For the first time since about 2008, many of us have an eye on the housing market from a positive viewpoint. The crash is behind us, and the phrase negative equity is no longer in everyday use.
Now, we’re back to thinking about our homes as investments, items of value which can offer future security to our families, and even, god forbid, something in the way of inheritance for our children. Now that the government are finally looking to change the crazy situation where our children’s future wealth is swallowed up by our final years, we can finally believe that we’re going to be looking after our offspring from beyond the grave.
Before we get too airy fairy, it’s important to remember that we need to provide value in our homes. We all see our homes as a place of refuge from the daily grind, but do others see them in the same way? For example, is the leaky tap that’s an inconvenience to you likely to be more of a problem to a potential buyer? It may come across as a sign of a neglectful household, which is the last impression you want to create and make your buyer wonder what else is lurking that they’ve not spotted. The fix is simple in this case, is a very simple and affordable task, especially if it prevents a buyer from knocking you down on your asking price. A quick call to your local plumber will have things remedied in no time at all. The same goes for getting that mouldy grout sorted around the bathroom tiles – and tilers in Sheffield are still used to charging very low rates from the recession times, so it’s a great time to invest in getting your bathroom up to scratch.
It’s not all about hiring tradesmen, though – you can make a big difference when the time comes to sell by doing a little decorating and thinking about what you’d like to see as a buyer. If money is tight, get creative to find ways to spruce things up. You can often find ways to do something for nothing, perhaps by getting your hands on some free vouchers to spend in Asda, maybe to get some new towels, a fresh shower curtain or bright bath mats for that tired bathroom we mentioned earlier.
Yes, I hear you cry, free Asda vouchers? Where do I get such things? Well, first of all, don’t fall victim to the scams on Facebook or scammy websites promising them to every user that registers. Those sites are just after your personal information. We’ve updated this post as more and more people seem to have fallen prey to criminal activity on the web, and even Asda themselves have been forced to issue warnings. The way to get freebies is to stick with the reputable and well established sites. For example, sites that don’t collect your information themselves in order to guide you to enter to win a free voucher are a good place to start, especially if they’re giving you a few places to try, as it’s less likely that they’re just trying to funnel you into a scam. When you do type in things like your name and email address, look for the https on the beginning of the address on the website you’re on and a padlock symbol (indicating a secure connection), just as you would do when banking or doing anything else with sensitive information online.
The important thing is to see the place through the eyes of your buyer, and not fall into the trap of just wanting to get it sold. Your home is your biggest investment, your prize asset. Don’t sell it short – you might just be able to get more from it than you thought possible!