DIY Tips – 20 Experts Reveal How To Add Value To Your Home

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There are ton's of ways to add value to your home, where most struggle is getting £10,000 together for a new kitchen or shelling out on a conservatory, driveway or getting the pro's in to redecorate top to bottom just isn't viable. 

So we thought we'd round up some of the best names from around web in DIY and home improvement and get the top tips on how you you can add value to your home without spending a fortune. Who better to ask than the experts right?



If you have £500 to invest in energy efficiency - then we would always concentrate on loft insulation and draught proofing. Both of these provide the biggest bang for your buck and will help to minimise your energy bills. They are also both pretty easy DIY projects - it will take just a few hours to insulate your loft space, and the draught proofing strips are easy to fit yourself on existing doors and windows to help prevent those cold draughts!

- Nick

Summed Up : Go Green



The biggest home improvement anyone can do is clean and de-clutter. A lot of expensive home improvement can be avoided just by making sure those gutters are clear, there isn't any cracks or leaks around doors and windows, and simple cleaning. But for a design eye, the easiest improvement to any home is editing out what you no longer need. In our modern-consumption-obsessed lifestyle, it's easy to overload any home with extra 'stuff.' Declutter and throw out what you'd tell your bestie to get rid of. Your advice to her is actually perfect for you, too.

- Theresa

Summed Up : Neat and Tidy



We find that people gravitate towards warm and open spaces. One of the easiest ways to do this is to invest in letting in more natural light. Natural lighting from large windows is a great way to warm up a living area while also creating a sense of openness. Existing windows can be enlarged and doors can be switched to either glass or partial glass doors. For existing sources of natural light such as windows, glass doors and skylights, we recommend removing heavy drapes or blinds. If a room has limited access to natural light, painting the walls a light colour can create a sense of brightness.

- Emily Qiu

Summed Up : Open It Up




Get rid of any unnecessary furniture. When you live in a house, you might have loads of different pieces of furniture. That in itself is pretty normal; people tend to buy more things than they need. The fact of the matter is that the more furniture you have, the smaller your house looks. Get rid of some of your furniture so that the rooms in your home look larger than they do now. People want spacious homes, which is why it will serve you well to make your home look large. If you can do so, you should put some of your furniture in storage until you sell your home.

- Hamlet Ham

Summed Up : De-Clutter



When working on a limited budget, the most affordable way to give any home and instant update is to paint and apply details such as architectural trim. Simply by adding a dado or picture rail you can make a huge impact on the way that a room looks. This simple do-it-yourself project allows you to apply wallpaper to only a section of the wall, rather than have to spend a fortune to cover an entire wall, or paint the lower section of a wall in a contrasting colour to the top of the wall. Adding an architrave around old or new windows or doors instantly adds ‘wow’ factor, and painting this to contrast to doors or walls, or in a crisp white, allows you to incorporate architectural details at very little cost.

Baseboards or skirting boards, and cornice or crown moulding, are effective and affordable ways to finish off a plain room. Your local hardware store will stock a variety of options for you to choose from to match the style of your existing décor, from traditional wood to modern extruded polystyrene. Again, paint or stain these in your choice of colour to add attractive detailing or make an eye-catching feature. You will find plenty of tips and tricks on.

- Janice

Summed Up : Lick 'o' Paint + More 



Refreshing a front door is a fantastic way to give an entry new life. Adding simple paint or sealing a front door can give your home a more welcoming appearance. Additionally, adding or refreshing small accents like a new set of house numbers, welcome mats, or lights can tie the whole entry way together.

To create an inviting front entrance, also try adding some potted plants to the area. Adding value to your home affordably can be easy with a little accessories. Adding or refreshing knobs, handles or drawer pulls to your cabinets around your home can easily add a freshness or even give a completely new look to your home. Changing out some faucets can add a new dimension to a room, however be careful as some faucets can easily push you over your budget.

- Elizabeth Dobson

Summed Up : Don't Forget To Accessorise 




If you plan on adding value to your home, but have a tight budget to work towards, then the best approach would be to do the work yourself instead of hiring a contractor! It’s therefore important to make sure you do enough research online to at least have an idea about what to do, and how to do it, before you start. The cheapest way to add value to your property, especially if you are thinking about putting it on the market, would be to concentrate on the visual impact a visitor would have when entering your home.

- Guy Alexander Bell

Summed Up : Its DIY so Do It Yourself 



Spend money and time insulating and air sealing around windows and doors. Use foam from a can to seal around doors and windows, anywhere there’s a gap where could flow. If you can, remove the trim around the inside opening. If you have an attic, look into adding insulation yourself. There are some products on the market that can be spread by hand, without a machine. Or home stores will loan you a machine to blow insulation into the attic or walls. While it may not be sexy like a new door, insulation and air sealing will pay off in the long run.

- Gary Wollenhaupt​

Summed Up : Warm Things Up



For under $500, my vote would be lighting, such as adding pot lights to your kitchen. We recently added six of them to our kitchen, and they instantaneously brighten up and make the room look so much more spacious. Another idea is to switch up a chandelier - it can totally change the ambiance of a room.

- Michelle Shen

Summed Up : Light It Up




When it comes to increasing the kerb appeal of your home, Property Division advises to focus on the front door. A freshly painted or varnished wooden door, complete with a highly polished brass letter box and handle, will give visitors a great first impression of your house. If you choose to paint your front door, go for neutral shades, such as white, black, dark grey or even British Racing Green. And don’t forget to upgrade your home’s security by fitting BS 3621 thief-resistant locks to your new-look front door.

- Gurleen Jhooti

Summed Up : Tighten Up Security



It's a tricky question, I think it's hard to add value to a home for such a small amount, but maybe it would be wise to invest that money into some repairs that will prevent any more costly work further down the road, or cause potential problems when you want to move. Perhaps something very practical like getting your electrics checked out to ensure they are all in order, or the central heating system serviced to ensure no expensive repairs are needed over the winter months? Then if a potential buyer has a survey on your home, everything will be in order and you won't have to negotiate on your price perhaps.

- Antonia

Summed Up : Plan Ahead



I’m a big fan of improvements that entice people outdoors because there, they get acclimated to the local climate so they can throw the windows open and cut off the HVAC when they return indoors, and no equipment is so efficient as that which is off. So I’d find a tiny spot outdoors and build a really simple pavilion that could be nothing more than four small tree stumps connected by four tree-branch beams with a simple cable below on which simple white curtains can be hung. The curtains are there for privacy, but they also billow beautifully in a breeze, enticing you outdoors when you see them out your window. If there’s money left over, buy a rope hammock to hang diagonally across your little pavilion.

- Steve Mouzon

Summed Up : Head Outside




Make a list, however daunting or long! that may be, of everything that needs fixing in your home. Then do your research on how to fix these things yourself and where the cheapest place to buy the items you need is, and be creative! You don't have to have the latest gadgets to do a bit of home DIY.

DO YOUR RESEARCH! look at what's out there on par with your property and make sure you stand out. If you struggle with this part then get some expert advice, at thefullesthomes.com you can get a full written consultation with every single detail on how to present your property to ensure you get a quick and profitable sale for under £200. Clean,clean, clean! Ensure your home is better than the marketing photographs. This is one of the biggest problems potential buyers face when viewing properties on the market. All looks good on paper but when they arrive the garden is untidy, the bins are out and the flowers are dead! You can never under estimate the value of a fresh pristine inviting home!

- Stacey Fuller

Summed Up : Do Your Research



Installing one or two raised garden beds may cost under $500, and adds aesthetic as well as practical value to a home. Raised beds bring beauty and order to a yard while enabling the home owner to grow vegetables for the table. Raised garden beds makes the property more appealing to prospective buyers, and backyard vegetable gardening also is a great learning tool for children in the family."

- Greg Seaman

Summed Up : Raise Garden Beds



This is a bit of a tricky question as every house is different, but one of the biggest bangs for your bucks can be to paint those dark laminate cabinets a clean white or fun colour. Updating fixtures always catch the eye of home buyers. And don't over look the outdoors, a simple patio with the right table can boost your living space and make the home feel bigger.

- Jamin

Summed Up : Go Clean White




If you have a small budget, you’ll want to focus on cosmetic changes that will wow people from the first time they see photos of your home online to the moment they walk in the door. First impressions mean a lot. If your front yard is in bad shape, spend the money on mowing, pruning and maintenance. Stage your stoop or porch, and consider painting or replacing your front door and mailbox if they are damaged. If your interior needs the most work, spend the money on carpet cleaning and a fresh coat of paint.

- Mia Simon

Summed Up : First Impressions Are Key



The best way to add value to a home without blowing your budget would be to give it a fresh coat of paint. If you're not looking at repainting the whole house, select a few accent walls and highlight them with a different colour. Use stencils to create a pattern across these walls to give your home a touch of opulence without costing too much.

- Shruti Verma

Summed Up : Try Stencils and an Accent Wall



De-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter. It is amazing how many vendors miss this vital point. If you can’t bear to get rid of your stuff, then spend money on storing it while you sell the house. If buyers can see floor space they can let their imagination run riot with all the things they might do with your house. If they can’t, they will be immediately put off. If in doubt, chuck it out!"

- Edward Sykes

 Summed Up :De-clutter 




Modern households are most likely to run out of storage space, which entails coming up with innovative storage solutions. For example, introducing a storage bed into a small bedroom would enable you to save much needed floor space, while also bestowing you with a generous storage space right under your bed.​ This could be one of the simplest, cheapest and the most convenient venture to add value to your home.

- Fabeha

Summed Up : Innovative Storage Solutions



Paint will make anything look newer and nicer. You can spray paint light fixtures, paint furniture, outdated kitchen cabinets, even appliances can be painted.

- Jennifer

Summed Up : Mask Any Imperfections



This one's easy: PAINT. Paint is cheap and can makeover just about anything (I have even painted my counters before).

- Sarah

Summed Up : PAINT!