You can get the best possible price for your home by making it more appealing to potential buyers. While there are some home improvements you can do to speed up the sale of your home, there are also some things that will have no impact on your house value at all. You need to know what’s going to help sell your home quickly and what’s not. Here are some useful tips on how to make your home more attractive to potential buyers.

·         Make a good impression

The first thing a potential buyer will see is your garden, fences, driveway, hedges and front door so make sure they look good. When you look at the house from the front, put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and see if it passes the test.

·         Fix the obvious

Peeling paintwork, stained carpets, or a broken roof are things that will get the attention of potential buyers. It’s worth the money to fix up the problem areas in your home so that the buyer won’t be put off and leave with a bad impression.

·         Décor is important

A lot of home sellers make the mistake of thinking that décor isn’t important because the new owners will want to redecorate. This is not always true. Redecorating takes time and doesn’t always happen right away so it helps if your house looks ready to move into straight away.

·         Prioritise

Focus on the areas your home needs improving the most and decide where your money is going to be best spent. If you have a city flat, a modern kitchen is always a bonus; if you own a family home, an extra bathroom is handy or, a well-kept garden could be high on the wish list of a retired couple.

·         Renovate for your benefit

If you want to make major changes to your home before you sell it, opt for something you will enjoy while you’re there. Not all renovations will pay for themselves so you might as well benefit from them until you sell your home.

·         Upgrade your kitchen

Kitchen-diners are very popular right now. If you do any improvements to your kitchen, make sure you include plenty of work surfaces, high-quality flooring and equip it with reliable appliances.

·         Open up

Open-plan is also a popular home feature. Larger rooms that offer open-plan living, and add space and light to your home can increase the value of your property. Look into knocking down some internal walls to create an open-plan effect but be careful not to alter the original features of your house.

·         Storage

Everyone needs storage and the more of it, the better. Garages, sheds and attics are useful storage areas.

·         The final touches

The little things can have a big impact on your house. Things like keeping the house light and airy, making sure it’s clean and tidy, hiding any clutter, personal junk and pet effects (like litter trays and dog bedding). The more attractive you make your house look and the less work buyers think they will have to do, the better the impression potential buyers will have.

Keep your home insurance up to date

Whatever you do to your home, ensure that your home insurance and/or building insurance covers your new appliances and renovations. For more information about the types of building insurance and home insurance available from Direct Line, visit http://www.directline.com/.