Curb Appeal: How to make the most of a small balcony

In many cities across the UK, having even a small terrace or balcony is considered a luxury. Recent research by Zoopla found that ‘garden’ featured in the top 10 searches by buyers in every region in the UK, and ‘balcony’ was one of the top 10 things searched for by buyers across London.

Outdoor space, however small, is a feature that can really add value and increase the interest of potential buyers in your home. With a bit of love, a small balcony can become a real asset in your home sale. These are some of our favourite easy (and cheap) ways to make the most of a small balcony, and improve your prospects for sale:

Flooring

Over the colder and wetter months it’s easy for outdoor space to get a bit mildewy and dirty. Giving the area a thorough clean can help it look dramatically more attractive.

It’s ideal if you have access to a power washer or a hose. But if you don’t, wiping down hard surfaces with diluted washing up liquid, or a speciality cleaner can also work well. Washing gravel is a bit more difficult. Try scrubbing it with a hard brush dipped into a water and bleach, or water and vinegar mixture.

For an easy upgrade, or to update any really unattractive flooring (like chipped or discoloured concrete) consider investing in some do it yourself click-together decking tiles. These come in a range of styles including wood effect, mosaic tiles, or more traditional stone flags, and are a quick way to transform a space.

For something a little lower effort an outdoor rug can quickly improve the appearance of a plain, slightly weathered balcony. Just make sure any thing you use is actually designed for use outdoors!

Lighting

Outdoor lantern style fairy lights are having a moment in home decoration circles. They are perhaps the easiest way to make your balcony look more inviting without taking up any space. Even if you don’t have the room or time to make any other changes, adding these little lights will transform your small balcony into an attractive feature point of your home.

Top tip: Make sure you get soft yellow, or white bulbs rather than bright, or multi-coloured ones. Softer tones are classic and relaxing, and more universally appealing to potential buyers.

Unsure where to start with preparing your home for sale? Try a simple 'home audit'. Learn how here.

Privacy

Being able to relax on your balcony is much easier if you don’t feel overlooked by your neighbours. And, if your balcony offers a private outdoor space it will make your home more appealing to potential buyers too.

There are a number of innovative ideas to make small balconies more private, but one of our favourite solutions is a bamboo fence, or a trellis. They're easy to put up, don’t block out lots of light, and can generally be found affordably at garden centres or home improvement stores. If you have a bit more space you might also consider a row of small shrubs. Evergreen plants like buxus are ideal for this - and don't need much maintenance.

If you already have any fencing or partitions in place, make sure they’re in good condition. Fix or replace anything that’s broken, and consider repainting or staining any wooden fencing to give it a new lease of life.

Decoration

When designing your small balcony the aim is to evoke images of al fresco drinks and cozy evenings. For viewings it's better to have no furniture than broken or dirty pieces. It'll take up space and leave the impression that your home needs work, making it less appealing to many buyers.

If you can fit them, a table and chairs will help buyers imagine themselves spending time eating breakfast or hosting a bbq on sunny days. For smaller spaces a slim bench can be made into a cozy seating area with a few extras like blankets or cushions.

You don’t need to buy expensive furniture to upgrade your balcony, particularly if you won’t take it with you to your new home. But investing in some cheap, reasonable quality pieces (or fixing and cleaning up what you already have) can really increase the appeal of your home for a potential buyer.

Plants are another great way to transform a small outdoor space. You can easily arrange a few potted plants to create a tiny garden. If you have no space on the ground for plants - for example if you have a Juliet balcony - you can still add a hanging basket or window box. This gains bonus points for curb appeal if potential buyers can see your balcony from the street.

Top tip: Place plants both inside and outside the adjoining door to your outdoor space. Even if your balcony is too small to sit out on, this will allow you to open the doors and let the outdoors in.

Find out more about how to spruce up your outdoor space.

Ready to make the move? Meeting agents is the first step. Compare the best performing agents in your area here.