Would-be house sellers don’t need to spend a lot of money on repairs to improve the value of their house.

Even inexpensive measures can considerably add to its value.

So people considering selling are being encouraged to think about what they can do during National Home Improvement Month.

It is an initiative from the National Association of Estate Agents.

They point out that if a home looks tired, potential buyers will believe they are likely to end up spending money bringing it up to scratch – and will factor this in to the price they are willing to pay. Yet it needn’t take much to remove this impression.

“In the absence of any pressing structural repairs, there’s a huge variety of more manageable home improvements that homeowners can carry out to increase the value of their home,” says NAEA president Martyn Baum.

The kitchen is one area where small improvements can make a big difference.

A full refurbishment will take up a lot of time and money, so instead consider selecting noticeable places where improvements would show best, such as the floor or cooker. 

Replace cupboard doors if necessary, rather than the full cupboard unit.

Fitting your home with energy efficient appliances can add value to your home by promising to cut the costs of bills.

And fixtures and fittings that look tired and in need of replacing may need no more than a deep clean to bring them back to life.

Painting the walls can also be a relatively cheap measure – and will reduce the appearance of wear and tear and create a fresh and clean feeling.

  • More than nine in 10 homeowners expect house prices in their areas to increase during the rest of this year, according to a survey by a property website.

Some 92 per cent of homeowners surveyed for Zoopla expect property values where they live to continue their upward march over the next six months – with the typical growth rate predicted at around 9.5 per cent over the period.

Homeowners were found to have high confidence levels in house price growth despite factors such as the upcoming European Union referendum on June 23.

Some estate agents have warned that the economic uncertainty surrounding the vote could depress the housing market in the near future.