Advice on adding value before relocation? Please

[chosenone]

Any advice welcome.

DH are not great at this kind of thing. We have lived in our current house since the DC were small, close to good schools, close to our places of work. We have done bits to the house, new boiler, new kitchen, bits of decorating. It’s a 4 bed mid terrace, only a small courtyard to the back, access needed for one set of neighbours. Garden at the front no parking.

As the DC are grown up I am now seeking promotion. This will definitely involve commuting more as we’re quite rural. We are looking to make the most out of the house we when we one to sell in the next year or two. So… is the most essential thing adding another bathroom? We only have one? One could be added to the top floor, loft bedrooms? Decorating/modernist throughout? Improving curb appeal? New front door, tidying up the stone work?

DH just thinks we throw extra cash to get the mortgage down/ save for next house and sell as it is?

TIA

I’m with DH.
That’s a lot of upheaval, dirty work, the stress of organising trades etc etc and it may not add as much value as you think.

Spotlessly clean and tidy. Really really de-clutter. Whoever buys it will have different ideas and requirements... so might well rip out your kitchen and/or bathroom. Tidy up outside and out some nice planters outside.
Thats it.

I would get an Estate Agent round to advise you what you need to do. We sold my late FIL’s house and we were going to spend quite a bit of money doing it up, but Estate Agent said it would sell far quicker as it was, as there were lots of houses in same road that were perfectly done up, but there was no interest. We sold to the first viewers at asking price and doubt we would have got all our money back had we done all the work that needed doing ie new windows, boiler, bathroom.

I agree with others. Renovation is really expensive at the moment and generally won't add value to a house unless you are planning to stay for ten to 15 years. It may make it quicker to sell though.

Just do things that don’t cost much money like decluttering & general maintenance. Try to improve curb appeal.

If you have extra cash then I would use it to overpay on the mortgage.

I would only make sure that it is really clean and tidy. Declutter and maybe add some bright touches (flowers, cushions and nice rug).

No need to do anything else.

Obviously depends where you are, but I put a new kitchen and bathroom into my property 5 years ago and it's added no value to my property whatsoever. The market is very different now.

Agree with PP to not waste the time/money on this- new owners may want to rip it out anyway if its not to their tastes.

This.

Declutter hugely. Clean it until it sparkles and refresh decor in neutral colours where necessary but if the decor is in good condition, leave it. A quick lick of fresh white paint on skirting boards will lift it.

Make sure each room has a distinct purpose. Turn spare rooms into either a study or a bedroom or a gym, not a bed with a computer and exercise bike gathering dust.

Imo, no point in redoing bathroom or kitchen or creating a conversion as people will have their own ideas on how to do these. Nothing puts me off a house more than it having been freshly revamped in a style or layout I hate. Waste of everyone's money.

Generally bathrooms and kitchens sell houses so if you have a shabby kitchen and an avocado bathroom suite you're less likely to sell the property as quickly as many people want to move in and not have to worry about decisions and tradespeople. As people have said though, it might not necessarily make a difference. Properties in high demand areas will sell quickly regardless.

I agree with PP, de-cluttering and showing a good use of space/ storage is the best way to keep value. Unless something requires fixing (like the roof is hanging off), I wouldn’t fork out big money. Most people want to decorate and renovate to their own tastes anyway.

Definitely sell as is. You won't make the money back if you renovate.

Agree with others - ruthlessly declutter (you'll need to do this for moving anyway so start now), make sure all rooms have a purpose, tidy the back yard, get the front of the house looking fresh and appealing and that's all that's needed.

When the estate agents come to take pics, stage it - flowers, coffee table books, dining table set for dinner, bedclothes ironed, windows gleaming etc etc

The costs of building have increased considerably, combined with the house prices stagnating and dropping in most areas, will make it very difficult to add enough value to cover your costs. I would get EA in to value and suggest. I'd look at a thorough declutter to make the place look bigger, redecorating any high traffic areas so it looks fresh and clean, and above all giving the front 'kerb appeal' - clean the windows and door, add planters/flowers etc to make sure it looks nicer than most of the rest of the street. That will get people in to your house to view.

You’ve nailed it. That’s it.

cannot make my mind up.

For doing up :

Getting trades in is hard so a plus for the buyer
Work is disruptive so a plus for the buyer.
Place that looks good is more likely to sell to some people.

For not doing up :

A lot of people are fussy about personal taste and want to redo on moving it.
Limits who will buy. For example no landlord wants to pay out extra for a house with expensive fittings.
The value of the added stuff is not well understood currently. Most people think it will be easy to fit a new kitchen, whereas in reality it is difficult and expensive.

I think not doing up. You may find that doing some basic cosmetic stuff can really improve what you have. For example replace toilet seats, some painting. New door handles, recarpet in the worst rooms etc. The key is to do stuff that costs little but makes it look a lot better. And also clean like crazy.

I'd ask your local estate agents. The market for your sort of house, in your area is going to determine what needs doing - unless the kitchen and bathroom are really terrible (though even then, in some areas you are better just selling as a doer upper than putting in a cheap kitchen).
But ruthlessly declutter (get a storage unit), clean and get someone who will be terribly honest with you to take a look. You may love the cottage core vibe, but others may have problems looking past all the trinkets for instance

A builder friend of mine told me the first thing buyers do is change the kitchen and the second is change the bathroom so don't waste your money on expensive renovations. Clean and clear up and, if walls are looking tired or shabby, paint them magnolia - this colour is cheap, goes with anything and people are going to redecorate anyway.

I find that unless you are adding square footage, the new kitchen or bathroom will not necessarily add value, more like make it easier to sell. I'm with your DH.

Worth looking at local properties online and see where their value lies. Make sure the house is clean, and that there's no outstanding maintenance, especially damp, which many buyers find very scary.

Sorry only just been able to come back to this. Thanks so much. DH looks so relieved. There are some. Things that need doing though. New gutter and re pointing of the bay. A freshen up of paint in a few places. That will probably do.