DIY disasters and cluttered bedrooms cut £10k from average home value

From shabby gardens to botched jobs, here are the top ten things costing sellers a small fortune

Home sellers are being forced to slash asking prices by thousands of pounds because of issues such as cluttered bedrooms and overgrown gardens.

Analysis of data provided by estate agents, decorators and gardeners that advertise through Bark.com, an online services marketplace, reveals untidy bedrooms can knock £10,000 off a home, while a neglected garden can devalue it by up to 20%.

Here are the top ten things to avoid if you want to get the best price possible for your home:

Evidence of pets – 45% of Brits may have one but not all buyers are animal lovers.
Illegal improvements – these can make your home unsellable.
Unusual décor – keep it simple.
Overgrown gardens – could lead to a 20% reduction in a home’s value.
Poor parking – a parking space is highly sought-after and could boost a property by £22,500.
Swimming pools – in the cool British climate pools often mean money down the drain.
House numbers – superstitious buyers won’t go near a number 13, changing your house number to a name could add £4,000.
Outdated appliances – many buyers don’t want to spend extra on installing a new kitchen or bathroom.
Poor energy efficiency – potentially large bills will put people off.
Cluttered rooms – tidying before a viewing or valuation could lead to a £10,000 uplift in price.

The research shows that making certain improvements to a property can significantly boost its value. Alongside relatively straightforward steps such as keeping the exterior in good order and the interior organised and clean, the survey found that creating an off-road parking space can add 10% and refurbishing an old bathroom could be worth an extra £2,500 after the cost of the work has been covered.

But homeowners should beware undertaking DIY projects without gaining the correct planning permission – a surprisingly common occurrence – as this will often put buyers off completely. And when it comes to redecorating it’s a good idea to put personal tastes to one side and keep things simple – zany carpets and patterned wallpaper are more likely to have potential buyers leaving in a hurry than reaching for their chequebooks.

It’s also advisable to take the dog for a walk and hide its bowl during viewings, since concerns about the cleanliness of a home with pets could lead to a £11,000 reduction in value.

Bark.com co-founder Kai Feller said: “Selling a house can be a complicated process, especially when it comes to trying to please potential buyers. However, there are several steps homeowners can take to add as much value to a property as possible.”

He added: “We’ve been monitoring the demand for our home improvement service providers and decided to do some research into the effect these services could have on house prices. Some of these changes are simple, such as thoroughly tidying bedrooms, but research has shown that they really do make a huge difference to potential buyers.”

The company has used its research to create a guide for homeowners to prepare their property for the market.