Add To Your House Value

1. Enhance street appeal

This is the very first thing home buyers see is how your property looks form the kerb and yet an area that is often neglected.

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Ensure the lawn is mowed and cleaned of garbage & leaves. Trim shrubs & hedges and keep hoses, sprinklers and other gardening/landscape tools out of sight. Buy new welcome mats and a new letter box if the old ones have passed their used-by date.

For the more adventurous, consider a professional landscaping solution.

2. Improve the exterior

Along with the kerb, your home's exterior needs to create a strong first impression.

2006 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report showed that yet again, replacing or rendering the exterior cladding of a house had the highest return on investment, handily beating the return from popular renovations such as kitchen & bathroom makeovers and second story additions.

While had the highest return overall, it is not for the faint-hearted, with most agents recommending a dedicated tradesperson and deep pockets - the HIA put the average cladding renovation at $33,000 (Dec 2006).

For those on a budget, a fresh coat of paint can do wonders. If you decide on a new colour, valuers recommend selecting an inoffensive neutral colour such as off-white or beige.

3. Get rid of pets (and other bad smells)

No, don't put Fido or Spot up for adoption just yet, but do think of the prospective buyer that is assailed by a combination of bad pet odours and pet allergies. The same goes for the lingering smell of cigarette smoke and pungent food - you may be used to living with the smell but it is an instant turn-off for a buyer.

Thoroughly clean carpets and upholstery, consider sending your pets to live with a family or friend and give up the spices and smoking for the duration of the inspection period. There are many natural and remedies to remove household odours.

If all else fails, hire a professional.

4. The kitchen renovation

A spacious and stylish kitchen can sometimes sell the house by itself, seriously a attractive kitchen will work wonders for you in attracting a buyer.

Improving the 'marketing appeal' of your kitchen can be a complex & expensive project involving a kitchen renovation specialist, plumber, carpenter, electrician and interior designer etc. or as simple as a cosmetic makeover resulting from new wallpaper, a shiny new kitchen sink, brand new cookware and brighter lighting.

5. The bathroom renovation

The room where much of our creative thinking takes place deserves only the best.

Adding a spa or jacuzzi, re-tiling the floor, upgrading the toilet or bathtub can all improve the ambiance and value of the humble bathroom. Bathroom trends are notoriously seasonal and a major renovation should include a consultation with a bathroom design professional who can advise you on the latest trends and timeless designs.

Replacing the shower head & shower curtain and ensuring all mould and stains are removed are inexpensive ways to improve the saleability of your house.

6. Create space remove clutter

During an inspection, a home buyer attempts to visualize their own family living in your house. Help them out by creating as much space as possible during their inspection. A good rule of thumb is 'half-empty' - create a half-empty, minimalist setting for each room.

For example, remove half your furniture and belongings from the lounge room, take out half your clothes from the wardrobes, half-empty your storage cabinets & take one car out of the two door lock-up garage. A clean and spacious house will almost certainly be more appealing than a cluttered, claustrophobic house with more floor space.

7. Keep personal items to minimum

Unless you are an interior designer, agents recommend personal and unique items are moved out of the house during an inspection.

The bearskin rug displayed in front of the fireplace may be a family heirloom to you but an offensive item to an animal-loving buyer.

It's better to take the emotion out of any prospective buyer by removing personal items.

8. Don't forget to look up

Power wash the roof and get rid of any foilage cluttering up the gutters.

Replace any broken roof tiles. Remember, your roof is probably a third of your visible exterior and therefore one of the first things that a buyer will look at. A faulty roof can be expensive to repair but not nearly as costly as the value deducted from your final sale price. A good rule of thumb for valuating defects found by the prospective buyer: deduct twice the repair cost from the final sale price!

9. Lights!

Great lighting can create the perfect ambiance and really open your house. Up the wattage of all your house lights (to their maximum wattage). Replace old light switches and outlets - it gives the impression of newer electrical wiring.

Schedule your inspection dates accordingly, try not to have buyers arriving at 4pm during winter (unless your house overlooks a beautiful sunset)! Also take into account your probable buyers - older folk are more sensitive to glare (consider pearl bulbs) while younger buyers are more likely to prefer bright and direct lightning.

10. Aesthetic appeal

Many improvements may not significantly increase the value of your home but will almost certainly help you sell faster. For major renovations you need to carefully consider the cost of the improvement versus its likely return. During a housing slowdown, it may be more cost-effective to stick with 'kerb appeal' and interior cosmetics: let the new homeowner undertake the big projects.

thanks to domain.com.au for some of these ideas.