With the price of property continuously increasing and it becoming harder than ever to get onto the property ladder, according to lettings and management specialists Leo Newman, it makes sense to look for ways to increase the value of your home. Below are eight of the most effective and economically beneficial ways to make the most out of your property by increasing its worth through a number of different methods.

1.  Create space– Recently there has seen a trend showing anything within a property that creates a senses of flow in a house and an open style plan is tending to do better in the housing market amongst buyers than those homes that don’t have the flexibility to do this with the space they have.

2. More light-The lighter the house the better as let’s be honest, no one wants to be living in a dark environment. This can be done through enlarging windows or improving general lighting through greater fixtures. The lighter a room can also help make smaller spaces feel larger which can also add further value to your property.

3. Go green-Becoming sustainable and self-sufficient is not only attractive from a marketing point of view, but can also help reduce costs. For example, a popular trend in homes right now is installing solar panels, reducing electricity costs, and saving on water and heating bills.

4. Keeping it looking new-To ensure your property remains looking new, regular paints of coat are highly recommended. This then means that your freshly coated housecan give the appearance and impression of a brand new home, even though you’ll know it isn’t. It is important to keep in mind however that neutral colours are important in creating this effect as they attract a larger amount of potential buyers. A range of bright colours can limit the amount of potential buyers as neutral colours can be more appealing to a higher proportion of people whereas the more adventurous shades can leave a room looking cluttered and tatty.

5. Kitchen update– If you only have the time or financial capability to renovate one room in your home, make it the kitchen. Due to recent trends, the kitchen has become the most important room in the house. Not only do people spend time in their cooking, it is now the showpiece of the house and is being used more for dinner parties (depending on the size of course).

6. Garden value– To increase the value of a home many people choose to extend the property (depending on planning permission) which normally means the garden ends up being the space which is reduced. This however can be harmful to a property’s value as garden space can be very appealing for potential buyers. Nothing can be better than relaxing outside on a warm summer’s day, or having a barbeque in the summer in the garden with your friends, however it is also important to note that having a garden requires time and maintenance, making surethe grass is cut and bushes are trimmed regularly.

7. Conservatory space-Creating a conservatory at the back of your home is a great way to increase your living space and ensures you get good lighting into the room, but sometimes the danger can be that you simply don’t have the space and as mentioned end up using up valuable garden space instead. If these two things are avoided, it can be a great way to increase the value of a property which doesn’t need large amounts of funds to implement, compared to an extension.

8. The more bedrooms the better– When deciding to extend your house to create a home office or garage, you should rethink your idea and build an extra bedroom instead. The more bedrooms you have in your home the higher the value of your property. Bedrooms as well as the number of bathrooms area good indication of how big your house is and how well the space within the property has been utilized.The more the home sleeps, the more money potential buyers will be willing to pay.