Spend To Sell
When you’re selling your home is often when it looks its best. Out goes the avocado bathroom suite and in comes the professional carpet cleaner. But it’s easy to get carried away. So what and where should you spend if you’re trying to sell?
words: Pattie Pegler
It maybe a cliché but first impressions count. “Street appeal is number one,” says Jeremy Cox, property expert and founder of Your Property Inspector. “Ensuring gardens are tidy, leaves are swept away, broken fence palings are fixed, weeds aren’t out of control. These things don’t cost but they do show the property has been cared for.”
Inside, take a walk through noting all those little things that aren’t quite right. Again, Cox says these often don’t cost a lot to sort out, but can make a big difference. He advises fixing up any small scrapes and cosmetic damage to walls and ceilings, paint touch ups, a good clean, fixing that leaky tap, checking all the doors engage and locks work properly. “One thing I have noticed is that the market and the purchasers are really onto things these days and are being pretty picky,” says Cox. So, make sure those small things don’t let you down.
What a difference a painted timber fence can make.
It’s advice echoed by real estate agent Jan McCormick of Bayleys. “Anything water damaged, rotten timbers, everything like that should be attended to. If buyers see something like that it can make them wonder what else might be wrong.”
And there are plenty of other small things that can make a difference says McCormick. Regravelling driveways, painting windowsills, re-staining decks, clearing out excess furniture and thinking about presentation as a whole can be relatively inexpensive but really improve the overall look. Smells can also be off-putting. You may love your dogs but other people may not, so make sure there are no smells of pets or last night’s cooking when you have an open home
When it comes to redecorating and replacing costly things like carpets and curtains, think carefully about your budget and the result. “You can spend a lot of money on new curtains, but they might not be in the taste of the buyers,” says McCormick. Likewise, if you’re repainting, opt for neutral colours rather than a bold personal favourite.
Without a doubt kitchens and bathrooms can really help sell a home, says McCormick, but again be pragmatic. “People need to think objectively, they might have a passion for cooking and want to put in a beautiful new kitchen, but for most other people that might not add the value,” she says. But there are plenty of low-cost improvements such as replacing handles on cabinetry and resurfacing kitchen counters.
In the bathroom simply replacing a dated vanity or tapware can change things up. And make sure the space doesn’t feel damp. “A big one in the bathroom is ensuring excellent ventilation and/or a fan in place. It’s regulation to have a form of ventilation in all bathroom areas,” says Cox. “And if a bathroom feels dry it puts purchasers at ease.”
Jeremy Gray, Marketing Manager for online tradies hub, Builderscrack.co.nz, and seasoned property renovator, generally advises against the stress and expense of a full bathroom or kitchen renovation prior to selling. Look at the house as a whole and think strategically about how to best spend your budget.
“The positioning, size, location…all those things cannot be changed and they will attract certain potential purchasers. So try and meet the biggest audience without over capitalizing.”
With this in mind, Gray advises vendors to focus first on any particular areas that fall short of the rest of the home and then to consider very carefully any further renovation. For example, he says, people might love outdoor areas, but adding a very basic pine deck on a beautifully detailed home will just look out of place. Equally an expensive kwila deck on a very basic home is unlikely to recoup the cost when it comes time to sell.
If you have untreated cedar on your home, it can be as easy as a wash down with an oxygen cleaner. It’s a natural product easily applied and inexpensive. The before photo is actually a type of mould that is easily removed.
“If the house is a bit tired, just bring it up to a nice, even standard then let the buyer stamp their own vision on it,” he says.
And all the property professionals we spoke to agreed on one particular thing – present your home well. Make up the beds nicely, put wine glasses on the outdoor table or a vase of flowers on the kitchen counter. If there’s a spare room set it up as a single bedroom or study so that people can envisage how they could use the space.
Last but not least declutter, put stuff away and give the place a good clean.