How much to spend preparing your house for sale
Stamp duty, removal costs, and estate agent fees can quickly add up, making the process of selling your home feel overwhelming and costly. Have you also considered factoring in the price of making your house look its best for viewings?
Investing in your home while getting it ready for sale can make a difference, helping your property sell faster and increasing the chances of reaching the price you hope for. We explain what to consider when working out how much to spend on preparing your house for sale.
Must know
You don’t have to spend anything preparing your house for sale, but it can be worth it.
In short
|
How much money should I spend when preparing my house for sale?
What needs doing, the size and features of your home, and your budget are just some of the factors that will affect how much you should spend preparing your house for sale. There’s no ideal amount to fit every situation.
Let’s say your house has a failing damp-proof course or subsidence. Fixing major jobs like these before your first viewing could ensure that your home’s value doesn’t fall far below the market average. On the other hand, your place might just need a lick of paint to spruce things up. If your house is as pristine as a show home, a quick spring clean might be enough.
So, there’s no such thing as an amount ‘you should spend’, but keeping costs low is always necessary if you want to make a profit.
Where should I start when deciding how to prepare my home?
One of the best ways to start the house-selling process is to invest in a survey.
Usually, buyers arrange a house survey after their offer is accepted. However, getting a professional inspection yourself can help you decide which repairs to do first and get ready to negotiate with buyers.
The costs of a survey vary between regions, properties, and surveyors; in some instances, exceeding £1,000. Here are some starting costs from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which offers three main types of house surveys.1
- Level 1 (from £300+):An introductory survey giving a rating from 1-3 on the condition of your home, including defects to prioritise.
- Level 2 (from £400+):This more detailed survey highlights problems that might affect your property’s value – available with or without a valuation.
- Level 3 (from £630+):The most thorough survey of them all. Helpful if you plan on making significant changes to your home.
The Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA) also offers two types of survey2:
- Home Condition Survey (£400+): Equivalent to a RICS Home Survey Level 2
- Building Survey (£630+): Like the Home Condition Survey, but with added details on how to fix problems and the consequences of leaving them.
In Scotland, sellers must provide a Home Report to potential buyers before they market their property, which includes a Single Survey by a RICS chartered surveyor.3
The Home Report costs vary depending on your property’s size and value, but they have led to faster sales and lower fall-through rates. The first Seller’s Survey product was launched in England, Northern Ireland and Wales markets in 2025.2
What are some of the cheapest things I can do to prepare my house for a sale?
Getting your house ready to sell doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
You can make your home more appealing to buyers in the following cheap and effective ways:
- Pack and declutter:Find a new home for some of your quirkier items. Storing your belongings can create more space, helping buyers envision themselves living in your home and giving you a helpful head start on packing before moving day.
- Sell unwanted items: Another way to declutter is to sell items online and make a little extra cash. It can be time-consuming, and you should start months before you put your house up for sale.
- Remove pets:Not everyone loves animals as much as you do. You could improve your chances of selling by temporarily removing them for the cost of hiring a dog walker or asking a loved one to look after your pet.
- Clean grouting:Retiling your kitchen and bathroom isn’t always feasible within the time you have. However, a thorough scrub of the spaces in between could work wonders for your décor. A good grout cleaner typically costs less than £10 and can make a noticeable difference.
- Scrub your windows:Light-filled spaces always go down well with buyers. A gentle spray brightens your windows, helping sunshine to flood into your property, and showcasing it at its very best.
- Hang some mirrors:If you want your home to give the illusion of more space add some mirrors in small or dark rooms. Pick up a hammer or pay a handyperson to do the job.
- Sweeten the air:Treat your potential buyers’ senses by investing in scented candles, diffusers, and air fresheners. The sweet smell of success doesn’t need to cost much – just ask the web for videos on scent making.
Are there any jobs I can do myself to prepare my house for a sale?
The cheapest things you can do to prep your home for a sale are also the jobs you can do yourself, such as sprucing up your house’s kerb appeal:
- Mow the lawn
- Tidy paths
- Clip hedges
- Weed the garden
- Paint the front door
Remember to mend or replace anything obvious, like a loose-hanging gutter or doorbell that no longer rings.
If you’re short on cash, it’s perfectly understandable to save money by doing tasks yourself, like scrubbing surfaces instead of hiring a professional cleaner, tackling a DIY paint job instead of a decorator, or spending an afternoon gardening instead of hiring someone.
But if you prefer to have tradespeople handle these jobs, try to time their work as close as possible to putting your house up for sale, so everything looks fresh and well cared for.
Can I spend nothing on my home before putting it up for sale?
Yes, you can spend nothing on your home before putting it up for sale, but you might not get the level of offers you were hoping for or sell it as quickly.
You can always do something to spruce up your house when preparing it for viewings, even if it’s just buying a tin of paint to freshen things up or putting a bunch of flowers on the dining-room table.
What other selling costs should I be aware of?
Many other selling costs are involved in selling your house. Here are those you should be aware of:
- Estate agent fees– these fees depend on the agent and your negotiating skills, but they usually range from 1%-3.5%.4 The average is around 1.42%, including VAT.5
- Stamp Duty– since 1 April 2025, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) applies to a property over £150,000 if it’s the only one you own. First-time buyers can claim a discount of zero SDLT up to £300,000 and 5% SDLT on anything from £300,001 to £500,000.6 Calculate your Stamp Duty.
- Conveyancing feesvary by region. Average conveyancing fees range from £1,965 in the Northeast to £3,130 in London.7 Fees also depend on other aspects, such as whether the property is freehold or leasehold, the house price, and whether you’re using an online conveyancer, a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer.
- Removal feesvary according to the size of your house, what kind of house you have (flat/house/etc), and how far you’re travelling. According to Which?, the average cost of hiring a removal company in England in 2025 was £709.8
You should also plan for any unexpected costs that may arise.
Moving into a new home? Find out about our Rias home insurance levels of cover.
Sources
1 https://hoa.org.uk/advice/guides-for-homeowners/i-am-buying/how-much-does-a-house-survey-cost/
2 https://hoa.org.uk/advice/guides-for-homeowners/i-am-buying/what-sort-of-survey-should-i-have/
3 https://www.rpsa.org.uk/Blog?bg=70
6 https://www.gov.uk/stamp-duty-land-tax/residential-property-rates
7 https://hoa.org.uk/advice/guides-for-homeowners/i-am-buying/much-conveyancing-fees-cost/