Taking down family photos, removing the lounge door and parking an expensive car outside could add £2,500 to your house value, according to a new study of estate agents.
And the research shows that baking fresh bread or coffee before a viewing really does work, typically adding £849 to the sale price of an average UK property.
The study of more than 250 estate agents, commissioned by Big Yellow Self Storage, reveals what really gets homeowners more money and how much.
It found that in some cases, de-cluttering by removing bulky items to maximise space pushed the sale price up by as much as 11 per cent. Each square foot of floor space freed up is estimated to be worth an average of £238.
The company is using the study to promote its self-storage facilities as a short-term way of clearing up the clutter while selling.
A huge 95 per cent of estate agents say de-cluttering leads to homes selling for more – 38 per cent, say it increases the sale price “every time”.
Ways that reap particular dividends are: clearing kitchen of small appliances such as kettles and toasters (adding £973 in value), creating an open plan living area (£972) and de-personalising the property by removing ornaments and knick knacks (£948).
Other tactics to boost the sale price include:
- Strategically placed mirrors to create the illusion of space and light (£947)
- Removing a door (£930)
- Taking down family photos (£921)
- Removing other furniture or bulky items (£836)
- Removing a sofa (£826)
- Removing a dining room table (£812)
The study also surveyed Brits who have recently bought and sold a property. Two thirds of sellers who de-cluttered before viewings received a higher offer than expected – £4,811 more, on average.
Of course the downside is that if you’re buying, you could be sucked in by a tidy house. 43 per cent of house buyers admit that in hindsight they’ve made a higher offer on a property because it had been de-cluttered and they thought it was bigger.
Anthony Chenery, Big Yellow spokesperson, says the UK is in the grip of a “housing squeeze” with the smallest homes in Western Europe, so space is increasingly desirable for buyers.
“Our research found that a fifth of buyers (22 per cent) wouldn’t make an offer on a property because it was too cluttered, so it is important for vendors to maximise the space in their homes to clinch that sale.”
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The top 10 property turn offs:
1. Discolouration or smell due to smoking in the house (32%)
2=. Knick knacks and ornaments on display (26%)
2=. Pet smells or paraphernalia (26%)
4=. Small kitchen appliances cluttering work tops (22%)
4=. Rooms crowded with furniture (22%)
6. Dirty dishes or food left out (19%)
7=. Unmade bed/s (15%)
7=. Pets living in the house (15%)
9=. Overflowing washing basket (12%)
9=. Overflowing wardrobes/cupboards (12%)
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