At Centric Home improvements we are always looking for the best ways to add value to your home.

Adding value to your home is an important consideration for any homeowner, whether you have bought brand new from one of the large developers, or set your sights on climbing the property ladder by doing up an existing property.

There are plenty of options. You could fit a new kitchen, add a conservatory or fit new windows, for example. But not all improvement projects are equal as some will help increase a property value a lot more than others – and it’s not always about how much you spend, either.

Here are some of our top tips:

Paint and decorate
Applying a fresh coat of paint or papering the walls is one of the most cost-effective ways to add value. All of the home improvement TV shows will tell you that a neutral palette will have the widest appeal to potential buyers.

Tidy up the garden, front and back
Gardens sell homes and that’s a well known fact, but not every potential buyer is a gardening expert. Invest in some hard landscaping to make your outdoor space more manageable. Cut back any overgrown shrubs and bushes and mow the lawn. Better still replace the lawn with some good quality artificial grass for less maintenance.

Make your home energy efficient
Especially for older homes energy efficiency improvements is a must. You may even be eligible for a Government grant to make these improvements especially for boilers and central heating. Typical ways to boost energy efficiency are to install double or triple glazing, add cavity wall insulation, and ensure the loft is well insulated. If you already have a conservatory consider insulating the roof to avoid temperature extremes.

Add a bathroom
Find room for an en suite or extra bathroom, and you’ll see a good return on your money.

Go open-plan
Creating an open plan kitchen and dining space is a winner, especially if you have room for bi-fold doors to open up onto the garden. Roof lights, a lantern or Velux windows create a brighter space with lots of natural light. It’s obviously an easier and more affordable job if you have non-load bearing walls that you can knock down.

Repair any outside cracks in the render
Painting renders and attending to any repointing will put potential buyers minds at ease – first impressions count. Even small details like an uneven path shouldn’t be overlooked.

Move up into the loft
A popular project that has the potential to make you a bundle of cash when you sell, but it’s a big one. Every project is different, and extra structural work like adding dormer windows or raising the height of the roof will eat into any profit.

Convert the garage
According to a recent report by Santander Bank, 650,000 garages have already been turned into bedrooms (the most popular choice, at 29 per cent), as well as home offices, kitchen extensions, utility rooms or sitting rooms. They calculate that the average garage conversion costs £6,300, once it’s been plastered and decorated. That works out much cheaper than moving home, with all the fees and costs like stamp duty. If you have an integral garage, the job should be quite simple however, do consider whether losing your garage will reduce the parking space available. If you have plenty of space off-road to park your car and the job is well done, converting your garage will pay dividends. You’ll need heating and insulation to make it usable all year round and natural lighting from new double glazed windows or even bi-fold doors will help with security.