You shouldn't really need to do a huge amount to increase the value of your Shepton Mallet home in an ideal world.

Anyone who lives here will tell you that is a beautiful place to make your home. It's well-connected to cities like Bath and Bristol but it's still situated in the beautiful Somerset countryside. It's easy to head to the Mendip Hills and is a glorious combination of privacy and a village feel. However, things are hardly ideal at the moment, are they? 

Costs are going up everywhere you look at the moment. Energy bills are continuing to soar and there can't be many people who are holding out much hope for the government offering to extend its support plans any further. The weekly supermarket shop is costing far more than it used to as anyone who's bought meat or dairy, or even bread, in the last few months will tell you. But what that means is that property prices have been dropping. Even in places as beautiful and desirable as Shepton Mallet. Homeowners everywhere are looking for ways they can boost the value of their properties. 

Install Good Insulation 

Speaking of rising energy prices, insulation is going to be one of the major must-haves for anyone looking for a new home. Buyers are going to want to know that the property can stay cool in summer and nice and toasty in winter. It's well worth installing double glazing if your property doesn't already have it.

Look at your window frames to see if there's any dampness or other damage. It may be worth paying for a survey to see how your roof and walls are holding up. It's not always cheap to install proper insulation but it will certainly boost the value of your home. 

 Find Good Contractors For Any New Work 

Remodelling and refitting are two of the most-cited ways to boost the value of your home. Buyers are always going to be impressed by a brand-new kitchen or a bathroom that doesn't look like it's seen better days. You could also think about adding an extension to add an extra bedroom or home office given how many people are working from home these days.

But the last thing you want is to shell out to have lots of work done only to be let down by a contractor that doesn't do the job that they said they were going to. Shoddy workmanship leaves you with a property that hasn't increased in value and the prospect of spending even more money to get it fixed. That's why it's important to search online when you want to find builders near you. MyBuilder shows you what other people have said about the builders, plasterers, landscape gardeners and more who use their platform. You can post the details of what you want to do and compare the tradespeople who bid on it. 

 Don't Forget Curb Appeal 

Somerset houses have an appeal all of their own. But every property is going to suffer from wear and tear over time. Extreme weather events have taken their toll and even if you haven't had to deal with the worst of it, your home will still have seen its fair share of hard frosts and heavy rains. It's well worth taking the time to give the exterior of your property some TLC.

Remember that this is the first thing that people are going to see when they look at the house online or in person. Give the exterior a fresh coat of paint and don't forget the front door and window frames. Does your driveway need to be resurfaced? The front garden is also crucial, and something as simple as a nice hanging basket can make a surprisingly big difference.  

 Check The Plumbing And The Boiler Now 

Now, anyone who's sold a home before will know that you'll have to have the property surveyed and anything that needs fixing will show up. But taking care of those outstanding issues now will give your home's value a boost off the hop. Get a plumber out to check that your pipes are in good condition. Bad weather and extremes in temperature can cause damage that you can't see so don't leave this until the last minute.

It's also well worth getting someone to check your boiler. Replacing a boiler isn't cheap but it's something that people will ask about when they are looking around your home. And as a general rule, it's best to deal with problems now if there's something that you have seen around the house that needs fixing. It can put people off if you are having work done on the property while they're looking around. You want it to be in the best condition possible when you make it available to view.