpets - whilst carpets are useful for insulation and can be very cosy, they tend to flatten over time and become worn. As such, we’d suggest that you remove any that are looking worse for wear and replace them, especially if they are an off-trend colour or pattern. For an affordable contemporary appeal we recommend using LVT flooring.
3) Replace blinds and curtains - these are some of the quickest things to become outdated or look worse for wear, especially as they are constantly in direct sunlight. We would suggest replacing all your blinds and curtains with refreshed options for a modernised look.
Simple ways to add value to your home
Often, when homeowners think about adding value to a home, they default to the more expensive options of having a kitchen and bathroom refitted, extensions built, or a new roof added. It goes without saying that these things will definitely help to increase value, but they are not affordable options for everyone. If you’re thinking of selling soon and don’t want to invest in these options, there are still ways you can add value:
A fresh coat of paint goes a long way
The first thing you should consider is touching up any paint. Whether that be painting over marks or fixing discoloured woodwork, focus in on the details to make sure that your home gives a clean and welcoming impression. As mentioned above, it may be worthwhile repainting any outdated colours in a neutral colour scheme as this gives potential buyers more appeal and a blank canvas to make it their own. Some property experts suggest that painting your home can add up to 25% in value, (though this isn’t always the case and it could increase by smaller amounts such as 2% or 5%). If you don’t hire a painter decorator and can undertake the work yourself, you can also save money on labour whilst increasing the value.
Improve the curb appeal of your property
The facade of your home is the first impression on anyone looking to buy it, so it’s important to make it look inviting. You can do this by painting your front door or replacing it if you can afford to, tidying up any clutter, making sure your front garden looks well kept, and adding plants or decorations to your driveway and porch. You can also add decorations to any front facing windowsills to curate a more homely feel from the outside in. You can also consider getting gutters cleaned to prevent water damage and present a cleaner look, alongside having your windows washed. According to a survey done by the RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors), improving the curb appeal of your home can boost value by 10%.
Refresh your bathroom and kitchen
Typically, these are areas of focus, and they can be easily refreshed without doing a full renovation using PVC cladding and SPC flooring. Panels are also much easier to keep clean and you won’t have to deal with dirty grout lines. We have plenty of guides available on our blog on how to do this, such as ‘how to do a bathroom makeover on a budget’, and ‘how to brighten up a bathroom with no windows’.
A new or improved bathroom can add up to 5% to your property value, whereas a kitchen can add up to 10%. Prices will vary quite a lot depending on the size of your project and what work you are having done. But if you’re looking to undertake a quick makeover using paint and panels, you could increase the value of your home by up to 15% whilst spending up to £1,000 on materials. If you are opting for a full refurbishment, this will likely cost over £5,000 including labour costs and materials.
Improve high traffic areas
You may also want to consider overlooked areas of your home, such as the hallway which often leads to all other rooms on the ground floor of your house. If you’re not sure how, you can visit our hallways decor ideas for further inspiration. Typically, we’d suggest making the space look larger and more airy by opting for light colours, whilst utilising wall panels to prevent scuff marks from bags, coats, and shoes.
Create a desirable garden space
A garden is often a sought after feature, and it can make a big difference to the price of your home. We’d first suggest making sure that your lawn is mowed, patio pressure washed, and any fences fixed. You can then move on to improving the look by painting your walls or fences, installing decking to make the space look larger, or installing exterior cladding to spruce up your garden completely.
Having a nice garden can improve your home value by up to 20%, as this is very appealing for buyers who want to enjoy their space immediately and don’t want to have to undertake garden work. This is not something to overlook, as this means that a property worth £200,000 could have £40,000 added onto its value with the right work done. Whilst a new garden can cost between £1,000 to £15,000 depending on size and work required, the possible outcomes may be worth the initial cost. If you’re doing the work yourself through the year, this could also bring down these costs to ensure that your home is more valuable if and when you decide to sell.
Modernise your home with The Panel Company
Breathe new life into your home even on a low budget with our affordable solutions, whether that be a new feature wall using our slat panels, or updating your flooring with our SPC solutions, find what you need to add monetary and living value to your property. If you’re in need of further inspiration, you can read through our blog or contact a member of our team with any enquiries.
