THE BIG FIVE VALUE-ADDS TO YOUR HOME

It’s time to sell your home. What are the Big Five elements worth spending time, effort and money on, to entice buyers and/or increase your asking price?

There’s a difference between upping the charm of a home to make it really desirable…and revamping those elements, rooms or aspects which add value in terms of rands and cents. The first – making your home appealing – is very important. How often do you hear ‘I loved it from the moment I walked in’, or ‘I knew this was the one from the first moment.’ That’s what you need to achieve…and it goes beyond a spotless, clutter less home.    

Here are the Big Five, not necessarily in order of priority, but feedback from experienced estate agents suggests that these elicit that warm, positive response from buyers.

1. Entertainment area

For South Africans, this represents the “ah-ha” factor. An easy indoor-outdoor flow with loads of light and air, space to cook, eat, relax and entertain outside, is a strong selling point. Decking, a swimming pool on the same level, a built-in braai, awnings or a covered veranda, these are all very attractive features. They’re also expensive to install, so this certainly adds value in both senses of the word. This speaks ‘lifestyle’ to a prospective owner.

2. Kitchen

Everybody’s cooking, and they don’t want to be tucked away in an unappealing room with outdated appliances, staring out at the washing line. Cooking is part-entertainment, part-relaxation, even part showmanship, and the cook needs to be part of, if not, centre of the action, whether it’s family or friends. There’s little doubt that a modern kitchen as an integral part of the living/entertainment area, adds value. If a brand new kitchen is out of the question, consider an upgrade or degrees thereof. Relatively inexpensive, kitchen cupboards can be sprayed a fresh, contemporary colour and handles can be modernised, a floor can have a screed, tiles can be stripped off the walls and the walls painted, and counter tops can be changed. If you can upgrade built-in appliances like a stove, do it; likewise with open-planning this room to integrate it into the rest of the home.  Aim for a fresh and contemporary look, and even if you can’t throw out the old for the new, you can go a long way towards improving the appeal.

3. Bathrooms

With stress being a component of almost everybody’s life, a glorious bathroom represents an oasis of calm. Well, it should, but an elderly bathroom doesn’t quite press the right buttons. As with a kitchen, degrees of upgrades can go a long way, so rid the area of outdated tiles, install large, energy efficient shower heads, coat the walls in fresh paint in a contemporary colour, let in the light, and, importantly, add live greenery.  

4. Kerb and garden appeal

Whoever said don’t judge a book by its cover, wasn’t in property. Approaching a house, and finding an immaculate, attractive entrance certainly puts everybody in a receptive frame of mind. Likewise a beautiful, well laid out, healthy looking garden, no matter its size – it makes you feel good, implies that there’s been good care taken of the property…and the prospective owner can visualise himself in that attractive environment. This is the least costly of the Big Five to achieve…and it has a major impact.  

5. Security

Electronic security will always be a plus, but realistically, if by any chance you don’t have it, it’s easily and relatively inexpensively installed by yourself or the new owners. More important for a prospective homeowner are aspects such as the surrounding environment and physical barriers. Take a look at your home in terms of secure burglar guards/security gates/driveway gates/automated lighting; then move to the perimeter, and look at your surrounds - vacant, untended land alongside? Guard hut with guards on foot? Cameras in the street? Layers of security are important, so do what you can to assure your prospective buyer that the home is secure and the neighbourhood works together to secure the precinct.