Surprising Home Selling Points That Add Value

In today’s competitive housing market, small details make the biggest difference when it comes to selling a home. From natural light and neat windows to gutters and garden fences, we uncover what truly sells a home, and what puts buyers off.

We’ll walk through what buyers notice first, so you can choose the best way to enhance your home value, starting with the biggest selling point: windows and natural light.

71% of homeowners say windows are the top selling point for making a good first impression

Buyers often need help visualising a home’s potential, so keeping a well-maintained kerb-appeal is what creates a great first impression before they even set foot in the house.

Windows are the top exterior feature buyers care about. They are more than just an opening in a home; they’re key for structure, heat retention, noise reduction, natural light and the overall beauty of a house.

But, how do you increase home value with window treatments?

For a quick and easy improvement, give all your windows a good clean and a fresh lick of paint to restore their colour to look new again. Replace with double-glazing to improve heat and energy efficiency, or for a more cost-effective option, invest in beautiful window shutters.

The best blinds for selling a house are plantation shutters, they’re adjustable to control temperature, airflow and light while creating a timeless style that suits anyone’s taste, and for a fraction of the price of double-glazed window replacements.

After windows, the most important kerb-appeal features included the roof (68%), a tidy front garden (67%), well-maintained pathways, drives (59%) and fences or walls (56%).

Some other inexpensive ways to improve your kerb-appeal include decorating your garden, refreshing your front door, clearing gutters, hiding wheelie bins and ensuring your home is well-lit.

32% find staying on budget the biggest challenge

Budgeting can be hard when renovating a home you’re selling. It’s important to prioritise projects to stay on track. You don’t need to do everything on the list to sell your home for a good price, so think about which projects will have the biggest impact before you start spending.

Consider your home value goal. Will your renovations get you there or deplete your profit?

Think about your buyer, too. If you’re selling a fixer-upper, consider a clean-up and kerb-appeal focus to sell the vision. But if they’re looking for a home that’s ready to live in, make essential repairs, improve insulation, heating and other structural or utility-related renovations.

Having those in mind will help you divide your budget across the most important renovations and see which areas may need an alternative solution to reduce costs. For example, a budget may not allow for new windows, but it may be able to cover solid panel wood or café-style shutters.

Ways to improve your home value and how much it will cost

When you’re selling a home, it’s not just a building, it’s a vision, a future. Making your home look, feel and smell polished and ready to buy is an easy way to increase its perceived value without costing a lot.

However, renovations range in cost, so let’s start with the most inexpensive solutions.

Affordable renovation projects

Fix, clean and enhance your space by identifying any maintenance and repair issues like loose door hinges or a leaky tap, which can cost you anywhere from £0 to £100+. What may seem trivial to a homeowner could be a deal-breaker for buyers.

If the budget allows, paint your home in neutral colours for £200-£1k to give buyers a blank canvas. For the same cost, you can add a bath and a shower too.

When things are in working order, deep clean bins and drains, or declutter bulky objects to clear space. Add candles, air freshener and other nice touches to make the house feel like a home that’s ready to live in.

Invest in professional pictures, virtual viewings and open days, ensure good lighting with flexible window shutters, new bulbs and high-quality cameras.

Pay up to £500 to get planning permission to save buyers the hassle for future projects, for that cherry on top.

Mid-range improvements

For a few thousand pounds, you can improve the home by…

● Creating private off-road parking – £2k

● Adding a downstairs toilet – £1.5k

● Knocking down a wall for an open-plan layout – £3.5k

● Installing a new boiler – £1k-£5k

● Adding an ensuite – £5k

● Adding a garden room or shed – Up to £6.5k

● Installing solar panels – £5k-£8k

Keeping a home warm is massively important, particularly with the UK weather, so invest in central heating (£4k), better insulation (£300-£10k) or double-glazed windows (£400-600 per window).

For smaller budgets, use versatile tier-on-tier shutters to retain heat, reduce noise, and add flexible privacy and lighting controls.

Budgets £10k and above

Larger budgets are ideal for structural improvements such as increasing the number of bathrooms and bedrooms, if possible, for £2.5k to £100k. Alternatively, convert your loft (£20k) or garage (£5k-£75k) to add more space.

Improve EPC rating by switching to energy-efficient heating, structural and lighting systems (£5-15k), and make the best use of your space with a £500-10k+ landscaping project.

Essential repair costs

Leaving problems can hinder your ability to sell. Rot repair costs around £2k, damp is more expensive at £16k or more, but woodworm can cost as little as £450 to £800 to fix.

Annual UK renovation spend per year

The average amount that homeowners spend on renovations each year varies.

In 2023, the average spend was £17,000, rising to £21,440 in 2024, and this has since declined again this year to £14,000.

Bathrooms (33%) and kitchens (31%) top the list of most-renovated rooms

Home renovations can range dramatically in price, so making decisions on which renovations will have the biggest impact is essential.

Bathrooms and kitchens were the top room choices, likely because they’re the most used and often the biggest projects in a home, therefore making stronger selling points when revitalised.

A room renovation needn’t be large-scale, for some simple yet effective updates rejuvenate the rooms. For example, a fresh lick of paint, new window dressings like blinds, painted sills and shutters, or new tiles, shower screens and hardware to can improve the space.

Interior experts’ insights on how to ‘make the most for your buck’

Interior expert Vanessa Harris says the biggest value-boosters are often the cheapest. “Declutter, clean, and let light in”, she explains. “Well-kept windows, fresh blinds or shutters, and a tidy space instantly make a home feel brighter and more inviting. Get the basics right before spending big. Buyers notice cleanliness, light and care long before they notice costly upgrades.”