How to give your home a spring makeover for under £100
With winter pretty much out of the way, spring traditionally marks the moment when the residential property market comes alive - with both house buyers and sellers looking to make their next move.
And after a slightly subdued 2023, the early signs for this year are that things are looking up. According to Nationwide, this year is already looking more positive thanks to mortgage rates starting to fall from their 2023 peaks.
While there’s a feeling of cautious optimism, there’s also a sense that buyers are returning to the market. So, if you’re looking to sell your home this spring, here’s how you can spruce it up for as little as £100 - give or take a tenner.
“As estate agents in Holmfirth and Mirfield, we get to visit loads of different properties to conduct valuations and, regardless of the size or age, the most important thing is to create a brilliant first impression. Give your home the best chance of success by treating it as a showhome.
And the great news is, you don’t need to spend a fortune. The trick is to make maximum impact for minimum investment, and appeal to all the senses - so that your home looks, feels and smells both clean and fresh.” Oliver Bailey, SnowGate
Choose one room to give a quick paint makeover
Ideally, choose the room that looks the most tired, or the one that has the most visual impact. So forget about the small back bedroom that you never use. Either the kitchen or the lounge - somewhere that will get noticed both in photos and during house viewings.
Investment:
Buy one or two 10 litre tubs of white emulsion paint, depending on the size of the room. We’re looking for coverage here, so don’t go for super expensive paint, but a good trade white or something from a DIY store’s essentials or basics range.
A 10 litre tub at Homebase will set you back £20. Also, here’s a professional painter’s review of B & Q's durable matt emulsion which is a bit more expensive but worth considering if you want to up your paint spend limit. The focus here is on freshening up and to make the room look as big as possible.
By the way, we’re not focusing on woodwork, but if you do have any unused gloss or satin paint in the shed or garage, use this to freshen up doorways and doors, and even the bannister rail.
Top tip:
If you’re covering up a dark colour you may need to put on two thick coats, not one. Possibly three, depending on the paint.
Freshen up those carpets with a professional deep clean
Hoovering aside, when did you last actually clean your carpets? If you’re a regular carpet washer then you can skip this section and spend the £30 hire fee on something else.
Investment:
If not, investing in a 24 hour hire of a Rug Doctor carpet cleaner will transform your carpets and release layers of dirt accumulated over winter. Depending on where you hire (Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons and other supermarkets) you’re looking at around £25 for 24 hours. For bigger houses you might need a 48 hour hire.
Top tip:
This is a job for a spring day, and ideally when everyone else is out and about, including pets. Your carpets will need time to dry, and to make most of your hire try to move as much furniture as possible, rather than just cleaning around it.
Clean, clean, clean
Investment:
£10-£15 or next to zero if you use vinegar, lemon, baking soda.
Depending on the brands you choose, you can pick up a clutch of proprietary cleaning products for the kitchen, bathroom, hob/appliances, non-carpeted floors, and windows, for around £10-£15.
Bathroom and kitchen cleaner are one and the same thing - just avoid anything with bleach. You might also want some new cleaning cloths or sponges. And you’ll need lots of elbow grease.
If you really want to save the pennies, or spend nothing, check out these 5 vintage house cleaning hacks that work from Good Housekeeping.
Cleaning will also help you declutter all the unnecessary stuff that detracts from buyers seeing the true potential of each room. So, before you clean surfaces, doors and windows, be ruthless with your chucking out.
And if you think there’s something of value, especially clothes and shoes, dropping these on to a second hand site like Vinted will help fund your house sale makeover.
This blog from the Manchester Cleaner gives some great cleaning and decluttering tips for every area of your house, with a focus on a proper deep clean.
Don’t forget those windows too - especially if you have a pet, or young children, who leave marks on the windows.
Top tip:
If you’re having a day of cleaning, open windows and doors so that you’re not operating in a non-ventilated space. Wear disposable gloves too, and be ruthless about surface clutter.
Flower power
Investment:
Around £5.
It’s a cheap trick but a clever one, especially if you buy them before you have photos taken of your property. A £5 -£10 investment in a few bunches of daffodils and tulips creates a statement that not only directs the eyes to a focal point, but adds a personal touch to a room. You don’t need a lavish bouquet - just something to bring a splash of colour.
Also, if you already have house plants, which are increasingly on-trend, make sure they’re freshly maintained and manicured - remove discoloured leaves and make them look well-maintained.
Top tip:
If you’re having a professional valuation and photo shoot to market your property, buy these flowers the day before the photographer arrives.
Create a brilliant first impression with a new doormat
Investment:
£10-£15
The journey from the curb to your front door is where buyers start to form their first impression.
A new door mat may not be the most exciting addition to your home, but it’s a quick win that will make your house feel instantly fresh, cared for and welcoming. It also shows that you care about the rest of your house by wanting to keep it clean.
After all, you’ll have invested all that time and energy in cleaning it - so start as you mean to go on.
Also, back to that journey to the front door. Tidying up the garden or your front pathway is a zero cost makeover that will also help show prospective buyers that you care about your home. It will also look good in photos too.
Top tip:
Keep it simple. A classic coir mat will do the job. Avoid mats with cheap painted slogans (Home sweet home, Welcome etc) as these wear off easily and then make the mat look scruffy.
A few final words. If you don’t do anything else, just clean and declutter.
These are just a few suggestions on how to spend around £100 to achieve maximum impact to help you make your home as attractive as possible to potential buyers. The focus here is on freshening up - so if you don’t have the time and budget to do the paint makeover, spending time on a deep clean and a declutter will do the trick.
Once you’ve put the hours in to get your property ship-shape, why not seize the moment and call us for a property valuation. With estate agents in Holmfirth and Mirfield we’ve got extensive coverage of properties in all the key locations, covering every price bracket.
Call Oliver or Max today on 01484 680800 (Holmfirth), or 01924 497901 (Mirfield).