When it comes to selling your property, you want to get the maximum price. However, it’s not just a case of listing your property for the same price as your neighbors and hoping for the best. Ideally, you will want your property valued. This involves a professional appraiser assessing your property’s condition, features, and the current market to help you ascertain the correct price for what you own so you can get a fair price.
However, before having your property valued and listing it on the market, a few checks and maintenance tasks can help you avoid undervaluing it due to wear and tear, age-related conditions, or neglect.
Let’s examine some of the things you can do before a home appraisal to boost its value or identify any major faults that can impact the sale price.
You should really be getting a roof inspection annually or at least every couple of years. Roofs can last anywhere from 15 to 50 years, and if you are going to sell up, any roof damage or a roof requiring a complete replacement can massively reduce how much people are willing to pay for the roof. So, it can be worth investing in expert roofing services to help you understand the condition of your roof and get some clarity on what to expect once someone comes to value your home.
Small Repairs
Take a walk through your home with a fresh perspective, as if you were a potential buyer. Look for those minor repairs you’ve been putting off or any other issues, such as botched DIY, that could deter buyers. This attention to detail can significantly enhance the appeal of your home.
Some people find it a good idea to do this via their camera as it can highlight the room, allowing you to hone in on areas needing extra attention. Finding and rectifying the themes prior to a home valuation can reduce the risk of being undervalued or receiving lower offers due to the condition.
Foundation or Structural Checks
If you’re concerned that there could be any damage to the foundations or your home is experiencing subsidence due to ground movement, then getting a foundation check or structural survey carried out can enlighten you as to the condition of your home and give you a deeper insight into what your valuation or home inspection might uncover and be a red flag for, future buyers. Even if you do not want to undertake the work, simply knowing what to expect to price your home accordingly cna be worth the investment in the survey.
Landscaping
Checking your landscaping and external areas can help you boost curb appeal, and it doesn’t drag down the value of your home. Give it a good clean and tidy and ensure it is safe for use and viewing. Remove any clutter, mow the lawn, remove weeds, and fix any damage to gates or fences if required. The nicer your home looks, the more attractive it will be to buyers and the more value it can yield when you are looking for a price point for your home.
First Impressions Start at the Driveway
Before buyers even step through your front door, they’ve already formed an opinion. The driveway, walkway, exterior lighting, and front door all contribute to that initial reaction. Cracked paving, rusted fixtures, or a tired old front door can instantly lower a buyer’s perceived value of your property. Investing in some minor updates here can have an outsized impact. A power wash of the driveway, a coat of paint on the front door, or some solar-powered garden lights can make your home feel well-loved and well-maintained. If a bigger job like a residential roof replacement has recently been completed, highlighting that improvement with a neat, inviting entrance can help emphasize the home’s overall upkeep before anyone even rings the bell.
Gutters and Drainage
Having your gutters and rains checked and cleared if required, will help you avoid any unwanted water damage to the building and your land. Blocked gutters and drains can cause water to overspill where it shouldn’t be, as can damaged gutters. The damage this can cause to your property can be vast, and you will not only make sure the property is valued lower, but it will also be off-putting to buyers. The same applies to the drains. If they’re blocked, and there is standing water on your property or there is a nasty odor, you can expect to be offered or valued lower than you expect.
Decor
How clean and tidy does your home decor look? Is the paintwork looking a bit scuffed and tired? Or do you have peeling wallpaper that is detracting from the aesthetics of your home? If your home doesn’t look good and you’ve neglected the decor of the property, then it is highly likely this will be reflected in the price your property can look to fetch when on the market. You might want to look at freshening up the paintwork with a bright neutral color, stripping wallpaper that is damaged, and giving walls and ceilings a good clean to remove any direct cobwebs, scuff marks, etc., so they look appealing and not neglected.
These small points and the attention to detail prior to your home appraisal can help you to get the most money when you do put it on the market.
