BANK holidays are the perfect time to get stuck into a DIY project – especially if you’re thinking about selling up in the near future.
Top property experts have shared four quick, easy and cheap tweaks you can do for under £100 to give your home a glow up – and they could add a whopping £30k onto the asking price.
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Almost seven million homeowners plan to renovate their homes in the next two years, according to blinds company Hillary’s, setting them back an average of £14,000.
But there are easier changes you can make to your kitchen, bathroom, or garden that can give your home a high-end look without breaking the bank.
Here are five DIY budget projects you can do over the bank holiday this weekend.
We have used an average property price of £273,000 based on Nationwide’s July House Price Index as a benchmark for estimating how much each tip could boost a property’s value by.
The bathroom tile trick – adds £13,650
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A new bathroom can add up to 5% to the value of your home, according to Checkatrade, but can easily cost upwards of £5,000.
But there’s no need to blow your budget on a new sink or shower – some cheap and easy hacks will do the trick, says interior design and DIY blogger Claire Douglas.
Claire decided to transform her worn bathroom tiles into a stylish stone wall by using cement.
After applying three thin layers of cement over a fibreglass mesh sheet the effect was stunning.
She says: “I wanted to change the laboratory-feeling white tiles in my bathroom without the huge effort of ripping them all down and damaging plasterboard.
“It gives you a brand-new look – you don’t even know the tiles are under there.”
Clare bought her micro-cement kits from Concrete Lab for £137.50. But we spotted a cheaper one metre squared sample kit costing £43.20 from the same shop, if you have a small bathroom, or just want to test one wall.
You can pick up mesh for as little as a fiver, meaning you can transform your walls for under £100.
Or, if you’re a fan of bathroom tiles but fancy a change, why not re-tile on a shoestring budget?
Amazon is selling some flashy dark green self-adhesive wall tiles for £22.99. You get 10 sheets (28x22cm) in a pack.
If you have a £273,000 average-priced house, this new bathroom trick could add £13,650 onto the value.
While you’re at it, why not get rid of any mould spores around your grouting to make your bathroom look sparkling and fresh?
Mix two parts of baking soda with one part water to make a paste, scrub it in with a toothbrush, and leave it to settle for 20 minutes before removing it.
You can buy baking soda for as little as £1 from shops like Poundland.
- Cost of trick: As little as £30
- Added value to property: £13,650
The kitchen light and fittings trick – adds £7,000
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The kitchen is at the heart of every home, and its condition can have a huge impact on a property’s price tag.
But giving it a makeover comes at a cost – Checkatrade said a new kitchen can cost anywhere between £7,000 to £10,000, depending on the size and quality of your makeover.
But you don’t need to splash out thousands of pounds – you can do it on a budget.
Marketeer Ali Buckly couldn’t afford to replace her early-2000s kitchen, but she gave it a £1,000 boujee makeover.
Ali, 40, who lives in Hampshire with her husband Paul and three children, gave the kitchen an instant update by painting the cupboards dark green and replacing the handles and tap with gold fittings.
She bought six sheets of MDF tongue and groove panelling at £33 each, stuck those to the walls and painted them to match the kitchen cupboards – a cheaper option than tiling, says Ali, who posts her DIY projects in their three-bed detached home on her Instagram @shemadehome.
She says: “The colour choice is important. The bold dark green colour is an on-trend colour, so it makes the kitchen look more modern even though it’s still the old kitchen.
Haven’t got £1,000 in the bank? You can do it for less.
We found super chic kitchen wooden cupboard door handles from Shein – each one being sold for just £2.18.
If you had five cupboards, that would cost just over a tenner.
You can match the handles with your wallpaper for a chic, Nordic look. Dunelm is selling wooden slat panel wallpaper for just £9.60 (W 52cm x L 10.05m), or a self-adhesive version for £20.80 (W 52.1cm x L 5.5m).
That means you could transform your kitchen for as little as £12.
Jamie Williams, property expert at Pure Property Finance, also suggests upgrading light fixtures.
He says: “Not only will lights look better but brighter lights will help your house photograph better for listing which can increase the value by £1,000 and get more viewers through the door.”
This copper effect three-light pendent kitchen fixture from Wayfair is on sale from £51.99 to £35.99 – it will give your kitchen a modern look for less.
Jamie says replacing tired surfaces with clean, modern laminate gives the illusion of a premium finish and potentially adds between £3,000 to £7,000 to your home’s value.
That might sound expensive, but Ikea is selling new worktops for £20 per 1.23m.
- Cost of DIY tricks: as little as £70
- Added value to property: up to £7,000
Boost your kerb appeal – adds £3,000
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A welcoming entrance sets a positive tone before buyers even step inside your home, while an unsightly front garden could cause viewers to drive on by.
You can make the front of your home look like a gardener’s dream for peanuts if you know the cheap tricks.
A new front door costs £1,100 to £1,400 according to Checkatrade, but could increase your property’s value by up to 10%.
If that’s beyond your budget, invest in a fresh lick of paint for doors and windows.
You can get this beautiful sage colour paint for just £16.99 from Screwfix, which is ideal for wooden doors and is rainproof.
While you’re at it, get the hose and trowel out and remove stubborn moss and weeds growing in your driveway – it won’t cost a thing, but can make a huge difference.
Fred Jones, chief executive of instant home buyer Upstix, said: “First impressions are everything. If the initial approach to the house is negative, it can be very hard to overcome the immediate knee-jerk reaction to that ‘this is going to cost me a lot to put right’ feeling.”
Jones estimates kerb appeal can add up to £3,000, based on the value of the average-priced property.
- Cost of DIY tricks: £16.99
- Added value to your property: up to £3,000
Deep clean and de-clutter for FREE – adds £5,000
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A bank holiday weekend spent deep cleaning and de-cluttering might not be your idea of a fun activity.
But if you’re selling your home, it could do wonders for the bids you’re getting in from keen buyers.
Ben Quaintrell, managing chief executive of North East-based estate agent My Property Box, advised someone struggling to sell their home for £85,000 to do a refresh.
Ben says: “The property had been tenanted and was looking tired – the only offers he received were £70,000 and £75,000.
“We suggested he spend around £1,500 on a deep clean, repainting and giving the kitchen cupboard fronts a lick of paint.
“The transformation was incredible. A couple of weeks later, he sold it for £87,500 – £2,500 over the asking price.”
You don’t have to spend thousands on a deep clean. In fact, you can do it for free.
Ask friends or family to give you a hand for an afternoon, with each person focusing on one area of cleaning, with the promise of a BBQ at the end.
Instead of repainting your whole house, try washing stained walls with sugar soap. You’ll likely have this lying around in your cupboard, but if not, grab some from B&Q for £3.75.
According to Uptstix, a property buying company, decluttering and creating the feeling of space can add up to £5k to the average property’s value.
- Cost of trick: Free
- Added value to your home: £5,000