"The power of a spring clean is astonishing. Not only does it help clear the mind and offer a psychological reset after a long, cold winter, but can also lead to huge financial gains for those who are looking to sell their home"
- Tarquin Purdie - HaMuch
With the first signs of warmer weather breathing life back into the nation, homeowners across the country will be thinking about spring cleaning – dusting the winter away and decluttering to help the home feel fresh for the upcoming summer. However, for those who are also planning to sell their property in 2025, a spring clean could do far more than bring a sense of accomplishment.
More homes sell in spring and summer
Analysis of housing market data from the last decade, conducted by HaMuch, shows that winter tends to be the quietest season for house purchases, with an average of 75,874 transactions completing during the winter months.
In Spring, this increases to 77,210 transactions as the market gears up for its busy summer months during which an average of 87,460 transactions take place, meaning that spring into summer is a great time of year to put your home on the market, with plenty of eager buyers arriving to significantly increase your chances of securing a sale.
House prices also start to heat up
It’s not just your chances of finding a buyer that ramp up in spring – the value of your home is likely to increase, too. Analysis shows that, over the last decade, house prices tend to fall by -0.2% during the winter months, before climbing by 1.1% in spring and by a further 1.7% in summer.
How much value can a spring clean add to your home?
HaMuch’s research also shows that conducting a thorough spring clean could help sellers add even more value on top of this seasonal price boost.
Carrying out a thorough deep clean of a property can add, on average, +2.8% to its market value which, based on the current average UK house price of £268,087, is equivalent to £7,506. Decluttering can have an even greater impact, as clearing the home of unnecessary objects and mess can add +3.9% to its value, equivalent to £10,455.
However, the biggest boost of all comes from the property’s exterior, as ensuring the garden is clean, tidy, and decluttered can boost its value by a remarkable +10%, or £26,809.
That’s a total boost of £44,771 in the value of your home for little more than a thorough clean and a bit of elbow grease.
Spring cleaning costs are also on the up
You can choose to carry out a spring clean and decluttering operation yourself, but it can be time-consuming and demanding work, so hiring a professional could be the wisest move, especially considering how much value a thorough clean can add to your property.
The average cost of house cleaners currently stands at £12.70 per hour, which has increased by +7.6% in the past year. Meanwhile, the average cost of a gardener stands at £14.31 per hour having increased by +7.4%.
While these costs have increased, they remain a small price to pay for potentially boosting your property value by 10%.
“The power of a spring clean is astonishing. Not only does it help clear the mind and offer a psychological reset after a long, cold winter, but can also lead to huge financial gains for those who are looking to sell their home," comments founder and CEO of HaMuch.com, Tarquin Purdie, "Hiring a professional cleaner and gardener makes a huge difference. We’re all so time-poor at the moment that finding a moment to conduct a full and thorough cleaning is difficult, especially if we want it done to the highest possible standard.
"Bringing someone in will help ensure that the job is done to a professional standard, offering a real fresh start ahead of the spring and summer months.”
