How can I improve my kerb appeal?

2021-05-13T15:01:54Z

HollyHerbert: Created page with "If you're interested in selling your house, you will probably need to assess your kerb appeal. A lot of homeowners don't see just how important their properties' kerb appeal is, ..."

If you're interested in selling your house, you will probably need to assess your kerb appeal. A lot of homeowners don't see just how important their properties' kerb appeal is, but your potential buyers could lose interest in your home before they step through the door if they don't like the look of the exterior.[https://www.webuyanyhouse.co.uk/ We Buy Any House]have looked into what puts any potential buyers off and what you can do to avoid those issues!

== 1. Look at the front door ==

Your homes' front door can either welcome your potential buyers into the property or have them wanting to leave straight away without continuing the viewing. The door to your house is one of the first things that viewers will see, and there are a couple of things that you can do to make it stand out for them to develop their interest. If your front door looks old, worn and scuffed, you might think about replacing it. Some homeowners don't want to do this for a house that they're about to move out of, so there is an excellent backup option – painting it. By changing the colour of your door, it makes it look brand new, and you can choose from plenty of colours to make it really stand out and catch the attention of passers-by. Grey, royal blue, purple, yellow, and green are all extremely popular choices and will help you refresh the front of your home.

When you do this, you need to keep in mind the style of your property and the neighbourhood houses that surround it. A modern, brightly coloured door on an old-fashioned Victorian house will probably look a bit of place, so take this into account when you pick your door colour.

== 2. Move your dustbins ==

Some homeowners will have some space at the back of their house to store their bins to keep them out of eyesight, but a lot of people have to have their bins at the front of their property, especially in terraced homes. The bins will often be unsightly and, especially in the summer, can smell. This can put a lot of potential buyers off, especially if they have to walk past these bins when they come in and out of your house. To resolve this problem, homeowners can clean the bins out after they've been emptied – or if you don't want to do it, there are a lot of services that will perform it for you.<br />
<br />
Cleaning your bins will dramatically reduce any smell, which will make the bins much less noticeable. You can also move bins further away from your front door, so they line up against a hedge or property border where possible, which will make the front area of your home look larger and have them out of direct eyesight for any visitors. While it seems like a pretty small detail, potential buyers are often incredibly fickle and can be put off by things that seem insignificant, so it's worth doing to reduce the risk of this.

== 3. Maintaining your greenery ==

While this one seems like a pretty obvious suggestion, this can often get overlooked by homeowners. Trimming any hedges or grass that you have at the front of your house is vital and needs to be done to keep the place looking good. Potential viewers will often see an uncared exterior and immediately assume that the inside is in the same condition. In the warmer months, try to cut your grass at least once every two weeks or so, and if you have any paving slabs, don't forget to weed around them.<br />

You can find all sorts of weed killer sprays in garden centres, but the best solution is usually to pull the weeds up by hand. When you spray the weeds, they will wither and die and can look even more unsightly than they did until they die and rot away fully.

== 4. Clean your driveway/patio areas ==

Giving your driveway a good sweep can make all the difference to the front of your house, especially if you live under trees and can get a lot of fallen leaves covering the ground throughout the autumn. Sweeping them away makes the property look much tidier and better maintained and will also reduce the risk of slippiness that could occur when it gets wet.

Another helpful option if sweeping isn't giving you the result that you want is to power wash the ground instead. If you have slabs outside which are prone to become slippery as residue builds up on them, power washing them will help to reduce this. It will also help to brighten your slabs and make them look much newer.

== 5. Add in some colour ==

If you've tried all of the above, but the front of your property is still missing something, you can add some extra items to make it more appealing and exciting. Colourful hanging baskets by the front door are a popular addition, with bold blooming flowers that will catch the eye of your viewers as they enter your property. Plant pots on the floor are very effective, or growing climbing plants like honeysuckle or ivy that cover and decorate the front of your home.

These are a really popular choice for cottages, but it will give most houses a welcoming vibe, providing you keep up the maintenance and don't let it get out of control. These plants and flowers will also help to reassure your viewers that you put plenty of time and care into your house, encouraging them that the inside of the property is also looked after well.

Kerb appeal is a key part of selling a house, not only for when your potential viewers come but for anyone else going past that might be interested. Often, anyone that wants to see your house will drive past it to check the area out before they arrange their viewing to get a better idea of the surroundings. By making sure that your house looks as good as it possibly can on the outside, you will be able to encourage more potential buyers in and increase the chances of achieving your sale with more than two-thirds of viewers saying that they lost interest in a property because of the outside shows just how important your kerb appeal is when you're trying to sell your home.

There are lots of things that you can do to increase your kerb appeal - giving you all the inspiration that you need to make your home more attractive.

How much does it cost to sell my home

2021-04-06T16:01:09Z

HollyHerbert: Created page with "A lot of the time, homeowners don’t consider the hidden costs that are incurred when they want to sell their house. Not knowing about these costs can cause you problems through..."

A lot of the time, homeowners don’t consider the hidden costs that are incurred when they want to sell their house. Not knowing about these costs can cause you problems throughout the selling process, especially if you’re moving due to financial issues, so [https://www.webuyanyhouse.co.uk/ We Buy Any House] have put together a handy guide on the costs of selling to make it easier for you!

== 1. Estate agent fees ==

This will vary depending on the agent that you use, so you should make sure that you know how much your agent is charging before you sign the contract. On average, estate agent fees are up to 3% of your sale price, and if you don’t take that into consideration it can be a big chunk off your profit. When you’re looking to sell, you should speak to more than one estate agent to make sure that you’re getting the best price as well as the best service from them, and make sure that you know exactly what their charge is to avoid issues.

== 2. Conveyancing fees ==

Homeowners will often think that the conveyancing fees are involved in the other legal fees that you pay when you sell, but most of the time, they aren’t. Conveyancing can cost up to £1,000, so you should make sure that you’re aware of this before you start the selling process. This is an important part in the sales process as it will ensure that everything is done legally, so you will need to pay for your conveyancer and keep this cost in mind when you’re selling.

== 3. Early mortgage repayment fees ==

A lot of the time, your mortgage will have a clause that states there’s a fee you need to pay if you want to make your repayments early. This isn’t in every mortgage agreement, but you need to find out if your mortgage does have this fee in place as it will cost you when you sell. You can contact your mortgage lender and ask them if you will need to pay this fee, so you can factor it in to your costs.

== 4. EPC ==

You legally have to have an in-date EPC when selling your home. This needs to be refreshed every 10 years, so depending on how long you’ve lived in the property and when the last EPC was done, you may not need to have this redone, but if you do, it can cost anywhere from £35-£150, depending on the size and the location of your house.

== 5. Redecoration costs ==

Most homes need a bit of a refresh before going on the market, and this can quickly rack up costs in your selling process. It will vary property to property, and some houses will only need some touch ups which can keep the costs down, but if you’re looking to get the best value for your home, you’ll need to put some money into it to achieve that. Often, homeowners will look at updating the house, especially in the kitchen or bathroom, to increase their sale price, but will need to be able to afford this. For those who don’t want to redecorate in the house they’re selling, they likely will in the property that they’re moving into, so these costs still need to be considered too.

== 6. Moving costs ==

Some of us can move with the help of friends and family which will help to keep the costs of the day down, but most people will end up needing to get a large van to move their belongings. For some, you’ll also need to hire movers with the van, especially if you’ve got a lot of furniture, and this isn’t cheap. Do some research to get the best quote you can, and remember to book the movers as soon as you confirm your moving date to ensure they will have the availability.

== 7. Standing costs ==

Selling your house is a lengthy process that takes, on average, around 6 months to complete, so during that time you’ll need to be able to afford to run the property whether you’re living in it or not. These costs include –

* Your monthly mortgage payment
* Utility bills
* Council tax

* Insurance
* Maintenance costs

These costs add up quickly and can cause a lot of difficulty for homeowners that don’t consider them, so make sure that you know the running costs that you’ll need to make while you sell to avoid any problems.

A lot of the time, especially if you’re selling a house that you don’t live in, these costs get forgotten about and come as a nasty surprise when they surface. Making sure that you know about them from the off will prevent this, and allow you to organise your finances so you are fully prepared for all of the costs of your move.

Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

How can I improve my kerb appeal?

How much does it cost to sell my home