When Justine Potts set up Market London, a renovation and interior-design
service in 2006, the property market was booming and most of her clients
were looking to move. For a fee, Potts, who has an architectural background,
would tell them what to do to their homes to maximise the amount of money
they would fetch. What a difference two years make.
“When I first launched the company, it was 100% people wanting to sell,” says
Potts. “Now it’s 100% the other way round. Even when it comes to setting a
budget, people are looking at how much they would have spent on stamp duty
and legal fees to move and are spending that.”
Recent statistics confirm the extent to which we are becoming a nation of
improvers rather than movers. Between 2002 and 2006, nearly one in three
homeowners moved house, according to figures from the Land Registry. This
year, the total number of transactions is predicted to be below 800,000 -
the lowest since the 1960s.
This doesn’t look like changing any time soon: a recent survey by
Credit-Expert, an online credit-monitoring service, found 91% of homeowners
who had been planning a move are now going to stay put for at least another
six months, while figures from the online business directory www.ratedpeople.com
show more than 2.7m owners have called off their plans to move this year.
And this was before the government slowed things down further by hinting at
the possibility of a stamp-duty holiday – and then doing nothing about it.
If you haven’t moved for a while, however, chances are your home has its share
of peeling paintwork, mouldy grouting and tired-looking wallpaper. Don’t
despair. There are plenty of things you can do yourself to make your home a
much more attractive and comfortable place to live, many of which won’t cost
the earth – a must in these credit-crunched times. And, if you do decide to
sell one day, they could add value too.
The great outdoors
First things first: repaint your front door. For the price of a tin of paint,
it will help give your home an exterior face-lift – and will also create a
good first impression for potential buyers in the future.
Gloss paint is the most hard-wearing option. Classic black or navy blue are
smart, although Farrow & Ball (www.
farrow-ball.com) has seen increased interest in duck-egg blues and eau
de nils. For a final touch, add new chrome or brass fittings; www.doorchic.co.uk
has a good range.
While you are outside, it is probably a good time to give your bricks and
mortar an MoT. Check the roof for missing tiles or slates and make sure the
gutters are draining properly. Examine external paintwork: touch up minor
defects using an artist’s brush and ensure there is no exposed wood. Repair
or replace as necessary.
And, for a final flourish, brighten up the exterior with some window boxes.
John Lewis has an attractive black one for £10 (www.johnlewis.com
). Fill them with cheap and cheerful zinnias or fragrant lavender.
The inside story
If you don’t have the budget or stamina to extend your kitchen or convert the
loft, fear not. There are still dozens of manageable jobs you can do to
revitalise your living space.
It may be boring, but start by clearing – and cleaning – up. Throw away
anything you no longer need or haven’t used in a couple of years. Rethink
your storage: consider your space, looking at which areas – under the
stairs, above doorways, alcoves – are underused and how you could adapt them
to your advantage.
A wide range of ready-made self-assembly storage systems, including shelves,
racks, rails and drawers, are available from the Cotswold
Company, the Holding
Company and Ikea.
If you still have too much junk, you could always put up a shed in the back
garden. For further advice, visit www.
taylorsgardenbuildings.co.uk or www.
gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk .
Kitchens
You don’t have to spend thousands to update your kitchen. Give your cupboards
a fresh lease of life with new doors and handles. Lark
& Larks has a range of replacement cupboard doors, from £8 for a
plain wooden version. As always, Ikea also has a fair selection. Take a look
at the worktops, too. Repair broken laminate with contact adhesive. If there
are any burns or deep scratches in wooden surfaces, sand them down and
reoil.
There is plenty more to do while you’re at it, such as replacing tired or
stained blinds and curtains. B&Q has
just launched a range of blinds with prices starting at a reasonable £9.98.
Or try Pedlar s, which sells a
patterned opaque film that ensures privacy without sacrificing natural light
(£29.95, was £49.50). For a wider range of designs, go to www.windowfilm.co.uk
.
Also replace torn or worn lino. Rubber flooring is great for kitchen floors as
it’s warm underfoot and easy to clean; try www.therubberflooringcompany.co.uk.
Laminate flooring is cheap, hard-wearing and fairly easy to install
yourself: choose a click system that slots together without adhesives and is
easy to unlock if you want to move or replace damaged planks. Floor tiles
are long-lasting but can feel chilly, so think about underfloor heating.
Bathrooms
The bathroom is one of the first things a potential buyer will look at, and
it’s worth smartening up if you’re staying. Start with a day on the tiles:
use bleach to remove any mildew on the grout and a grouting pen (www.ronseal.co.uk
) to tidy things up. If they’re in really poor shape, sand them down and
paint them; try www.dulux.co.uk and www.
paintsprays.co.uk for tile paints. Or liven up plain tiles with
transfers – www. benporium.co.uk
has a wide range.
New taps will also give a fresh look. The most sophisticated models can cost
hundreds of pounds, but www.
victoriaplumb.com has a sale on, with designs starting from as little
as £25. For a sleeker, modern look, try www.
bathstore.com .
While you’re in there, tackle limescale on the shower head and screen with a
specialist remover or distilled white vinegar. Soak a paper towel in the
cleaner and wrap it around the area to melt away the limescale.
Designs for living
If you’re not sure about redecorating a whole room, experiment on a smaller
area. Wallpaper can look good on a single wall, in an alcove or just on the
chimney breast.
If you are going to decorate, make sure you prepare the surface properly
first. Wash painted walls using sugar soap and put up lining paper for a
smooth surface; strip old wallpaper if you’re planning to replace it or
paint the wall. You can hire a steam stripper from HSS,
from £15.50 a day. Before painting wood, wash down the area and rub with
sandpaper or wire wool. Use masking tape to get a clean line along skirting
boards and edges.
Make sure you choose the right paint. Emulsion is a water-based paint for
walls and ceilings that comes in a variety of finishes, including matt and
silk. Gloss is oil-based; it takes longer to dry, but is good for woodwork.
Test paints on several different walls to see how the light affects the
colour – use a whole tester pot and paint a decent block to see it properly.
If you want to test colours without trashing the walls, paint onto sections
of lining paper and stick them up.
Tackle the room in sequence: ceilings, walls, then woodwork. Work from the top
of the wall down and do two coats. Use good-quality bristle brushes: you
will need at least two; a small one for the edges and a large 100mm-125mm
one for walls. However, a roller and tray make painting large areas much
easier.
The green agenda
If your house was built before the 1960s, insulate your loft. It’s neither
sexy nor exciting, but is highly cost-effective. Basic insulation in the
void above a terraced home should cost from £250, according to the Energy
Saving Trust, and will save about £155 a year. Roll it out between the
joists in your loft space. If you’re going to use the loft for storage,
insulate between the rafters – use rigid insulation boards and cut them to
shape. Ecofriendly options include flax-based Natilin and Warmcel, made of
recycled newspaper.
Oh, and don’t forget to bleed your radiators and get your boiler checked out.
Find a reputable trader at www.corgi-gas.com.
Finishing touches
Invest in some new cushions to spruce up your living room. You will find good
selections at www.okadirect.com, www.pier.co.uk
and www.habitat.co.uk . Put up the
bookshelves you’ve been promising to do all year, and rehang pictures
properly. Don’t just bang in nails indiscriminately, get a friend to hold
the picture at your chosen spot and move it up or down to get the right
height. Accepted wisdom puts the centre of the picture at roughly 5ft above
the ground.
