What is the best way to add value to my home?

A handful of well-chosen jobs will lift what your house is worth, and most cost less than people expect. What you spend depends on how much you take on yourself and how much you hand to a specialist — but these costs repay themselves quickly.

• Clean up and clear out. Everything tidy or thrown away makes a house look bigger and more attractive. Cost: $
• Replace smelly carpet with vinyl or laminate. Easy to lay yourself, and low maintenance from then on. Cost: $$$
• Wash the house, paths and driveway. A day’s work makes a startling difference to how the place presents. Cost: $
• Paint over dated colours, inside or out. It is the quickest way to modernise a house, and a buyer can see there is nothing to spend on it for years. Cost: $$$
• Carpet or vinyl in the garage. Buyers start reading it as an extension of the living area. Cost: $$
• Add shelving to empty closets and the garage. Cost: $$
• Waterblast and stain the fences and decks so they look new. If they are too far gone, replace the boards and add clear roofing or a privacy screen — outdoor living space wins buyers over. Cost: $$
• Clear out and tidy the garden. Cost: $

Renovations →