Five things to remember when renovating a house before selling it

Any homeowner looking to sell their property will be doing everything they can to spruce the place up. We all want to make the best impression on possible buyers – but when it comes to those last-minute renovations or quick fixes, many homeowners don’t realise that not every renovation adds value. Here are five things to consider when looking at renovating a home before sale.

Bold colours can be a turn-off

Some renovators get a little too artistic when it comes to choosing a new colour palette for the house.

It’s important to remember that big and bold colours may seem wonderful to you, however, a prospective buyer might think the complete opposite. If you want to sell the house quickly, stick with neutral colours. When in doubt – white is the safest choice.

Don’t knock down too many walls

We all love a bit of flow throughout a house; it can give the house energy and vibrancy. But what happens when a renovator demolishes wall after wall until the kitchen flows into the living room, which flows into the lounge and onto the sunroom? A whole load of travelling noise, that’s what.

While it’s great to create big open spaces, any renovator should also think about clever ways to restrict noise. Internal sliding doors are one solution that will give prospective buyers peace of mind different areas can be closed off.

Get stuck into the garden

At a bare minimum, make sure you clean up the garden so it looks neat and tidy. But remember to prune conservatively so it doesn’t just look like you’ve run around like a modern-day Edward Scissorhands.

However, if you really want to add value to the property, think about planting new trees. Some Australian studies have shown that simply having a tree on the street verge can add an average of more than $15,000 in value. People love trees – so don’t be afraid to use this to your advantage.

DIY isn’t always the cheapest route

Many Australians think DIY runs in their veins – but that’s not always the case.

While it may seem cost effective to do all of the work yourself, it might actually cost you more in the long run if your DIY job is dodgy and potential buyers factor the need for rework into their purchase price.

It is also important to recognise when a small renovation starts to spiral out of control and incorporates structural changes that really should be left to an expert or qualified builder. The last thing you want is to be responsible for an accident caused by faulty workmanship.

Think carefully about designs that can date quickly

Everyone wants the latest design trends in their house – but be careful of trends that can go out of fashion as quickly as they came in.

Some buyers won’t want to spend money renovating a house just after they’ve bought it – so think about if the chevron wallpaper you want to put in the hallway, or the hexagon tiles you want to put in the bathroom, will still be trendy next year.