Remove the lounge door and park a new motor in the drive: Estate agents reveal 20 cheap tricks that can add thousands to the value of your home

Bake fresh bread and brew coffee, remove the lounge door and park an expensive motor on the driveway if you want to shift your home and add value to it, estate agents up and down the country have said in a study.

And with space at the forefront of many buyers’ minds - the UK has the smallest homes in Western Europe – many are also put off by dreaded clutter, the survey of more than 250 estate agents revealed.

Each square foot of floor space freed up is estimated to be worth an average of £238 and removing bulky items pushes the sale price up by as much as 11 per cent, the survey of estate agents for - perhaps unsurprisingly - Big Yellow Self Storage - revealed. 

Nearly all agents surveyed said de-cluttering lead to homes selling for more – while 38 per cent insist it also increases the sale price. 

Clearing the kitchen of small appliances such as a kettles and toasters and developing an open plan living area are the best things sellers can do, the study revealed.

Other tips estate agents give is to strategically place mirrors to create the illusion of space and taking down the beloved family photographs.

Kate Faulkner, an independent property expert, said: 'Every seller wants to maximise the price of their property and while some put a lot of time and effort into making their home look presentable, this research shows that not all sellers are.

'Most buyers start looking for properties online and expect to see 20+ photos, so your property has to look its best from the outset. Untidy properties and ones that look like they have limited space aren’t likely to be first in the queue to view.

 

'Buyers are very canny these days – fuelled in part by the popularity of property and DIY TV shows – so will look for reasons to make a lower offer.

'A cluttered property which is bursting at the seams is going to be tough to justify offering full price on.'

The study also quizzed those who have recently bought and sold a property. Two thirds of sellers who de-cluttered before viewings received a higher offer than expected – £4,811 more, on average, the study claims. 

Also, in terms of buyers, 22 per cent said they have decided to not make an offer on a home in the past because it was too cluttered.

The survey also revealed other traits that put buyers off a property, with discolouration or smell due to smoking in the house topping the list, closely followed by knick knacks and ornaments on display and pet smells or paraphernalia.