So you may not be about to sell up right now, but if you’re going to sell your home in the near future then check out these tips for increasing value. Getting the best price for your home can be an emotive subject, so let’s find out how you can spend a little to live a lot.

Where is the best place to start? Where should I be spending the most money? Where should I spend my time most effectively? If you’re asking these questions then the following five tips might help get you heading in the right direction.

1.    Spend some time with the pros

Don’t waste any time – get a real estate agent or interior designer round. Once they’ve checked out your home, they may be able to give you some tips for how you can spruce the place up a little.

Most estate agents will visit out of courtesy and won’t charge – if they can win you over then you might want to sell with them right? Designers on the other hand may charge a consultation fee for their time, but for relatively little cost the information can be invaluable.

Shop around when it comes to designers, as even small suggestions can make a big difference. Features such as wall colour and furniture placement can radically change the look and feel of your home.

2.    Inspect your property

Imagine that you’re a potential buyer. If you saw lots of holes in the walls, broken fixtures and furniture, you may be a little put off. Check for things that need fixing and if necessary, hire an inspector to look around for you.

It may be that an inspector finds problems that could negatively impact the value of your home. Little jobs such as water leaks can become expensive if you don’t get them sorted sooner rather than later. Getting them fixed now will mean you don’t take a value hit to your home.

3.    Get the paintbrush!

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to improve the value of your property is to get painting. Paint is cheap and with a little time and care, you can do it yourself – no problem.

Freshly painted rooms will look clean and up to date, which oozes value to potential buyers. Don’t forget to pick neutral colours as these will appeal to the most customers; making your home far more desirable.

For $100 you can buy around 4 litres of paint, plus rollers, tape, cloths and brushes.

4.    Get inspired

So maybe you don’t want to pay the fee for a designer, or you can’t find one locally. That’s cool, there is a wealth of information out there online and in the community. Check out design magazines, books, TV shows and bloggers.

Keep it simple though, as you’re on a budget – remember!? Pick manageable DIY projects for the best effect.

5.    Cut energy bills

We’d all like to cut down our bills right? If you can save extra on your bills then it will help to maximise the value of your home. Many utility companies provide information for customers on how to save energy at home.

Having an energy efficient home now will enable you to apply other updates further down the line. This will make it a more valuable asset in the market in the long term.