Selling your home this winter? Forget painting the fence and mowing the lawn, smart sellers are being urged to make their homes winter-ready to attract buyers with an eye on warmth and comfort this season. With the housing market traditionally heating up as we head into Autumn, experts at online estate agent Yopa have revealed the simple improvements that could increase your property value by thousands – or even tens of thousands – of pounds.

What’s hot (and NOT) for winter buyers

While a suntrap garden is a top priority in the summer months, come winter, it’s all about cosiness and keeping those heating bills down.

Yopa CEO Verona Frankish explains: “Summer buyers will be instinctively looking for the ways a property allows them to bring the outside into the home – garden space and sources of natural light for example.

“But in winter they’re looking to see how the home can protect and shelter them from the external elements.”

So before you invite those potential buyers over, follow our guide to the home improvements that REALLY add value at this time of year:

Double glazing – pocket an extra £21,972

Most homes have ditched those draughty old windows but if yours is lagging behind, it could be costing you thousands. Buyers want a home that’s warm and quiet and are willing to pay a premium for double glazing. While replacing windows will set you back around £7,000, Yopa reckons it could boost your property value by a whopping 10% – an average of £28,972, based on the current UK average house price of £289,723. That’s a cool £21,972 profit AFTER costs.

New doors – a slam dunk for under £3,000

You might not give them much thought but tired internal doors can be a major escape route for heat – and that means higher energy bills. Replacing them will make your home feel warmer and more welcoming – and add around 4% to the value. Expect to pay around £2,700 for ten new internal doors and you could see a return of around £8,889.

And don’t forget the front door – your home’s first impression! A new one will set you back around £1,250 but is likely to add 1.4% to your home’s value – that’s a potential £2,806 profit.

Energy efficiency – Don’t get caught out

Energy performance is a major concern for buyers these days and if your property has a low EPC rating, it could be costing you dearly. Bringing an older property up from a D rating to a C, more attractive to buyers, will cost around £6,155 but could add 3% to the value of your home – an extra £2,537 on that average priced property.

A new boiler = peace of mind

It’s not the most exciting upgrade but a new boiler is a HUGE selling point for buyers. For peace of mind and a potential 1.9% increase in the value of your home (that’s £2,255 on average), budget around £3,250 for a replacement.

Repointing – more than just a pretty facade

Repointing might sound like one for the experts but it’s basically just repairing the external brickwork, which can deteriorate over time. It will smarten up your home’s appearance AND prevent damp, potentially saving you thousands in the long run. It’s one of those jobs that will be picked up in a survey so it pays to be one step ahead! Expect to pay around £2,000 for repointing but you could see your property value increase by £2,897 – that’s a profit of £1,047.

So there you have it – by making a few simple improvements, you could be laughing all the way to the bank this winter!