3. Attractiveness
Defined as the attractiveness of the exterior of a residential or commercial property as viewed from the street, curb appeal is all about the aesthetics. There is something, for instance, attractive about good doors. It is a minor thing, but the effects are astounding. The windows too, and the roof, paintwork, compound, floor and such.
Always keep in mind that the first thing most buyers see when they approach the property is the front door and yard, which means you should spend a small fortune to make a good impression with your exterior. Spend some time creating an attractive entrance to the home; you may consider laying gravel and sprucing up the garden to keep it looking great.
When all is said and done, a buyer will want to have a tour of the property he or she is buying. Mr. Miswa and Ms. Kariuki both agree that the design and maintenance of the house play a key role in determining the sale value of the unit.
A good architectural design, Mr. Miswa says, might make the household its ground on the value front, while a poor design might make the house depreciate in value within a very short time.
“The plan is the heart of the property,” says Mr. Miswa. “If you don’t have the right design, then you will never fetch the amount of money you expect from your property. You must invest in the right things if you want to remain attractive for a long time.”
On the looks front, there are two major things that determine the value of the property: the land it stands on, and the structure itself. While land always appreciates in value, the structure tends to depreciate over time.
“You must invest in maintaining your house, and the cost of doing so might be met by an impressed buyer when you eventually put the house up for sale. Mid-end properties will fetch more than high-end ones in most cases because there is always room for more developments. Also, the value of low- and mid-end properties appreciate twice as much as high-end properties,” says Mr. Miswa.
The choice of materials used during construction is also important. “Your choice of materials will greatly determine the cost of maintenance and, in turn, that of sale,” says Ms. Kariuki. “Finishing touches such as cladding really influence the value of the property you are selling.”
Cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements into the structure, or for aesthetic purposes.
4. Finishing
As Ms. Kariuki puts it, “you should know where to use ceramic tiles and where to use wooden floor finishing”.
“I will not buy a house that has ceramic tiles on the floor in Limuru because that means the house will always be cold,” she says. “However, I can buy a house with the same floor finish in Mombasa.”
According to global property website Lamudi, wall mirrors make a room look much bigger and brighter. Consider putting some in your house, especially in smaller rooms or hallways. Clean windows inside and out, and replace any broken light bulbs.
Making the place feel light and airy makes rooms feel bigger and the property more attractive. Ensure that you have lamps on in any dark corners. Putting a soft lamp in the bathroom can also create a warm glow.
A fresh lick of paint will enable viewers to easily imagine how they would adapt the rooms to their needs, advises Lamudi. It will be easier for the buyers to move in and use the rooms immediately than if the walls were still bright purple or lime green.
The kitchen, many people do not know, is the most valuable room in a house. It is worth the most per square foot and can make the difference when buyers are unsure. Consider re-facing your kitchen cabinetry, which is much cheaper than installing new cabinets and often as effective. Upgrading kitchen countertops is expensive but can add serious value to your house.
The obvious…
This might seem like stating the obvious, but trust us, it isn’t. A lot of people put crumbling structures up for sale and fail to maintain housing standards as required by the law.
One of the requirements is that as a seller, you must ensure that the structure you are selling is habitable; in terms of providing the inhabitants with adequate space and protecting them from cold, dampness, heat, rain, wind and other threats to health, including structural hazards and disease vectors. Section 42 of the Constitution says that every person has the right to a clean and healthy environment.
Therefore, Ms Kariuki advises, one should ensure the property one is selling does not pose a danger to the life of the buyer. “If the aspect of habitability is not taken into consideration, the value of the property can be greatly affected,” she says.
This feature was first published in the Daily Nation.