If I can do only one of these things...

[closeencountersofthetwattykind]

Will be putting my flat up for sale in the next few months, with the hope of selling from end of April onwards.

I bought my flat from my HA.

Although it has double glazing, the living room bay window is awful. So draughty and the window sill is rotten. I have money saved to replace this and was planning on doing so before Xmas.

However, I also hate the kitchen. It's dated, cheap, badly fitted and frankly, horrible.

I'm now wondering if I'd be better to replace the kitchen before selling, as the window is a cheaper job for someone else to do.

I don't immediately have the entire funds for a new kitchen, but it's doable within perhaps another 4 months, although wouldn't be anything extravagant.

Is it mad to spend that amount purely with the intention to sell?

Any opinions?

Honestly the kitchen as pp said looks basic but fine. Most buyers only spend about 15 mins in the house. As long as it is clean they will probably think basic but liveable. Plan to do it up to their taste within a year and still be living with it ten years later .

The window however will put people off buying as they will hear the noise, feel the cold and imagine it will be a big job and require a full redecoration. It might also come up on a survey and they might use it to knock down the price. The kitchen they have seen it as is, so harder to try to negotiate down at later point.

Remember you are planning to move out of the house so not worth spending loads of money on a kitchen to your taste. Kitchens are very subjective. Take down dc artwork, use sealant if the gap is not very big and declutter the kitchen a little. Do you need the smoothie maker and tea/coffee canisters on display? Can you put the saucepans in a cupboard? Ours went in the car whenever we had a viewing. Or cut down on contents of other cupboards and put them in there. Was such a relief that we moved before Brexit loomed too large as now I feel that I could stockpile if I wanted to.

That gap may be an illusion but if it not it may just be that the hinges need adjusting.

Thank you all for your advice. Maybe things aren't as grim as I thought.

@TheBrockmans which gap are you referring to when you mention sealant?

Tidy it up, sort out wm, scrub it, put stuff in car...leave window, get it valued. Maybe get a quote for window so you know how much to reduce by if necessary....

If it's an HA block in a cheaper area, I'd just declutter, tidy and clean + get an extractor fan installed.

If you're in London or somewhere else expensive, you'll make money by doing up the flat.

I really don't think the kitchen is bad. I was expecting 1980s dark and dingy. I'd happily live with that and enjoy having a new one done in time.

If someone pointed out a newly installed window, FENSA registered of course, I'd be pleased.

Do the window and smarten up the kitchen for free.

Almost unanimous then. New window it is.

I know - the clutter 🙈. I cannot wait to move and have a bigger kitchen. Storage in this flat is awful, in general. One piddly little cupboard in the hall. I do have a basement cellar though. But I'm up in the attic 🙄

You've all made me feel so much more positive. Thank you.

Well time to fill up the cellar!! Anything damp proof goes down there, even if it means having to wash up crockery continually etc.