How to add over £100k to your property before it goes to market
Renovating a property is rarely a single-minded decision. For some homeowners, it’s about modernising tired interiors or restoring period features that time has eroded. For others, it’s more straightforward – they want to maximise what they walk away with when the time comes to sell.
Whatever the motivation, spending in the wrong places can risk funding improvements that only benefit the next owner. Spend wisely, and you could add significant value – as much as £100,000 – before an evaluator ever sets foot through the door.
To find out where that money is best spent if you want to add value to your property, we asked three experienced home improvement specialists for their advice.
All price elevations are calculated based on the average England property price according to Gov UK, which, as of the most recent January 2026 data, is £290,000.
5) Spot renovations (£9,000)
Older properties come with character — but they also come with a checklist. Buyers browsing homes of 50 years or more aren’t expecting everything to be brand new, but they are expecting everything to work. Draughts, sticking doors, worn surfaces and tired fixtures all make a bad first impression on a potential buyer.
Addressing these details ahead of listing doesn’t need to be expensive, but the impact on buyer perception can be significant. In 2026’s property market, buyers are acting with discernment and negotiating assertively and, according to Kevin Brown, renovation expert at The Heritage Window Company, small oversights can quickly become leverage.
Most sellers underestimate how quickly a buyer forms an opinion. It happens long before they’ve opened a cupboard or checked the water pressure — it happens the moment they walk through the door, and what they notice quickest are the details that haven’t been dealt with.
A door that doesn’t sit right, paint that’s been left to chip, a bath seal that’s seen better days. These aren’t expensive problems to fix, but leaving them as is sends a message. It tells a buyer that maintenance hasn’t been a priority, and once that thought is in their head, it’s very hard to shift.
Sellers who present a clean, well-maintained home — even if it’s far from new — tend to attract stronger, faster offers. It’s not about perfection. It’s about giving buyers one less reason to knock money off.
Attending to these details before going to market can add up to 3.1% to a property’s sale value, working out at around £9,000 on an average-priced home. In a market where buyers are quicker than ever to negotiate, those small red flags are worth eliminating before they become costly concessions.
4) Boost kerb appeal (£14,500)
A property’s exterior does a job long before any viewing takes place. In a market driven by online listings and split-second scrolling decisions, the front of your home needs to earn its click.
Brickwork, mortar, stonework and woodwork all warrant attention, as does the state of your windows. Beyond the building itself, the driveway is often the first thing a prospective buyer physically encounters.
The exterior of a property sets expectations for everything that follows, says Kevin. If the outside looks tired or neglected, buyers will already be second-guessing themselves before they’ve stepped inside. On the other hand, a well-presented front — clean windows, fresh paintwork, tidy brickwork — creates confidence, and confident buyers make stronger offers.
Timber windows are a particular weak point in older homes. They take a beating from the weather over the years and can start to look worn quite quickly, so cleaning, re-glazing or repainting them before a sale is always worth doing. The same goes for the driveway. A thorough pressure wash to lift years of moss, algae and grime can transform the entire entrance to a property — it’s one of those jobs that costs very little but makes an enormous difference.
A well-presented exterior can add between 5% and 10% to a home’s value, resulting in a minimum average of £14,500 in value added on the average-priced home.
3) Increase bedroom storage (£29,000)
Storage has become one of the most searched-for features among UK homebuyers, particularly bedroom storage.
According to Greg Carlisle from The Sliding Door Wardrobe Company, buyers in 2026 have high expectations, and fitted storage is a big part of that, says Greg. Walk into almost any newbuild and you’ll find integrated wardrobes, understairs cupboards, built-in shelving — it’s become the bare minimum rather than the bonus. When older properties can offer the same thing, it immediately closes the gap in buyer perception.
The value is tangible, too. Fitted bedroom wardrobes can add up to 10% to a property’s value, and homes with good storage solutions tend to move faster once they’re listed. Buyers don’t want to factor in the cost and disruption of fitting storage themselves — if it’s already there, it’s one less conversation to have.
On an average-priced property, that 10% uplift translates to as much as £29,000 in added value — making fitted bedroom storage one of the most straightforward ways to strengthen your position before going to market.
2) Improve your EPC rating (£8,700–£56,840)
Improving your property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating is likely to require the most significant outlay of any improvement on this list — but it also carries the potential for the strongest return.
Routes to a better rating vary by property type and age. Options include fitting double-glazing, installing secondary glazing where planning restrictions apply, upgrading internal doors, draught-proofing the loft, or replacing an ageing boiler. All of which contribute to a stronger rating.
Secondary glazing is something I recommend for older properties where full double-glazing isn’t possible due to planning restrictions. It’s particularly common with sash windows in Victorian and Georgian homes — secondary glazing is a practical way to improve thermal performance without touching the existing windows.
For a quicker, lower-cost fix ahead of viewings, self-adhesive weather strips and silicone sealant around frame gaps can make a noticeable difference to how warm a property feels. But if you’re serious about adding value, the real gains come from replacing windows altogether.
Moving your property from a D to a C rating adds around 3% value or £8,700. A more significant jump, from G to C, can push that figure as high as 19.6%, or £56,840. For older properties where insulation and heating have already been addressed, upgrading to modern aluminium windows and glazing is often the next most impactful step.
1) Improve your garden (£58,000+)
Gardens can be one of the most rewarding assets to invest in before a sale. You may not be able to change its size or which direction it faces, but a well-kept, thoughtfully presented outdoor space can add considerable value with relatively modest investment.
A garden that’s been looked after can add as much as 20% to a property’s value — a significant number which is achievable without major landscaping work. On the other hand, a neglected garden can reduce the kerb appeal of your home.
So how can you improve your garden? According to Ashleigh Bradshaw, a lawn specialist at Hayter, the starting point is always the lawn. Cut it neatly, remove weeds and frame it with a planted border. That alone transforms how a garden reads to a buyer.
Make sure to leave at least one-third of your grass height to keep the lawn healthy, and in growing season, mow every 1-1.5 weeks, especially during warmer weather, Chris explains.
Beyond the lawn itself, garden additions can push that figure higher — a garden office adds around 7.5%, an annexe between 20–30% and even sheds can contribute 5–10% to overall value.
On an average-priced property, a well-maintained garden alone can add up to £58,000 before a single outbuilding is even factored in.
So, would you consider making any of these improvements before your property goes to market? Invest wisely and the rewards could be greater than you think.
