| Everybody wants to increase the value of their | | | | Pets and children |
| home so as to get the best possible price when it | | | | If you have pets or children then there is not much |
| comes to selling up and moving on. Buying a | | | | you can do about this one. It is a fact of life that |
| run-down property and putting in the time to | | | | dogs leave hair on carpets, cats like to scratch and |
| improve it can be a great way to gradually move up | | | | kids delight in crayoning over walls. The best you can |
| the property ladder. A lot has been written about the | | | | do is a damage limitation with a bit of discipline and |
| tips and tricks to achieving this. What's often | | | | do the best you can to make good the problems. |
| overlooked is the flip side. There are a number of | | | | This may be something to think about when you |
| things we should avoid because they have a | | | | redecorate e.g. choose a floor covering resistant to |
| detrimental effect on the price of our property. | | | | scratches from dog claws. |
| Here's a list of things to avoid. | | | | Neglected garden |
| Unprofessional home improvements | | | | Never show a property with the garden in a bad |
| The worst culprits amongst these is the home made | | | | state. When people look out of the window and see |
| lean-to extension. When a prospective buyer sees | | | | overgrown lawn, flowers being strangled by weeds |
| one of these 'botch jobs' the first thing they think of | | | | and dying plants it creates a feel bad factor and |
| is the cost of removing it and then doing it again | | | | reminds them that gardens mean work. For the |
| properly. These kind of do-it-yourself disaster areas | | | | amount of time, effort or money it takes to fix it's |
| can really bring down the feel of a house. They | | | | worth making the investment. If your not the sort of |
| create the impression that maybe the whole building | | | | person to go out there and get your hands dirty |
| has been put together shoddily. Take a look around | | | | consider getting professionals to create a low |
| your home and if you have any DIY cupboards, tiling, | | | | maintenance garden. This can be achieved with such |
| flooring or shelving consider calling in a professional to | | | | things as weed retarding netting and plants that |
| create a perfect finnish. It may be well worth the | | | | thrive on neglect such as succulents and cacti. |
| investment. Another tip is to ask a friend what they | | | | Neighbor disputes |
| think because most people are blind to the flaws in | | | | It pays to get on with your neighbors. A dispute with |
| their own handy work. | | | | a neighbor can really put off a potential buyer. If |
| Smoking | | | | nothing has gone to court then chances are nothing |
| One of the most off-putting things for a potential | | | | will turn up in the usual searches done prior to buying |
| buyer is the yellowing of walls and ceilings and the | | | | a property. However disagreeable neighbors have a |
| smell of stale smoke. It's not an entirely rational | | | | nasty habit of scuppering house sales before they go |
| response because a good airing and lick of white | | | | through. Wherever possible try and keep good |
| paint can undo the worst of years of tobacco abuse. | | | | relations with your fellow residents. If they ask you |
| If this sounds like you and your home, you would do | | | | for something try and be cooperative, you never |
| well to do everything to cover up the evidence. Even | | | | know when you may need to ask them to keep |
| consider smoking in the back yard if that's not a step | | | | that wolf hound indoors or park their collection of |
| too far for you. | | | | vintage cars off the front lawn. |
| Out-sized furniture | | | | Clutter |
| One of the tricks used by Hollywood to create the | | | | This one is a no-brainer really. People have a negative |
| illusion of a tiny person is to use extra large furniture. | | | | psychological reaction to an untidy or cluttered house. |
| This optical illusion applies to rooms as well. Put a | | | | It's a simple one to remedy. Just tidy and get rid of |
| super king size bed in a regular bedroom and it | | | | stuff. Professional property developers like to include |
| makes it appear cramped. Some people do this | | | | a bare minimum of furniture and objects. Just enough |
| deliberately arguing that people will think it must be a | | | | to make it feel homely without detracting from the |
| large room in order to fit such a large bed. But it | | | | sense of space that an empty room creates. |
| doesn't work like that buyers don't notice the large | | | | Cheap fittings |
| bed they just see a small room. If you visit a show | | | | One sure way to make a property feel less valuable |
| home put together by a professional, take along a | | | | is to use the cheapest fittings you can. Little things |
| tape measure. You maybe surprised to discover the | | | | like quality door handles and modern fittings in the |
| beds and furniture used to dress the property are | | | | bathroom can really lift a property. If you can't |
| smaller than standard sizes. There are companies | | | | afford to upgrade the kitchen consider simply |
| who specialize in making furniture specifically for this | | | | replacing the cupboard and drawer handles with the |
| purpose. | | | | best you can find. |
| Too much decking or paving | | | | Budget windows |
| If you have a family home i.e. more than one | | | | Over recent decades people have replaced old |
| bedroom, you are going to need somewhere for the | | | | windows with modern double glazed windows. This is |
| kids to play out back. Some people, particularly those | | | | great for creating a warmer home the only problem |
| without children, consider replacing grass with | | | | is many have replaced desirable period features with |
| attractive wooden decking or patio paving stones. | | | | unattractive PVC windows. Be very cautious about |
| This is bad news for the value of your property as it | | | | ripping out old windows. An alternative is to have |
| puts off families and if you want to get the highest | | | | these windows refurbished rather than replaced. It's |
| price for your home you can't afford to lose such a | | | | cheaper and retains the window that is appropriate |
| large chunk of the market. | | | | for the style and age of the building. |