If you are eyeing a house move soon, here are 7 ways to increase your existing home’s value this year. Selling a home can be tough in a fiercely competitive marketplace, which is why you should pull out all the stops to make your home sellable.

Along the way, you can also increase the viable asking price for your home. How can you do that? Well, keep reading.

1. Declutter without depersonalising

If your home has become untidy over the years, with excess items accumulating in every nook and cranny, now’s a good time to clear that clutter, such as by putting some into storage or giving other items to friends.

All the same, be careful not to wipe away all traces of that space’s personality. People expect that property to allow a particular lifestyle, so provide an insight into this.

2. Thoroughly clean the property

Even if your home is otherwise great, it won’t sell if it is dirty. Don’t just take our word for it; Forbes reports that many estate agents deem overall cleanliness and space the leading influence on selling a home, and Consumer Reports says that you could net a return on investment of 3% to 5%.

3. Don’t neglect the doorway

Like it or not, potential buyers are forming impressions as soon as they catch sight of your home – meaning that even a slightly chipped or cracked door could cost you a sale. If your door seems prone to damage, you could arrange for the fitting of a new door comprising resilient uPVC.

4. What other parts of the exterior need attention?

There’s plenty more of your house that visitors can see even before they set foot in it, so look out for any glaring imperfections.

For example, if your walls make up large expanses of exposed brickwork, check whether gaps have formed in the joints, as might have happened due to weathering. If this has indeed happened, we can rectify that unsightliness by repointing your property’s brickwork.

Is the roof visibly damaged? Consider your roofing options; at Vantage’s, we offer flat, slate and rubber roofs for Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Durham homes, for example.

5. Spruce up your windows

We can fit not only uPVC doors but also windows of the same material. However, if you still have wooden windows, then repainting them could suffice for now. Real Homes reports that woodwork and window repainting will add value even for an upfront price of about £500.

6. Refresh your kitchen

Surprisingly or not, your home’s kitchen is its most valuable room, says the HomeOwners Alliance, and represents the most value per square foot. To update this particular space, you could reface its cabinetry and upgrade its counter tops, potentially resulting in significantly enhanced value.

7. Make sure the home smells nice

With unpleasant smells the single largest turn-off for possible buyers, you should tackle the source of any nasty smells – for example, by clearing drains or opening windows. Leaving out vinegar-filled bowls and brewing fresh coffee, conversely, can leave your home pleasantly-scented.