Winter is a notoriously difficult time to sell your property; fewer prospective buyers, dark and wet weather and a busy festive season make many want to wait until spring to list their property on the market.
A slow selling period doesn't mean you should be put off from listing your home during the off-peak season, however. With fewer homes on the market, you may actually be faced with less competition - and more buyers' eyes on your property.
New research from Yopa, the full-service estate agents, revealed that home sellers can add huge value to their property by directly appealing to the wants and needs of autumn and winter homebuyers.
Winter buyers are often in the market for very specific housing qualities that summer buyers may not look for. Things like warmth, insulation, natural light and damp are often high on the priority list for prospective homeowners.
Making these changes to your home this winter can add up to £39,506 to your property's value.
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© phototropicDouble Glazing
Added value: £21,972
Buyers will want to know their home is well-insulated, energy efficient and free from damp. Double glazing can be highly appealing for buyers, particularly if they are viewing a period property where renovation fees may be costly.
The reduction in noise pollution offered by double glazing is also appealing.
Yopa says: "While installing new windows will cost you an average of £7,000, it could also increase your home’s value by about 10%. Based on the current average UK house price of £289,723, this is a boost of £28,972 which, minus the cost of installation, is a real-term value add of £21,972."
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© onurdongelUpdate internal doors
Added value: £8,889
Internal doors play a large role in the energy efficiency of a home. If they’re thin and ill-fitting due to years of use, they’re going to let warm air escape the rooms you’ll want to keep the warmest.
Yopa says: "Replacing internal doors can greatly improve a home’s sense of warmth and cosiness, so while it’ll cost you about £2,700 to replace around 10 internal doors, it will really appeal to winter buyers and increase your home’s value by 4%. This equates to an average real-term value add of £8,889."
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© chuckcollierReplace the front door
Added value: £2,806
Investing in a high quality, attractive front door is a good idea when selling at any time of the year. Front doors can not only offer an aesthetic upgrade to your home, but can provide greater security and be more energy-efficient.
Yopa says: "It will cost you about £1,250, although this will vary based on size, type and style, but it can potentially add an average of 1.4% to the property value, resulting in a real-term value add of £2,806."
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© Olga DobrovolskaImprove energy efficiency
Added value: £2,537
Energy efficiency is vital to all homes. More and more buyers are avoiding homes with low EPC ratings, and sooner rather than later, the government will insist on minimum EPC standards for all.
If your home is on the older side, it could well have an EPC rating of D (or worse).
Yopa says: "To bring this up to C - which is a far more palatable rating for homebuyers - you’re looking at an average spend of around £6,155. But it is expected to increase your property value by 3%. Based on the average house price, this is a real-term value increase of £2,537."
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© Photo: AlamyBoiler upgrade
Added value: £2,255
Upgrading your boiler might not seem like the most glamorous home upgrade, but an energy-efficient boiler with an updated warranty is immensely attractive to prospective buyers, so much so that it’s known to instantly increase your home’s value by an average of 1.9% with an initial outlay of just £3,250. This is a value add of £2,255.
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© Penpak NgamsathainRepointing
Added value £1,047
Repointing refers to repairing the brickwork on the exterior of your home. Over time, the brickwork gets damaged and worn away due to weathering - and repointing brings it all back to health.
This gives the home a new lease of life visually, but also stops water leaking into the brickwork which can cause damp issues in the home and threaten the structural integrity of the building.
Yopa says: "It’s the sort of issue that a good surveyor will spot and point out to any prospective buyers, so fixing it before going to market is smart. It will cost you almost £2,000 to do, but could add £2,897 to the property value, which is a value add of £1,047."
