You can add 10% to the value of your home just by repurposing this one room

So, you want to add value to a home you're hoping to sell. You've probably read some advice on how to add value to your home, and realized that much of it sound intimidatingly complicated – and expensive. Converting lofts into en suite bedrooms, knocking through walls, and installing brand-new windows will all add value to your home, but if these projects just sound too big, there is one way you can add as much as 10 percent to your current home value. Best of all, you can achieve this without needing to turn your house into a building site for months, or spending vast amounts of cash.  

This value-adding golden egg is actually your storage room (or even a large storage closet). Yes, that space that you never even think about that's full of boxes, your old bike, and other things you just can't bear to chuck (but probably should) is where the unlocked potential of your home value lies. It doesn't even matter if this room has windows – although if it does, it will fetch you even more come selling time. 

Property expert Heather Barrigan from MyJobQuote says: 'If you have a room in your home which is used to store paperwork, gym equipment, or spare furniture, you want to consider repurposing it to add value.' The most popular – and sought-after – conversion is from a storage room to a home office. This can be a simple project: decluttering the room and then adding in a desk and chair and maybe a notice board. Or it could be a more elaborate project where you'll give the room more of an overhaul, perhaps laying a new carpet, repainting, and installing some heating if the room is currently unheated. 

As Heather explains, one of the best things about this value-adding home improvement is that you can benefit from it, too, long before you decide to sell: 'This will be especially useful if you are working from home during the pandemic, as an office room will offer space for better concentration and productivity. Adding a home office will help with your workload and can also add up to 10 percent to the property’s value.'

If you already have a home office, you can convert your storage room into a spare bedroom – you'll still get the added value of between eight and 10 percent. This again could be a very simple case of repainting and putting in a nice bed and a pair of bedside tables. The point is that because the pandemic has changed what people want from their homes so much, you can't afford to have a room that's doing nothing and is full of old junk. If you need some Marie Kondo tidying up tips to help you get through the decluttering bit, so be it, but don't just leave it as it is – just imagine what you could do with the extra cash after you house sells.