Are you wanting to add value to your property in North London? These tips can help you to make sure that your property sells for the best possible price.

Kitchens and bathrooms

These are without doubt the most important rooms for potential buyers. Renovating kitchens and bathrooms can be expensive, and would-be-buyers can often be put off by the cost of replacing a bathroom suite or having to redesign a kitchen. In fact, a recent survey by Magnet found that 61% of buyers said that they would be willing to pay more for a property that had a kitchen that was newly refurbished or modernised.

However, upgrading your kitchen doesn’t have to be hugely expensive. Consider painting your cabinets and replacing the worktops and tiles to give your kitchen a cheap and easy makeover.

White bathroom suites are in general more popular than coloured ones, but if you can’t afford to replace your coloured suite, then giving your bathroom walls a fresh coat of paint will make a big difference to the feel of the room.

Extend or convert

If you have the budget to do it, adding an extension or converting loft or garage space into an additional room will not only create more space but can also add up to 20% to the value of your home.

Ensure your property is structurally sound

If structural problems are found by a surveyor, buyers may use them as a reason to try to negotiate the price down, as they will have to pay to fix the problems. Therefore, ensuring that you fix any problems before putting your property on the market will help you achieve your asking price or above.

Kerb appeal

It is true what they say, first impressions matter. Take some time to make sure that the front of your property is clean and tidy. Trim your hedges and grass, weed paths, and if your front door is looking a bit old and worn, consider replacing or repainting it.

Treat your garden like another room

Post-pandemic buyers place a high value on outdoor space, so smartening up your outdoor area can make a real difference to your selling price. Outdoor entertaining areas are very attractive to buyers at the moment and don’t cost much or take much time to create. Try creating an inviting entertaining area with comfortable garden furniture and a firepit to help your potential buyers envision themselves relaxing in your garden. Just remember that clean and tidy gardens are attractive to buyers, while those that look like jungles tend to put them off.

Go green

As energy prices rise, so does the desirability of properties that are environmentally friendly and cheaper to run. Solar panels, wind turbines, and good insulation can all help your property stand out in the current market and, as a result, achieve a higher selling price.

If you would like more advice on how to add value to your property in North London please do not hesitate to give us a call on 020 7759 2199 or send us an email to enquiries@vitaproperties.uk and we will be delighted to discuss it with you.

Tenants are very used to the long list of don’ts that they are given when they first rent a property.

Don’t redecorate. Don’t hang pictures. Don’t cause any damage. The list goes on.

Tenancy agreements also contain a list of must dos but the focus on the don’ts can often overshadow them, leaving tenants with the impression that, as the property is very clearly not theirs, any problems to do with the property are for their landlord to sort out.

However, not all problems are the responsibility of the landlord. Some of them are for the tenant to sort out. So if you are a tenant, what is it that you are responsible for?

Rent

The first thing is obvious. You must pay your rent.

Drains

The second is one that tenants often think is the responsibility of their landlord but is in fact yours. You must take care of the drains. If you block them, then it is your responsibility to unblock them. Most tenancy agreements stipulate that no cooking oils or fats are to be put down the drains, as that will increase the likelihood of them being blocked.

Lightbulbs

Yet another thing that often catches tenants out. Tenants are responsible for replacing any blown light bulbs. Lightbulbs are usually itemised in the check-in inventory, and if, when you hand the keys back, you have failed to replace any blown bulbs, the cost of them can be deducted from your deposit.

Garden

Tenants are responsible for handing back the garden in the state that it was in at the beginning of their tenancy. Even if you don’t use it, you will still need to make sure that you look after it. Deductions can be made from your deposit if the landlord needs to hire a gardener to bring it back up to scratch at the end of your tenancy.

Bills

You are responsible for paying your utility bills unless your tenancy agreement explicitly states that these are included in your rent. Failing to pay these can not only result in large amounts of debt owing to the utility companies but can also result in the property’s utilities being cut off.

Report

If there is an issue with your home, you need to report it promptly. Most repairs are easier, quicker, and cheaper to fix if they are attended to promptly. If left, many issues will become worse, especially if the issue is a leak, as there is the potential for the water to cause a great deal of damage to the property.

Secure

It is the responsibility of the tenant to make sure that the property is kept safe and secure.

Insurance

It is also your responsibility to pay to insure the contents of the property, as landlord insurance does not cover the tenant’s belongings. It is not uncommon for it to be written into the tenancy agreement that you must not leave the property unoccupied for a period of more than 14 days. If you do go away for a prolonged period of time, you will need to inform your landlord and insurance company.

If ever you are unsure as to whether you should report an issue or deal with it yourself, please give our expert lettings team in North London a call on 020 7759 2199 or send us an email to enquiries@vitaproperties.uk and we will be happy to give you our advice.

Summer is nearly here, so now is the time to get your garden in shape. The enjoyment that can be derived from having a lovely outside space that the whole family can enjoy was brought home to us during lockdown. Many of us started using our gardens as an extension of our interior living space, and as buyer wish lists demonstrate, that trend is still ongoing. Don’t forget that a well-kept garden can boost your home’s value by up to 5%. So read on for our list of the most important tasks you can complete this month to get your garden both ready for your family to enjoy and to help you attract the attention of potential purchasers. 

Love your lawn

A perfectly mowed lawn is beautiful to look at, and in a vote to find the top 50 fragrances in Britain, freshly cut grass came in third. Make sure you don’t trim it any shorter than 1cm in length, as if you do, it can struggle to grow and leave you with a patchy, unsightly lawn.

Weeds

Getting rid of weeds from your lawn, borders, and paths may seem like an endless chore, but it is one that is well worth doing. In addition to helping your garden look its best, removing weeds can prevent them from strangling your carefully chosen border plants. The longer you let them grow, the more difficult it will be to get them under control.

Declutter

Over the winter, sheds can turn into a dumping ground for items that need to be stored out of the way. This may result in your shed being a scene of disorganised chaos in which it may be difficult to find anything. Take advantage of the sunny days and empty your shed of everything. Then divide the items into piles for keeping, discarding, and donating. Before putting the keep pile back in the shed, make sure you give your shed a thorough clean.

Garden furniture

When it comes to cleaning outdoor furniture that has been left outside all winter, pressure washers can make the job easy. However, a bowl of soapy water and some elbow grease will work just as well if you don’t have one. Remember to wash your cushion covers in your washing machine to freshen them up.

A coat of paint

Give your wooden furniture, decking, and fence a fresh coat of paint. It will not only help it look its best, but it will also ensure that it is prepared to weather another winter when it arrives, and it is unquestionably more pleasant to complete this task in the sunshine than at the beginning of winter!

If you are considering selling your property in North London and would like some advice on how to make your garden look its best please give us a call on 020 7759 2199 or send us an email to enquiries@vitaproperties.uk and we will be delighted to give you our advice.

Many sellers put off tackling jobs around their home as they believe that buyers like to change things when they move in.

However, this is a false economy that may both delay your sale and affect the price that you get for your property.

There are people who are looking for a fixer-upper but they expect their willingness to spend time doing up the property to be reflected in the price of that property.

A run down property can also give the impression to potential buyers that you do not take care of it, which will leave them wondering what larger problems lurk unseen.

So if you would like to get the best possible price for your property in North London, it can pay to tend to any odd jobs before you put it on the market.

Kerb appeal

The exterior of your house is the first thing potential buyers see, and first impressions matter. Make sure your front door is free of dents and scuffs, and that the door handles are in good condition. Make sure your front garden is tidy and that the latches and hinges on any gates are well oiled and in full working order. Ensure that your roof doesn’t have any broken or missing tiles.

Interior

Repair any nail holes in your walls, and if they are looking tired, consider treating them to a fresh coat of paint.

Make sure your flooring is in good condition; replace chipped or cracked floor tiles and any damaged carpet. If you have pets, having your carpets steam-cleaned can be a great way to freshen them up.

The right lighting can make even the smallest home appealing, so take time to make sure all of your lightbulbs are working and fix any broken light fittings.

Bathrooms and kitchens are the most expensive rooms for potential buyers to upgrade, so it is no coincidence that updating them can have the greatest effect on your property’s value. However, you don’t need to install a completely new kitchen to make a difference. Fixing leaky taps, running toilets, and ensuring built in appliances are working properly can sometimes be all that is needed to spruce up your bathrooms and kitchen.

Garden/Outdoor area

Clear away any broken items, like cracked plant pots, and fix things like broken panes of glass in your shed.

Living in our  homes day in and day out can often make us blind to small things that need fixing, but potential buyers who are looking at your home with fresh eyes will notice them.

Asking a good friend or family member to take some time to walk around your property and point out things you may have missed can be invaluable.

Alternatively, we are always happy to come and give you some advice on how you can ensure that your property is market ready; just give us a call on 020 7759 2199 or send us an email to enquiries@vitaproperties.uk. If you don’t have time or feel up to fixing issues yourself, we have a list of trusted local handymen we can recommend.