If you’ve been thinking about how you can increase your property value but aren’t sure where to start, this is the article for you. Whether you want to raise your value before you sell or simply want to improve your property for your future, there are plenty of options you can look into.  

1. Add a bedroom  

For those wanting to add significant value to the home, increasing the number of bedrooms available is the best way to do it. With a few different ways to do this, we would recommend either –

• Extending your house to add more space to build a bedroom 
• Converting an unused garage or conservatory  
• Taking the largest room and split it into two.  

If you’re looking to add another bedroom to increase your property value, there are a couple of things you need to know before you begin. Splitting one room into two can be a cheaper decision, but if you’re not careful, it can result in your value decreasing. Do some measuring first, and make sure that the two rooms will meet the regulated size. You should also consider what would benefit your house more, two smaller bedrooms or one large one? If your home isn’t particularly suitable for a family, for example, two small rooms may not be as popular as a larger one.  

• Deal with any structural issues  

Three of the most severe issues that will decrease a houses’ value is subsidence, dampness, or Japanese knotweed. If your property suffers from these, your value will drop steeply as your buyer will need to pay for the reparations – as well as this, some houses with severe cases of subsidence or damp can be unmortgageable, making them harder to sell. 

Repairing these issues is not a cheap or easy fix, which is why it affects your value so much when you sell. If you’re in a position to resolve them, it will dramatically increase your property value, allowing you to sell for a much higher price.  

• Create an office space  

Since the start of the pandemic, working from home has become standard for millions of us and is likely to be the same case for the coming months. Due to this, properties with a designated space to work from home in are becoming more and more desirable, with it being regularly searched for on Rightmove and is a must for many buyers.  

You can add an office space to your home in a few ways, but the most popular is by taking a spare room and redesigning it into a working space. Using a small, unused bedroom is the simplest way to do this. Some homeowners are worried about transforming a bedroom into an office space, but you can show that the room can have multiple purposes to reach a broader market of buyers; perfect for anyone who has been asking themselves, “how can I sell my house fast?”.  

• Update the garden  

Gardens have always been a very popular choice when buying a house, but they have become even more in demand in the past year. Outside areas are impressively versatile, and no matter how much space you’ve got, you can make the most of it to help raise your house value.  

Some houses have grassy sections in the garden, and the best way to make this as attractive as possible is to maintain it well, keep it cut and healthy, and add complementary features, such as flowerpots, vegetable patches, or even a greenhouse. A shed can also help to boost the value as it provides additional storage.  

If you have more of a courtyard area at home, creating a space that offers seating will make it more inviting. Over the last year, some homeowners have started to build their own bars in courtyards, which will help to build your value and encourage your potential viewers to put in an offer.  

• Renovate the bathrooms 

Redoing the bathrooms in your house can make a huge difference when you’re looking to increase property value. A total renovation will achieve the most significant growth, but you can work around the budget you’ve got and still see your value increase. When looking to redo a bathroom, it’s best to have both a bath and shower, whether you choose to have them as separate facilities or as a shower over a bath, as this will mean you can appeal to any viewer as most of them will have a preference for one or the other. White suites are the best option as they will match all colour schemes and are timeless, compared to peachy, pink, or avocado green suites that were big in the ’80s but are no longer desirable.  

Another popular choice if you’re not in the position to completely update your bathroom is to work on some key points that will make a big difference when you enter the room. Updating any old-fashioned tiling is a good option and can help make the room look much more spacious, especially if you choose very large tiles instead of the smaller ones often found in bathrooms. Providing extra storage is also a good idea, whether you decide to box in the sink and create cupboards underneath or look at floating cabinets – storage is very desirable and will help keep the bathroom more organised, which will appeal to any buyer.  

A minimal change that can make all the difference is introducing plants into the bathroom. These provide beauty, colour, and air-cleansing properties, making any potential viewer keen to see more!  

• Redecorate throughout the house  

Before you sell your house, most people will suggest that you redecorate it first. The good thing about looking to decorate when you sell is that you can make it happen on any budget, and it will almost always help you sell faster.  

While simple redecoration won’t particularly affect your value, it will encourage your viewers to place an offer and can result in them submitting a slightly higher offer than they would have done originally.  

For those who are working with a bigger budget and are looking to make some significant changes to sell, you should always plan and outline your spending. The key is to ensure that you’re not paying out more than you will increase your value by when you sell, so you can benefit when you achieve your sale!  

From changing street scenes to iconic events, the new digital timeline tool produced by Barratt Homes shows you just how much things have changed over the past 60 years. One of those major changes has come in the form of average house prices which makes for interesting reading in itself.

The 1960s

The ‘Barratt Homes Through The Decades‘ tool begins way back in 1958 when Barratt Homes first opened its doors. Property prices were only £2,530 on average. The Beatles were dominating the charts. Tie-die shirts and bell-bottomed jeans with sandals was the iconic style. Remember this was a time when people typically lived either in tower block housing or smaller more traditional two-storey homes.

The 1970s

In just one decade those prices soon rose, and by the 70’s we saw average house prices jump up to £19,925. Disco fever had hit, bringing people together through their love of dance and music. The Ford Capri became the must have vehicle. Punk first emerged, with brightly dyed hair, leather jackets and plenty of piercings. This was also an era where we saw some of Britain’s biggest houses built.  The first domestic microwave was also sold during this time and 64% of homebuyers had a washing machine by now. An average household was made up of 3.1 people, with the average property having three bedrooms.

The 1980s

The decade where the property market saw a boom and with that the decades average house prices started at £20,268, which then rose to £29,143 by 1985. Just five years. Bold style and big hair were here, as perms, mullets and shell suits became the fashion. The Walkman first burst onto the scene. During the 1980’s, the average size of properties had started to decrease to meet the demand of individuals and young couples making their way onto the property ladder.

The 1990s

After the boom in the 1980’s, the 1990s saw a big hit to the market due to the recession.  It was the era of parkas, polo-shirts and noteworthy sunglasses. The Channel Tunnel first opened, as Barratt first brought homes to the South of France with a development in Provence. Despite the recession, house prices did increase slightly compared to the decades gone before it. Average prices started at around £58,153 and rose to £59,939 by the mid-1990s.

The 2000s

The new millennium touched down with the invention of the social media platform Facebook. This took the world by storm, with consumers all over the world growing their online presence by posting, sharing and liking content.

One thing that really did boom in the 2000’s was the house prices, which compared to £59,939 in the mid-1990s had hit £156,236 by 2005. With sustainability in mind, Barratt also launched a pioneering range of green initiatives with eco homes.

The 2010s

With two major royal weddings the 2010’s were a decade to remember. London hosted the 2012 Olympics, bringing more than 180,000 visitors a day to the Olympic Park. The 2010 street scene also saw some dramatic changes as more townhouses and apartment blocks appeared. The cost of a typical property steadily rose from £170,365 to £197,890 throughout the decade.

The 2020s

Being so early in the 2020s there is not much to discuss for this decade other than the massive elephant in the room. As COVID-19 completely changed lives and the way we live them, housebuilders have found other ways to adapt. So far during the 2020s we have seen more three-storey properties and modern, four-bedroom homes. Many towns and villages have also seen Covid-19 testing centres pop up to help keep on top of the spread of the virus.

Looking to the future of housebuilding and its next 500,000 homes, Barratt Homes has pledged its commitment to create a positive environmental, social and economic legacy for future generations.

Just like any other device or equipment, boiler breakdowns are eventually inevitable. When they do, you will find yourself in a nightmare, leaving you cold and freezing especially during cold days. So, if you feel wretched and are suffering from your antiquated, malfunctioning, defective, inefficient, and thus, energy-wasting boiler and you’ve been hoping or even praying for a replacement, the government’s free boiler grant is the easy answer.

How

You may acquire a Free Boiler fully funded by the United Kingdom government or having alternative options like “Buy now , Pay later” with a markdown cost.

How it started

In 2018, the United Kingdom government via the Energy Company Obligation (ECO3) scheme ventured into partnership with private energy suppliers, giving them the license to provide the energy needs of the households throughout the country. Now with this government-backed scheme, the government has forged a contract with the so-called BIG SIX consisting of the country’s biggest suppliers of energy, that includes:

• British gas
• Scottish Power
• E.ON
• Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE)
• EDF
• nPower

The government has devolved the obligation to these six contracted energy suppliers to replace and install energy efficient boilers and provide maintenance boiler services to the households of qualified residents.

Availment of the grant entitles you to a lot of benefits. For one, it saves you from the hazards of unexpected breakdown in the middle of a bad weather when immediate help may not be readily available. Second, a newly installed boiler offers you better efficiency, more savings on energy, and consequently, more financial savings due to lower electricity bills. Then, unknown to most, inefficient boilers are linked with issues concerning global warming as well as carbon footprints and emissions. Thus, having a new boiler installed in your home empowers you to contribute to the government initiative towards environmental sustainability.

What’s more to this grant

The scheme incentivizes UK residents by offering services for energy efficient boiler without cost or, in some cases, at a subsidized or discounted rates. In cases of subsidy, some may be required to contribute. Otherwise, a grant is free of charge; thus, grantees shall not be obliged any repayment at all. Naturally though, while the free broiler grant  is offered to the public, it involves minimal eligibility criteria for you to be entitled to it. 

What qualifications should applicants possess

You will most likely be approved of the grant if:

1. You have a boiler that’s 7 years old and above
2. You own the home where at least one person lives permanently.
3. You need LPG, gas, oil, or electric supply in your home
4. You are a recipient of any one of the income related benefits such as Job Seekers’ Allowance, Child Tax Credit, Disability Living Allowance, and Income Support, among others.

Grant tips

If you are ready to take on the offer, the following tips may help. Begin by going through the initial assessment process that’s accessible online. You will simply need your postcode to book a free online survey through Free Boiler Grant. In less than a minute, you will find out your eligibility for the grant. If you are found ineligible, you may apply for subsidy. If you are qualified, apply for the grant online. Soon, your energy supplier will deal with you through their authorized professional advisor who will assist you throughout the process until your new boiler is delivered and installed in your home.

Those who have availed are certainly enjoying the warmth of your homes. For those who haven’t, it’s the best time to open your laptops and personal computer or take up your phones and avail of the energy efficient boiler assessment through the free boiler grant.

For many of us, purchasing a house is likely to be the single most sizeable investment that we will probably make in our lifetimes. While it is a joyful and fulfilling experience that stems from planning, savings, and hard work, it can also create a lot of stress, worries, and struggles due to its financial impact. And if you don’t want the experience to be any less than stellar or find yourself with money problems down the road, you’ll need to prepare yourself for the process. So to keep yourself from spending more than you can safely afford on your dream home, here are a few budget-friendly tips to keep in mind.

1. Begin by establishing a budget

Before you start looking at real estate listings, you must first establish a budget. After all, without an estimation of your expenses and income, you won’t know how much you can safely spend on a new house, and as a result, it will leave you susceptible to spending a lot more than you should. However, by doing the maths and putting everything on paper, you will be able to figure out your price range and ascertain whether or not you are capable of shouldering the financial commitment that home ownership entails.

It is also worth considering hiring financial advisers if you require additional assistance. It may sound like an additional expenditure to spend on mortgage advice in Kent. But you’ll get impartial advice that will allow you to get what you want depending on what you have to work with.

2. Assess the actual cost

The majority of first-time buyers usually don’t look beyond the monthly mortgage when it comes to determining if they can afford to purchase a house. However, this can be a potentially dangerous mistake that could leave you unprepared to shoulder the financial responsibility of the home. So before you make any commitments, make sure that you assess the actual cost of the property, from updates and repairs, taxes, and utilities to seasonal maintenance and insurance. In this way, you won’t get caught off-guard with unexpected costs.

3. Explore every option available

Depending on the desired location or community, you’re bound to find more than one potentially viable property. And if you want to drive the costs down as much as you can without making any concessions, you’ll want to keep your options open and explore all available listings before you decide. Doing so will help you find properties that are much less expensive, and, in turn, keep the financial weight of the commitment much easier to shoulder than it would have otherwise been.

No one can deny that buying a house is a big commitment. However, the process doesn’t always have to put you at financial risk. By carefully establishing a budget, considering all of the costs, and giving yourself enough time to explore every avenue, you’ll surely find the right home at a good price.