​20 secrets to a profitable home renovation (part two)

Johannes van Graan Johannes van Graan
Private House - Holland Park , New Images Architects New Images Architects Moderne balkons, veranda's en terrassen
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Not all home renovations are because the owners want to enjoy a more beautiful or bigger home. A lot of makeovers are simply to zhoosh up a tired-looking space so the current inhabitants can sell it and make a pretty penny. 

If you’re currently in the same boat of needing to spice up your space for potential buyers, make sure you take the necessary steps to turn that renovation into a profitable sale – you don’t want to blow a big budget just to end up with no buyers, do you? 

Keep the following in mind…

11. Lighten the mood

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Make sure your home presents lots of natural light for the new owners – windows, glass doors and skylights are key words here.

12. Make an entrance

You want that house to wow potential buyers upon first entrance, and that is why you need to put some thought into what the entryway looks like. 

Remember the beautiful features like planted pots and rugs, but also focus on storage features like a bench or basket for shoes, wall hooks (or even a closet) for coats, etc. And don’t forget that elements like lighting and reflective surfaces also go a long way in adding visual space.

13. Paint it pretty

Paint your home, and not only when the time comes to sell. 

Thank to technology, chances are great that would-be buyers are currently checking out your house via Google Earth – and they might be looking at a photo taken a few months ago. 

Do you think they like what they’re seeing?

14. Clean up your act

Don’t think that a few flicks of the feather duster are going to impress potential buyers – you need to treat your entire house to a top-to-toe polish. If need be, hire a professional cleaning company.

homify hint: If you have a cat or a dog, wash their bed – usually it’s the mattress that smells, not the pet.

15. Expand your space

If you’re planning on doing an extension, you may as well opt for a proper one. Five metres by five might cost you £20,000, and six metres by six might only add another couple of thousand, but you’ll get a much better space. 

Make the extension as big as your budget will allow without compromising the quality of your house, the size of your garden, or annoying the neighbours.

16. Go underground

Sometimes the biggest rewards lie in the ground. And in some cases, if you excavate under the garden, you can literally double up on living space. But beware – digging underground can be a lengthy process, and you will probably have to move out and rent somewhere else for a few months. 

More importantly, though, you’ll spend at least £300 per square foot to do the digging-out and the fitting-out. So only opt for this step if your house is worth at least that much.

17. Opt for large doors

You can’t transform your quaint little home into the Palace of Versailles, but you can invest in some royal touches via full-length, floor-to-ceiling doors.

Just think of the lavish look it can add to your space, not to mention the abundance of natural light that will flood inside if you opt for glass doors (just make sure there’s room in your budget for this trick).

18. Up the parking space

Ever thought of turning the front garden into a parking area? Depending on where you live, this could add anything from £5,000-£50,000 onto the value of your house. However, also take into account how scarce spaces are and how many traffic wardens are on the prowl. 

And bear in mind that planning permission from your council is required.

19. Build a fun room

A recreational area adds so much value to a house. Build one for the kiddies and call it a play room; construct one for teens and label it a computer room; or treat the adults to their very own media room. 

However, the problem is where do you find the space? One solution is to locate the extra room either inside, or on top of, an existing garage. After all, which is going to be worth more – a place to keep your car dry or a place for people to entertain?

20. Keep the grass green

Keep Mother Nature under stylish control by hiring a gardener to do regular touch-ups – you never know when the right buyer with the right wallet will waltz onto your property. 

Even if this is the only change you manage to do in your end-of (or start-of) the year makeover spree, it will still make a huge difference to how that house is perceived by others. The front garden, after all, is the first thing a buyer will see. And like going on a date, first impressions matter! 

Missed the first 10 secrets we spilled? Catch up now and check out: 20 secrets to a profitable home renovation (part one).

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