The latest figures from Halifax House Price Index shows that the average price of a home was £241,604 in July, some 1.7per cent higher than June's £237,834. Despite lockdown and the subsequent fall of economic output from the coronavirus pandemic, house prices are 3.8 per cent higher than in July 2019.
Despite recovering prices, physical house sales are still waiting to rebound. According to Zoopla, two months of lockdown in which the property market shut down, is likely to have cost it some 124,000 house sales worth £27 billion this year. While the release of pent-up demand is pushing house sales above pre-covid levels, transactions in the first six months of this year remain about a fifth below last year's levels.
Ben Dyer, CEO of Powered Now, a mobile-based billing, invoicing and quotation application which specialises in trades, has offered insight from the trades on the home improvements that could help push house sales over the finishing line.
"Many people in the fear of a second wave are looking to push through house sales before the winter.
“If you have a particularly old home, it might be worth investing just a little extra to install a new heating system. This will add more value to the home than it costs, and will help make your home more energy efficient."
"New plaster boards or a fresh lick of paint can do wonders for a property. What will often put a potential buyer off putting an offer in is the sight of peeling paint, loose tiles or any cracks to the plaster.
"The value of properties is often hinged on how many bedrooms the property has.
“If you have that extra spare room that is being used to house clutter, or perhaps used as a get-away den, this is the perfect opportunity to diversify the use of that room and upgrade to an extra bedroom. With more bedrooms on offer, you can help attract those families looking for extra space to expand into."
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