Increase the value of your home without breaking the bank

ADDING value to your home doesn’t have to cost a fortune. With some canny shopping, upcycling, rearranging and hard work, it’s possible to transform how it looks without leaving a hefty dent in your bank balance.

If your home looks clean, fresh and well cared for it will be worth more than one that looks dirty, tired and unkempt.

Cleaning Indoors

Simply deep cleaning your home can change the way it looks and feels.

Wiping down doors and skirting boards, scrubbing window sills, cleaning windows, silverware and brass, and dusting lights and bulbs can brighten a home and make it feel more appealing.

Invest some money in getting your carpets professionally cleaned. By removing stains and freshening and cleaning the pile, they can look like new again.

Painting

If scrubbing is not enough, dig out the paint pots or spend a few pounds investing in some new colours and give the inside and outside of your property a fresh lick of paint. This is undoubtedly one of the best ways to enhance the curb appeal of your home and make it look amazing inside.

Repainting the skirting boards, doors and doorframes with fresh white and repainting or recovering the marked and faded walls can make each room look as good as new.

Gardens and Driveways

Outside, prepare the lawn and throw down some grass seed to cover up unsightly bare patches, brush and jet wash the pathways and decking and introduce some plants that will add colour to the garden throughout the year.

Then repaint the fence and garden gate to finish.

Kitchens and Bathrooms

If your kitchen and bathroom are looking old but you haven’t got the money to replace them, give them a good scrub, re-grout with a fresh white shade and consider replacing taps and the kitchen sink with something more modern and stylish.

Lighting

Lighting will alter the ambiance of any room. Whether you choose second-hand or new, by investing in wall lights, dimmer lights and eye-catching centrepieces you can turn a room from dark and dingy to bright or cosy, depending on your mood. In the bedroom, a tiny tweak like fairylights or lamps can have a big impact.

Furniture

Moving furniture around can alter the look and feel of a home. While having your sofas and furniture pushed back against the walls can make a room look bigger, it can also feel unwelcoming. By bringing the sofas closer together and adjusting the layout you can make a space feel more cosy and inviting.

If your furniture is looking tired, think again before taking it to the tip. In a tougher economic climate, the ‘make do and mend’ culture has replaced the throw away attitude expressed by some in more affluent times, and upcycling is increasingly popular.

Instead of ditching and replacing, a growing number of us are delving into our garages and lofts and rooting round the nearest car boot sales and flea markets for bargains that we can turn into something special.

A fresh coat of paint or woodstain can revive a piece of furniture. You could use paint pens to add your own designs to drawer fronts and table tops, and recovering your dining chairs with new fabric can leave them looking like new.

Secondhand stores, car boot sales and flea markets are a great place to bag a bargain that can furnish your home and add to its appeal and value. They are often full of artwork, and while you might not like the pictures inside, the frames can be painted and reused with your own photos or artwork. Group together floating frames on the wall and fill them with beautiful cards or anything that takes your fancy and complements your decor.

A chipped and faded wall cabinet offers bags of potential. They can be picked up for a fraction of the cost of new furniture and turned into something personal and unique with a bit of time and effort. A tired cabinet can be transformed with paint and wallpaper. All it needs is a light sanding before painting. For a finishing touch, trim wallpaper to line the back of the cabinet. Furniture doesn’t have to match. Mixing and matching different pieces can add charm and character to a property.

And be careful not to underestimate the difference soft furnishings make. Contrasting textures will bring depth and warmth to a room. Whether it’s a throw across the bottom of a bed, a deep pile rug or curtains, each of them can change the look of a room. And when it comes to cushions, don’t skimp. Use different patterns, colours and textures, and remember two pairs are better than one.