When you start thinking about selling your house, your thoughts will inevitably turn to the value of your home. Property value can be highly subjective, and dependant on the area you live in, the state of the property market, and of course the condition of your house itself. But if you want to give your home a few inexpensive fixes before inviting an estate agent round for a valuation, here are 5 affordable ways to increase the value of your house.

1. Revamp Key Rooms

If you are hoping to sell in the near future, you understandably don’t want to spend thousands of pounds on a new kitchen or bathroom. However as two of the most important rooms of the house, a few slight tweaks such as upgraded appliances and DIY improvements can freshen up the rooms for the viewings.

2. Make Space

Clutter can really impact the value of a property, visually reducing the amount of space available and making rooms look much smaller than they actually are. After years spent in your home, you’ll no doubt have at least one room that is full of ‘stuff’, so try to tackle this before you get it on the market, to improve your asking price and make visitors see the bigger picture.

3. Light and Airy

Even the largest and most impressive rooms of the house can look dark and enclosed if the lighting isn’t right. So expose those windows and let the light flood in, or where natural light is lacking a few lamps or high wattage bulbs can make all the difference. If the walls are looking a bit dull or dirty, a quick layer of neutral paint will brighten them back up.

4. Spruce Up the Exterior

The one photo that is guaranteed to be in the estate agent window, don’t be let down by the exterior when trying to sell your property. In the run up to putting your property on the market, focus on improving the kerb appeal of your house. Tidy up the garden and brighten it up with some flowers, clear the gutters, and give the windows and doors a lick of paint to have it looking top notch for visitors.

5. Depersonalise

Colourful walls and décor might be just right for you and your family, but don’t assume that everyone will be on the same page. First impressions count, so making your property as neutral as possible will help attract potential buyers.

You don’t need to spend a lot to make big improvements to the value of your house. And a key point to remember is that value isn’t just about the price of a property – it’s being able to sell it at that price too. So spend some time sprucing up the interior and exterior of your home before you take the next step to sell, and have a much better reception from the market when you do make the move.

This article is written by Kelly Gilmour-Grassam, a freelance copywriter from Yorkshire. You can follow her on @KellyGGrassam. This article is written with helpful information from ADM Residential.