Transforming home on a budget

[imverynosey]

Hiya currently own our first little home... however realised we want to move back to partners home town, more expensive we are currently in quite a "cheap" area/village in the old part.

We would love to do the house up cheaply (we dont have much money now as we have just had a baby ) and I'm on maternity but we would like to be closer to his mum for child care

Any ideas to make it look nice for cheap?/hacks? Such as panelling.. cheap yet effective !

So that we can sell and move :)

And hopefully make a bit of money !

Honestly, I wouldn't do very much at all beyond keep it clean, clutter free and nicely painted and presented. Personal style such as panelling varies so much from person to person, and I wouldn't want to buy a house knowing that I was paying for someone else's style (especially if they'd invested money in things I wanted to later rip out!).

I wouldn't go to the effort of DIY panelling just to sell. A lick of fresh paint, clean tidy and declutter.

Truth is most improvements and decor choices either only make their own cost back or LOSE money.

Very few things add value to a house. Landscaping outdoors areas into a usable space, good quality new kitchens/bathroom, off road parking or adding an extra bedroom is what tends to add most value to house but can also cost lots too.

Things like rewiring, heating, roofing etc... will likely only make back their own cost but will open the market up massively because the doer up market is more limited.

Both the above increase 'salability' meaning the house is more likely to attract buyers.

Decoration however can be hit or miss, most lose money as overall it adds no value and it really comes down to personal taste.

No one is going to pay tens of thousands of pounds more just because you glued and painted some sticks to the wall... everyone wants a bargain and people aren't stupid.

Clean the house to within an inch of its life inside and out. Focus on making sure all maintenance-type jobs are done - ie don't have chipped paint, peeling wallpaper, doors hanging off hinges. Again, this is inside and out. Don't waste money chasing decor trends before getting the house looking properly looked-after.

Think as much about what you can take away from it before you think about adding to it. For example, is the front garden looking tidy - if there’s stuff hanging around move it. Make sure surfaces are clear of clutter and that all clothing is put away. You may think well it’s only our stuff we’ll be taking it with us but people look and see that if you haven’t got room for your stuff then there’s a lack of storage space

Clean and tidy is what you are aiming for. Don't bother with anything you think looks good, not everyone will agree. They are just looking for a blank canvas they can live with until they can get round to doing things themselves.

Money well spent would be sticking anything into storage that would make the rooms seem less cramped (we did this when we were bursting out of our previous home) and pay for a deep clean, including the oven.

lick of paint and a tidy up. You can’t literally change the building otherwise.

As above.
Don't waste money doing things that will in all probability not add a single penny to the value of the house. Instead keep it clean, nicely presented and impeccably decorated without resorting to obvious cover-ups, bodging, slap-dash jobs etc.
Likewise the garden. No need to spend lots on plants, decking (a marmite solution) or new slabs when making the
absolute most of what you already have can make it far more pleasant & inviting.

Think about what the worst thing is, then fix it. Then fix the next worse thing.

Cleaning and painting in neutral colours goes a long way, is not expensive or difficult but is time consuming.

People often aren't interested in the decor as they will put their own stamp on it. What they do want is a place that is habitable until they can.

I always remember watching Property Ladder in the early 2k's (Sarah Beeny) and half the time the people flipping houses were making most of their money out of a rising market.
In fact sometimes they would have made more by just sitting on the house rather than spending a single penny on "renovations & improvements".

Not quite your situation but food for thought.
You can't beat a nicely presented house.👍