From Kitchen to Kerb Appeal: 2025 Upgrades That Help Homes Sell

Are you considering selling your home in 2025? Or maybe you are just looking to make a few meaningful changes to your home that will result in a higher property value? If so, we have got everything you need to know.

There are many things that can help your home sell quickly. Some things work better than others, and some jobs are bigger than others. However, if you are interested in not only getting more interest in your property but also potentially getting a higher sale value, take a look at the list below for upgrades that you can make this year…

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Improve Kerb Appeal

Improving your home’s kerb appeal can make a huge difference in the first impressions of your home. Improving your home’s kerb appeal will also give you something to be proud of and something that you’re excited to come home to.

There are several things you can do to improve your home’s kerb appeal. Below is a list of things you can do:

• Install a new front door
• Paint the outside of your home
• Install new windows
• Install a new driveway
• Install a new front gate
• Front lawn gardening

Kitchen and Bathroom Upgrades

A full kitchen or bathroom renovation can be quite costly. However, there are several smaller upgrades that you can make to help add value to your home. Consider updating any outdated hardware, such as cabinet handles and taps. A fresh coat of paint on your kitchen cabinets can also make a big difference.

In the bathroom, consider replacing any old tiles. If the grout between your bathroom tiles is old, worn, or discoloured, consider re-grouting them. Also, replacing an old or worn toilet seat can make a surprisingly significant difference. Additionally, you can upgrade lighting fixtures, such as swapping out old ceiling lights for stylish pendant lights, as this can also enhance the overall aesthetic of your bathroom.

Small details can make a big difference. Consider adding some stylish bath mats, towels and decorative accents to elevate the overall look of the bathroom. Similarly, some well-placed accents in the kitchen can also elevate the look of this space.

Paint Your Eaves White

Eaves or soffits are the parts of the roof that overhang the property. These parts are either left as open eaves or they are covered up with a horizontal soffit. No matter of which type of these you have on your home, they can reflect natural light into your home.

If you paint the eaves white, this is a simple, yet, very effective way to boost the amount of natural light that enters your home. Even if the colour of the exterior of your home is different, you can still paint the eaves white. Eaves are angled towards the house, so painting them will not have any effect on your home's kerb appeal. You will usually only be able to see the eaves from inside your house through a window.

Draught Proofing

Draught-proofing your windows can help keep the heat in and, therefore, result in your home being more energy efficient. You can easily draught-proof your home with draught-proofing strips.

Make sure you choose draught-proofing strips that are the right size so that they fit properly in the gap in your window. If the strip is too small, there will still be a gap, so it won't work properly. If the strip is too big, it will become crushed, and you may not be able to close the window properly. If your windows don't open, you will need to use a silicone sealant.

Choose Light Interior Paints

Painting the walls and ceilings in your home in light and bright colours is a very simple way to add more light to the home. Your interior wall colour is the main way that you can reflect the natural light into a room. The Light Reflectance Value (LRV) can range from 100% for a pure, bright white all the way down to 0 for jet black. All colours in between will have various LRV levels, depending on the shade and brightness.

Bright white is the lightest colour you can choose. If you are not a fan of bright whites but still want to invite more light into your home, try choosing white shades that include some other colour tones within them. White paints come in a wide range of different shades.

Painting the ceiling is also important. You may have noticed that most ceilings in homes are white. There is a good reason for this, and that is because white reflects light. Ceilings usually go unnoticed in a room. With this in mind, there is really no reason to paint the ceiling any other colour than white. A matte white paint is better than a glossy white paint for the ceiling as matte finishes help to reduce glare.

Deep Clean Your Home

When someone comes to view your property, you want them to imagine living there with a positive outcome. Grime and dust will give potential buyers the impression that your home has not been well looked after or cared for. With this in mind, you must ensure your home is spotless before letting viewers step through the door.

There’s no point in adding new paintwork or fixing up old furnishings if the place looks grubby. A dirty bathroom is the biggest turn-off for potential buyers. Keep this in mind when completing your house clean, and be sure to give the bathroom a little extra attention.

You can easily remove scuffs on the walls with a bucket of sugar water. This is the best gentle approach to getting rid of most marks.

Deep cleaning of the carpets is also essential. Alternatively, if your floorboards are in good shape, strip them back and apply some varnish to them. It's also very important to clean the windows and window sills as well, both on the inside and outside of the home.

You can complete a lot of this work yourself with no costs other than the price of the products used. Alternatively, you can hire a professional cleaner to perform a deep clean for you, which shouldn't cost too much in comparison to the value that this could add.

Do Some Simple Decorating

Another thing that often puts off potential home buyers is dodgy paintwork, bold statement walls, and bright, off-putting colours. Also, scuffed or discoloured walls can be a huge turn-off and may reduce the value of your home considerably.

Again, you want people to feel like they can move into your home and feel at home right away rather than consider all of the work they’ll have to complete themselves after the sale has gone through.

Buying a few things like brushes, rollers, sandpaper, and paint won't cost a huge amount. Doing a bit of decorating can help you create more of a blank canvas for potential buyers, which will be much more appealing. Opt for neutral colours and keep an eye on the quality of the finish.

Declutter the Space

When it comes to showing your house to potential buyers, you want to think minimalistic. Removing any excess clutter around the home can add a sense of space and will give potential buyers the opportunity to better imagine their own belongings in the space.

A lot of people feel like they need to completely empty everything out of their home in order to sell it. However, that isn’t the case. It’s important to have a little bit of soul and personality in the home so that your potential buyers can imagine living there. However, sellers do need to be aware of clutter.

Too much clutter can make the home seem smaller and disorganised. Take some time to remove as much of the clutter as possible without leaving the rooms completely bare. Consider storing clutter in unused spaces such as the garage, a garden shed, or in cupboards. Better yet, ask your family or friends if you can store some of your things at their homes until you've completed the sale.

Do Some Small Repairs

Have you got some small home issues, such as a cracked tile or a dripping tap? If so, it's a good idea to rectify these before you start showing your home, as these could send the wrong message to buyers. You want potential buyers to think the home has been well looked after and cared for. So, you want to avoid leaving anything in place that could suggest otherwise.

There are several small things that you could fix around the home. Whether it's replacing a damaged piece of carpet or replacing a grubby sealant – no matter how small the issue may seem, anything that could potentially turn off a buyer is something that you should rectify.

Small repairs won't cost a lot, but these small improvements could greatly impact your ability to sell your home for a higher price.

Energy Efficient Upgrades

Energy-efficient upgrades not only help to reduce your utility bills but can also make your home more attractive to potential buyers. Consider upgrading to energy-efficient light bulbs, installing a smart thermostat, or improving your home’s insulation. These upgrades can significantly reduce your energy consumption while also increasing your home’s value.

Additionally, consider installing some new energy-efficient appliances, such as a new fridge or washing machine. These appliances can save you money on your energy bills and make your home more environmentally friendly.

Think About the Front Door

The front door is the very first thing that potential buyers will see when they come to view your property. Could your front door do with a lick of paint? If so, get it done before you put your home on the market.

If your front door is quite old and battered, it may be worth considering installing a completely new one. This shouldn’t cost too much if you shop around. It’s important to choose a front door that fits in well with your home's colour scheme and aesthetic appeal.

Tasteful letterboxes and doorknobs can be very helpful in improving the overall appearance of your front door. Consider placing a hanging basket next to the front door or a beautiful potted plant outside the door to add some style.