It’s no
secret that selling a property can be a stressful experience. Studies have
revealed that the process of moving can be even more stressful
than divorce or having a baby
! More than a third of people asked said that they had
suffered from anxiety during the moving process. With that in mind, it’s vital
that buyers and sellers make the process easier for themselves. As a seller,
ensuring that you get a good price for your home can take a bit of the weight
from your shoulders. Although increasing the value of your home does require
some planning, effort and investment, the rewards can be great. With a more
valuable home, you can make a profit on the sale and make it a more desirable
place to buy. There are a few improvements a structural engineer can help you
with.
It’s
important not to spend money on frivolity. You will want to see material
benefits that can improve your home, it’s value and the speed with which it
will be sold. To give you a helping hand, we have a few tips, tricks and ideas
that may help you increase the value of your property from a structural
engineer.
Tips From a
Structural Engineer
:
We’ll start
by taking a look at the more wholesale changes to your home that can increase
the value of your property. These improvements will require some investment,
planning and work to be completed at your home. However, when done well, they
can provide the best increases in value.
Convert Your Garage, Attic or Basement
Converting
an area of your home into a new living space can greatly increase the value of
your property. By converting either a garage, attic or basement, you can
increase the value of your home by between 10%-30%. This, of course, depends on
the relationship between the build cost per square foot and the average price
per square foot in the area. Working with a structural engineer, building
surveyor and estate agent, you can ascertain whether this is a worthwhile
investment in your area.
However, as
a general rule, being able to offer one or two more living areas - either
bedrooms or reception rooms - will see the price of your house increase and
possibly speed up the sale!
Consider an Extension
Is your
kitchen area a bit too small? Having a large kitchen can make a huge difference
to the price of your home and the speed with which it sells. If your kitchen is
on the small side, but you have some space to play with either to the side or
rear of the kitchen area, you can extend out into it. Extending your kitchen
into a kitchen-diner will open out your home to a wider pool of buyers.
Families are unlikely to buy a home with a kitchen that’s simply too small for
their needs.
Install a Conservatory
Adding a
conservatory to your property is an excellent way to create more space.
Conservatories are often a highly affordable way to increase the space within
your home as well as being effective. If you have a picture-book garden, this
might be the best option for you. Conservatories blur the border between the
home and the garden with large glazed doors. They also allow much more light
into the home which can make it seem bigger. For something that stands out,
consider installing ‘smart glass’ as your glazing option which will transform
the glass from transparent to translucent or opaque with just the click of a
button. This gives you privacy on demand and looks great!
Create an Open-Plan Area
If you don’t
have the financial capability to build an extension or convert an area of your
property into a new living space, you can create an open-plan area instead. By
knocking through some walls, you can create the illusion that your home is
larger than it is. You’ll need the help of structural engineers to identify
whether the wall you want to knock through is load-bearing or not, but if it
isn’t, you might be able to complete this as a DIY project! This simple change
to your home can make a huge difference, as open-plan homes are highly sought
after.
Deal With Any Structural Problems
If you have
any issues in your home, particularly structural problems, now is the time to
get them fixed. In fact, without addressing glaring issues with your home,
there is no point in improving it in the first place! Have a building surveyor
look for areas of damp, structural issues, rotten joints and a leaking roof to
see what issues might need addressing.
Check With Your Structural Engineer on Planning
Permissions and Calculate Costs Thoroughly
Before
completing any work to your home, work with professionals to identify the total
cost of the work and how that matches up with average prices in the area. These
changes are only going to be beneficial to you if they lead to a significant
enough increase in value! Find out whether you’ll need planning permission and
seek some guidance on the process as well.
Other Methods of Increasing Value Before a Sale
Improve The Garden
The garden
can be vital when selling a home. Everyone wants a nice place to sit during the
summer months. If your garden needs a bit of TLC, make sure that you at least
clean and tidy it. You could also install some new flower beds, create pathways
or add a water feature.
Spruce Up Your Kerb Appeal
The front of
your home has a surprisingly important impact on potential buyers. Buyers can
often make a snap judgement of your home on the walk up the front garden path!
With that in mind, giving your windows and doors a fresh lick of paint, tidying
up the front garden, trimming hedges back and planting some new flowers in the
area can make a huge difference.
Renovate Your Kitchen and Bathroom
The kitchen
and bathroom are both crucial when selling a home. As two of the most-used
areas in the home, they must be functional, practical and inviting. Buyers will
want to imprint their personality on a home, but they don’t want too much work
to do either!
Redecorate and Tidy Up
Finally, the
cheapest way for you to slightly increase the value of your home and speed up a
sale is to simply redecorate and tidy up. Consider swapping old furniture for
newer items, painting the walls a neutral colour, making sure everything is
sparkling clean and generally sprucing the place up.
Looking For a
Structural Engineer
To Work on Your Next
Extension or Loft Conversion? Contact Simon Levy
Here at
Simon Levy, we provide expert structural engineer and building surveyor
services for our clients across Greater London. Based in Borehamwood, we
provide a huge range of services for our domestic and commercial customers. We
can identify any issues with your home or commercial property, whether it’s
brand new or decades old. Our structural engineer services can help you
determine whether a new addition to your home will be profitable and safe or
not.
Established
in 1986, we have become one of the largest and most well-renowned building
surveyor and structural engineer firms in the area. We work with all of our
clients closely to ensure that their requirements are being met and that we
provide them with excellent customer service. From full building and structural
surveys to boundary disputes, we can help you.
To find out more about our services, please feel
free to
contact us
today. You can find us at Link House, 49
Theobald Street, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 4RT. Alternatively, call us on
0208 207 6100 or email us at
info@simonlevy.net.
