By Gareth Jones | October 26, 2011 | DIY Industry News

We have had a number of customers calling us about replacing cupboard handles and hinges to add value to their homes before putting them up for sale, so we thought we would sit down and think of 5 tips to add value to your home without costing the earth, so here it is:

Front door to be proud of – First impressions are everything, so what is the first thing a prospective buyer sees when they walk up to your house, the front door of course.   We did some research into what can be classed as the best way to improve this first impression, and the general concious was to paint the front door a striking and strong colour, such as red or blue, which will make your door stand out from the neighbours.

Change the fittings – Its easy to do but often forgot about, you can add life to any room by updating the subtle fittings like light switches and power sockets, you have the choice of simple white plastic options, or if you are happy to spend a little more you can get brass or steel options to add a bit of class.  You can also change door handles and knobs for all doors across the house with relative ease and minimal costs, especially if you haven’t changed them since you’ve lived in the house!  In the kitchen you can also simply replace cupboard door handles as well as kitchen hinges.

Get the taps flowing - Often understated as having any influence in a kitchen or bathroom, but the theory is a nice shiny new tap shows cleanliness in the 2 places it essential to be clean and therefore the rest of the house must be clean also.  Adding some affordable yet designer taps to kitchen and bathroom will bring focus to the sinks, so make sure you clean them to keep up with the new fittings!

Put effort into the garden – Similar to the front door, the front garden is the first thing that people see of your home, so it goes without saying that is essential to cut grass, trim back trees and hedges, and prune the plants and flowers.  But one thing  that often gets overlooked is the paths and driveways.  It can add so much life to a garden by simply pressure washing all pathways with a strong blast of water to take away that top layer of grime and bring the colour back out.  You can pick up a pressure washer from any DIY store for a reasonable price nowadays, but ask around friends and families as somebody normally has one you might be able to borrow.

Add sparkle to windows – Again an obvious thing is to ensure that your windows are clean and the frames are cleaned all around from dirt – if you have wooden frames maybe give them a lick of paint.  The less obvious thing to think about is adding colour to windows, take down old net curtains if you have them, and put up some new looking Venitian or Roman blinds.  To finish off the windows gets some new curtains that match some of the colours of the room, and if possible replace curtain rails.

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