How to Improve Your Property Abroad to Sell

In the current economic climate, doing anything you possibly can to make your property more attractive and more appealing to buyers makes a lot of sense.  Naturally the one thing you can do is make sure that your property is presented in the best light – to that end, what improvements do you think your home abroad needs in order for it to appeal to the majority of buyers?

A new survey has been conducted that examines which home improvements add the most value to a property.  In this article we’ll take a look at the top five improvements you can make to your home in order to get it sold.

Of course, it’s always a balance between the outlay you will make to get the improvement done, and the value it will return you – but in the current economic climate, it is also about getting your property to stand out so that it does ultimately sell, even if that means you have to invest a certain amount in your property to make it sell.

The top three home improvements you can make in terms of adding value, according to a survey conducted by HSBC bank, are all improvements that add space to your home.  The greater the square footage of usable space, the more rooms you have, the higher the value of the property of course – therefore it stands to reason that the top three improvements that you can make to your property abroad to make sure it sells are: -

1) Converting the attic space into a useable room
2) Extending current rooms
3) Adding a garden room or a conservatory space

If you have the space available and you are therefore able to extend your home, you can add thousands of pounds worth of value on to your home overseas.  If the property makes an ideal holiday let, greater space means more tourist tenants which adds up to higher weekly cash amounts earned – this will attract a buyer looking to make the strongest return on their investment.

Alternatively, if yours is a home abroad that someone would perhaps move into with their family or move into to retire, then the greater the space, the more value it will perhaps have to such people who will not only have their own space that they need, but who will probably inevitably find that they need more bedroom space to accommodate the likely influx of visitors that always follows whenever anyone moves abroad!

Therefore, if you’re thinking about selling your home overseas and you want the best chance of selling it quickly and for the right price, have a think about how you can add to the living space available.  Clearly you need to make sure that by adding space you’re not then pricing your property outside of the boundaries possibly achievable for real estate in your location.  Those who improve their home beyond the point at which it makes ‘value’ sense will not reap any financial benefits – although if they are then willing to price the property sensibly and attractively and perhaps take a hit on the amount they invested in it, a well improved and presented home is highly likely to sell more quickly.

As an individual property vendor you need to have a good think about how you feel about selling your property, and about the value you hope to raise from any sale.

The final two improvements that you can make to add the most value, according to HSBC bank’s survey, are: -

4) Replacing windows and doors and
5) Putting in a new kitchen

The former really only applies to older properties where windows and doors are in a poor state, whereas the latter can make a big difference to almost any property.  Many people say that it’s the kitchens and bathrooms that sell a home – so if your kitchen is looking ugly, dirty, old, tired, dated or worn, have a think about how you can improve it.  But remember that your taste may not be to everyone’s taste, therefore, if in doubt be as neutral as possible and take advice from the shop where you go to buy the new kitchen about what makes a classic kitchen.  Don’t pick a fashionable kitchen or garish colours as these date more quickly.

Finally, if you don’t want to lay out large sums of money on altering your home to make it sell, just take as honest a look at your home as possible.  Start from the approach to the property and the outside space at the front of your home, then go through the home on a room by room basis.  De-clutter, clean, freshen up paintwork, remove heavy drapes, depersonalise your space and make the very most of all the rooms and all the outside space you have.  This does not mean you need to spend a great deal of money, it probably just means you need to have a proper spring clean!

By investing this minimum amount of time and a good bit of effort into tidying up your property if you don’t want to embark on any major redevelopment projects, your home will be presented in the best light possible to potential buyers…that’s really one of the best things that you can do to get your home sold.