Decor mistakes that can knock THOUSANDS off the value of your home

Every homeowner wants to get the best price when it comes to moving on, but you could unwittingly be knocking thousands off the purchase price with decor mistakes that are a red flag for prospective buyers. The crucial mistakes that can devalue your home and leave you unnecessarily out of pocket. Worse still, some eyesores can put people off purchasing altogether, including an exposed boiler. People will start making judgments about your property before they've even stepped through the door, so even if it's perfect inside, a messy front garden, peeling paint on the front door or clutter in the hallway could have them mentally knocking down the amount they're prepared to offer. 

'Kerb appeal is key. A tired or neglected entrance can create a negative impression before a buyer has even set foot inside your home, 'A weekend spent undertaking relatively simple jobs like repainting the front door, cleaning the windows and tidying the front garden will be time well spent.' Outdated features such as old, clunky radiators are the kind of eyesore that buyers don't like to see but the biggest turn-off is something you might not expect.   

Almost 60 percent of homebuyers would demand a price reduction of £5,000 for a property if it had a boiler on show while two thirds would be put off entirely. 'Boilers are rather functional looking appliances and given the choice, not something we really want or need to see on a daily basis. 'If you know someone with good DIY skills then it’s relatively easy to build a simple wooden frame around it, and then clad it with your preferred paneling. Most of the large DIY outlets sell a wide range of panel materials, including kitchen fascias and associated trim, which are relatively easy to cut to size. 'Don’t forget to add a hinged door or an easy to remove front panel for when you need to access the boiler.

'While homebuyers won’t necessarily expect everything in your home to be perfect they will be reassured by signs that the house has generally been well cared for and regularly maintained,'  Clutter is the biggest enemy when it comes to impressing potential buyers, even though they logically know it will all be gone by the time they move in. 'Prospective buyers need to be able to quickly assess the potential of a space and visualize how they might live in it and put their own stamp on it.