Every property owner wants to maximise its potential value. A more valuable rental property can secure a larger regular income. A property being sold can secure a far higher selling price if it’s perceived to be of a higher quality. In both cases – rental or purchase – we can achieve far more in terms of value if our potential renter or buyer is wowed by the property. The art of increasing your property’s chances (and in turn, its value) is the art of creating a place that people fall instantly in love with.

Fortunately, turning your property into one with “wow” appeal isn’t as difficult as you may believe. There are five simple strategies and techniques you can employ to instantly lift the face of any property, and greatly improve your odds when it comes to securing far more income from it.

Paint Your House Exterior

This may seem an obvious tactic, but it’s one that never fails to impress! Your potential buyer/renter shouldn’t have to wait until they’re inside the house before the love affair begins. “Kerb Appeal” is just that – “the attractiveness of a property and its surroundings when viewed from the street”.

There are obvious ways to achieve this, such as ensuring that leaves and other debris are taken care of, bins and recycling containers are out of sight, and that green areas are tended to. However, the value of making sure the house itself is bright and pleasing to the eye should not be discounted, and can be completely realised in a single day.

As the good people at Lick say: “One of the most impactful ways you can increase your property value is by painting your house exterior. It’s no secret that when it comes to properties, first impressions count. Giving your front door, fence, brickwork and even your pots a spruce up with a lick of paint can play a huge role in attracting prospective buyers or renters. See your front door as your welcome home and paint it in a colour that will attract and invite people in, rather than detract.

Lick has created a complete guide (which you can find here) to spruce up your home’s exterior, including guides to which colours will work best, the specific areas upon which to focus, and why it matters so much.

Pink 04 exterior paint. Image courtesy of Lick.

Spruce Up Your Garden

There’s a tendency to ignore the value of gardens when it comes to property value. Many see the house itself as the real prize, but this thinking is flawed. If the house itself is the artwork, then the garden should be seen as the frame housing that portrait. We wouldn’t put a Rembrandt in a scrappy clip-frame. Similarly, why would we present a pristine property, but taint the appeal by framing it with debris, unattractive mess, or dying greenery?

Bear in mind that for many, the garden itself will be seen as a space in itself; an extra room if you like. It’s a place where friends meet, share the good weather, or even relax during those free moments. If the garden is hospitable, attractive and instantly recognisable as a feature instead of an inconvenience, then it can greatly increase the potential value you can realise on the property as a whole.

Some simple ways to instantly improve outside spaces include making sure that any dead or dying shrubbery is removed, that lawns are neat and attractive, that no unnecessary rubbish or detritus are being hoarded, and that any furniture or garden essentials are clean, tidy, and ready to use. If your furniture is looking tired, a lick of paint can instantly revitalise it. Even metal garden furniture can be painted, and in many cases, given a whole new lease of life by doing so.

And don’t ignore the fence! Instead of viewing it as a simple border, why not use it as a canvas. Choosing an attractive colour for your fence can instantly suggest new possibilities, such as using the space as a backdrop for outdoor features such as herb garden, eating spaces, or even an outdoor cinema.

Green 09 exterior paint on metal garden furniture and Blue 06 exterior paint on a fence. Images courtesy of Lick.

Make Use Of All The Spaces In Your Home

We may think of that large cupboard at the rear of the house as merely a place to store boxes. In some cases, smaller bedrooms may feel inadequate in terms of sleeping arrangements, and not suitable for use as a full-time bedroom.

But every space in a house has potential. Could a larger cupboard be expanded so as to provide more room in a more usable space? Could we perhaps empty the cupboard and decorate it, so as to use the space as a nook, or even as a computer area or library?

A tiny room presented as a box bedroom may act as a negative for potential renters/buyers, who may view the space as unsuitable. But present the same space as a study or office, where furniture tends to take up less of a room’s footprint than a bed, and suddenly the space can be seen as something far more useful – a bonus that may well appeal to people now used to working from home in many cases. Find the perfect colour for your home office or check out Lick’s full range of home office and study paint.

As Lick describes it: “A small desk, house plant and book shelf can turn a once declared “storage room” into a highly functional home office in its own right. With the right paint colour and furniture, you can cleverly maximise the space in your property and in doing so increase its value to potential buyers and renters”

Creative spaces such as these turn more enclosed, claustrophobic properties into functional, attractive homes with limitless potential. By cleverly and imaginatively using rooms and storage areas, we can instantly raise the value of a property, not just in terms of revenue, but also in terms of usability.

Kitchen Revamp

For many, the kitchen is the most important room in the house, and can make or break a decision when it comes to whether or not to purchase. Obvious tips such as making sure the appliances are in good working order, and that the room is clean, should be paramount in any property owner’s mind. But there are far more sweeping changes you can make to a kitchen.

Many believe that kitchen revamps are costly affairs that involve prolonged periods of renovation and refurbishment. Certainly, it can be extraordinarily easy to suddenly run up huge bills if refitting is part of the plan. But complete renovations of kitchens are not always necessary.

The same bright, new feel in a kitchen can be achieved through simple means.

“Think minimal spend, maximum impact” says Lick. “An easy way to revamp your kitchen without breaking the bank is to simply repaint your kitchen cabinets. A fresh lick of paint can have such a transformative effect on a tired looking kitchen, so it’s time to pick up that paint brush and give your kitchen the upgrade it deserves.

Whether you’re going for a neutral kitchen, minimalist kitchen or a bolder kitchen to get people talking, Lick’s range of kitchen paint colours are designed to work in any space, with any style. Looking for colour and design inspiration? Check out their recommendations for the best kitchen paint colours.”

Bear in mind, also, that tatty, worn fittings, such as taps, knobs and handles, all suggest a sense of uncleanliness and disdain. And yet all of these things can be replaced for next to nothing via sites such as Amazon, and re-fitted easily by anyone.

Don’t Be Afraid Of Colour

“A common misconception when putting your home on the market is that you need to present potential buyers and renters with a blank canvas, in order to appeal to the masses” writes Lick. “This doesn’t mean that a fresh, neutral colour scheme is a no. It simply means that colour is a yes! Don’t be afraid of colour! Injecting your property with colourful walls, furniture and accessories can actually help people visualise themselves living there – it can transform a blank space into a potential home.”

Never discount the emotional value of colour upon your potential buyer. The colours inside a property can have a huge effect on our potential buyer/renter’s emotional connection to the house. Colour in rooms affects not just our moods, but our creativity levels, our ability to relax, and our sense of wellbeing.

When asking ourselves about which colours to consider for which rooms, we must first consider the effect that we are trying to create in that space.

For instance, reds can stimulate our energy levels, the associating emotional effects being a heightened sense of love, passion and power. These emotions may work well in spaces such as dining rooms and living rooms, where we generally interact with others, but may not serve areas such as offices or kitchens.

Yellows communicate happiness, creativity and light-heartedness, and suit spaces such as bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms. Greens tend to have a calming effect, relieving stress, and so may be better suited to the bedroom or the study. Blues are soothing, and also suggest the idea of freshness and vitality, which may work well in rooms such as bathrooms and bedrooms.

Whites gives us the feeling of cleanliness, but also tend to make a room feel larger, which is why they work so well in kitchens and bathrooms, which are far more appealing when clean, and which are also usually smaller than other rooms.

Greys work in most rooms, and suggest a feeling of comfort and order. Browns also tend to work in most main rooms as they provide feelings of comfort and sophistication.



Aside from the colours used in decorating though, we may compliment shades with other colours through careful use of furnishings and accoutrements. It is wise to ensure that these are carefully selected and compliment the colour of the room itself, without matching too closely, or clashing too vividly, which can spoil the effect you’re going for.

And never discount the value of lighting when it comes to setting that perfect mood. Carefully selected lighting may not just draw the eye to specific areas of the room, but can provide nuance and contrast without the need for more furniture.

As stated previously, the art of increasing your property’s value is the art of creating a place that people fall instantly in love with. Through these five simple methods, that needn’t cost the earth, you can take any property from drab and unappealing, to attractive and valuable, and instantly supercharge your plans for sale or rent by creating a sense of wonder in your potential buyer or renter.