Maximise Your Home's Value: Essential Home Improvement Steps Before Selling
When it comes time to sell your home, first impressions are crucial. Potential buyers often decide within minutes whether a property feels right for them. At Wings Real Estate, we understand the importance of presenting your home in the best possible light to attract buyers and secure a favourable sale price. Many of these tips are items that you may find you can handle yourself in the weeks prior to your listing going live, while others we are happy to assist in coordinating on your behalf.
Here are some essential home improvement steps that can enhance your home's presentation and - in many cases - increase its market value.
1. Enhance Curb Appeal
The exterior of your home is the first thing buyers see. A well-maintained and attractive exterior can significantly boost your home's appeal.
- Landscaping: If you're fortunate enough to have garden space available, it can be worthwhile to invest in professional landscaping or spend time tidying up your garden. Trim overgrown hedges, mow the lawn, and consider planting colorful flowers in the front yard to create a welcoming atmosphere.
- Exterior Paint: A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for your home's appearance. Choose neutral, appealing colors that blend well with the surroundings. Feature walls can still create an appealing sense of depth and structure, but bright and bold colours can be off-putting to prospective purchasers who may see these as elements that will need to be changed.
- Front Door: Consider repainting or replacing your front door. A modern, stylish door can make a strong statement and set the tone for the rest of the home.
- Clean and Repair: Power wash the driveway, walkways, and exterior walls (but be careful not to damage any external paint). Repair any cracks in the driveway or pathway and fix broken gutters or downspouts.
2. Declutter and De-Personalise
A clutter-free, neutral space allows buyers to envision themselves living in the home. As such, take time to declutter by removing excess furniture, knick-knacks, and personal items. Store away items that aren't essential to daily living - that will help to speed up your moving process, as a bonus. A clutter-free home appears larger and more inviting.
Also, although this may have been your home for many years, allow others to picture this being their home by taking steps to de-personalise. Remove personal photos, memorabilia, and unique decor items. The goal is to create a neutral canvas that appeals to a broad range of buyers.
3. Make Necessary Repairs
Addressing minor repairs can prevent buyers from fixating on flaws and give the impression of a well-maintained home. We know that when you live somewhere for a long time, you're often able to overlook issues and to push back maintenance, but it's often those smaller defects that catch the attention of prospective purchasers - or that provide them with ammunition to negotiate for a lower price following the building and pest inspection process.
As such, it's important that you book a couple of days with a handy-person or a collection of tradespeople to carry out a list of minor maintenance items. Some of these may include:
- Fix Leaks: Repair any leaks in faucets, showers, and toilets. Water damage can be a major red flag for buyers.
- Repair Cracks: Fill in cracks in walls, ceilings, and floors. This not only improves appearance but also suggests that the home is structurally sound.
- Remove Mould: Even in external areas, mould can be a problem. We've presented some tips here previously about removing mould from Queensland homes, and clean grounds and exterior surfaces remain a key selling point.
- Replace Worn Fixtures: Swap out old or damaged light fixtures, door handles, and cabinet hardware. Small updates can make a big difference in modernising a space.
- Replace Torn Curtains or Fly Screens: If your security screens, fly screens and window coverings are starting to look tattered
- Consider a Bond Clean: Even though you're not a renter, everyone appreciates moving in to a freshly cleaned house. As such, unless you are positioning your house as a fixer-upper and expect that the buyers will want to replace carpets and the like, consider having a thorough bond clean done, to ensure that windows, carpets, cabinetry, cornices, skirting, window frames and other intricate items are fresh and clean.
4. Update the Kitchen and Bathrooms
Now, this one can be potentially expensive, depending on whether these areas are calling out for just a simple decorative refresh, or a complete overhaul. What's more, if you do a good job with these, maybe you won't want to move at all. ;) Despite these considerations, kitchens and bathrooms are key areas that can significantly impact a home's value, so if yours if looking tired and you have sufficient time and resources to invest before you vacate, refurbishing these rooms can prove profitable in many instances.
As part of a kitchen refresh, consider updating cabinets with a fresh coat of paint or new doors. Replace outdated countertops with modern, durable materials like quartz or granite. If you don't hjave sufficient bench space, but you have an open plan living and dining area, installing an 'island' can be a worthwhile project. Upgrade appliances to energy-efficient models if your budget allows, and if the current appliances are out of warranty.
In terms of bathroom improvements, making the area feel light, bright and waterproof is the focus here. You may need to re-grout tiles to brighten them up and improve their durability. You may also replace seals, fix any leaking taps, and update fixtures. A new vanity, mirror, or daylight-style lighting can give a bathroom a modern look without a full renovation.
5. Improve Lighting Generally
Good lighting can make a home feel warm and inviting. Maximise natural light by cleaning windows and removing heavy curtains. Trim back plants outside the windows, if they've started to block light from entering. Internally, consider adding mirrors to reflect light and make spaces appear larger. If your furniture is dark, consider adding bright tablecloths and couch throws to brighten those areas.
When it comes to light fixtures, it's a good idea to replace any outdated or dim light fixtures with modern, bright alternatives. Choose a colour temperature that suits the aesthetic you're looking to deliver. In sleek, modern interiors, daylight LED bulbs tend to pop beautifully, while more homely interiors may benefit from warm-toned LEDs to create a cozy atmosphere.
6. Freshen Up Paint and Flooring
As with the kitchen and bathroom enhancements that were proposed above, this can be a rather expensive process. In some cases, it's not worth investing in such drastic changes, but if your walls are looking tired due to fading, wear and stains, and if your floorboards or carpets are starting to fray or separate, then investing in new floors and refreshed walls can often help to attract interest and increased offers. This is because buyers won't have to factor that process into their own budgeting, along with the associated time delays and disruption, which could prevent them from moving in right away.
Neutral, clean surfaces appeal to a wide range of buyers. A fresh coat of paint can make a home feel new. Choose neutral colors like whites, grays, or beiges to create a blank canvas for buyers.
Refinish hardwood floors, replace damaged vinyl planks or repair worn-out carpet. If the budget allows, consider installing hardwood or laminate flooring, which are highly desirable features.
7. Stage Your Home for Photos and Inspections
Staging is the process that - whether done using technology or real furniture - fills your available spaces with appealing furniture and decorations. This helps buyers imagine living in the space and can highlight the home's best features.
- Furniture Arrangement: Arrange furniture to create open, flowing spaces. Remove any pieces that make rooms feel cramped.
- Decor: Use simple, tasteful decor to add warmth and style. Fresh flowers, tasteful artwork, and cozy textiles can make a home feel inviting.
- Cleanliness: Ensure the home is spotless for every showing. Professional cleaning can make a significant difference in the overall presentation, as can a quick vacuum after each open home.
8. Address Outdoor Living Spaces
Outdoor areas are becoming increasingly important to buyers; particularly those who might be moving from cramped city apartments in Melbourne or Sydney and for whom spending time relaxing in Queensland's balmy weather holds a great deal of appeal.
As such, it's always a good idea to clean and repair decks and patios. With safety in mind, ensure that gutters are cleaned of leaf litter and that water doesn't pool anywhere it shouldn't after a rain event. Add outdoor furniture and decor to showcase these spaces as extensions of the living area.
This one's not quite as important, but if you're looking to create striking photos, or to host a twilight showing, install outdoor lighting to highlight pathways, gardens, and entertaining areas. Well-lit outdoor spaces are both attractive and functional, while helping to ensure that your home stands out from others on the market.
9. Add Energy-Efficient Features
Energy efficiency is a growing priority for many buyers, both for environmental credentials and as cost-saving measures. With power prices increasing at a rapid clip in Queensland recently, more buyers - particularly those looking to keep tabs on costs as they head towards retirement - pay serious consideration to how efficiently and affordably homes can be heated, cooled, lit and operated.
Again, these features can be costly to install, so if you're planning on doing this prior to sale, weigh up whether the costs are likely to be recouped. That said, some features that you may consider in this space include:
Pool Covers: Having a cover installed to reduce both evaporation and the loss of heat from your pool if often an affordable measure to reduce heating and water usage costs.
Insulation and Windows: Improve insulation in ceiling spaces and replacing old windows with energy-efficient models can further reduce utility costs and make the home more appealing.
Solar System and/or Battery: Again, this can be a significant expense, but if you're able to find a good deal or if government incentives are on offer at the time that you are planning to sell, it can be worthwhile to install solar panels and/or a solar battery to reduce the amount of electricity that your house needs to draw from the grid, thus reducing ongoing costs for buyers.
10. Market Your Improvements
Once the improvements are made, highlight them in your marketing materials. If you have a 10 kW solar system ion the roof, your potential buyers won't know about if unless they are told. Your agent could even indicate how much this has lowered your bill in the most recent quarter, as an indicator of the value this adds to the property.
Secure professional photography to show off your improvements, and to showcase the property's best features. High-quality photos can make a significant impact on online listings - particularly if you are expecting interest from interstate buyers.
Similarly, while pictures paint a thousand words, those other words that are used to showcase the property - its listing description and headline - are also vital. Ensure that your agent places emphasis on the improvements that you've made. Highlight key features, such as a refurbished kitchen, new floors, updated bathrooms, or energy-efficient upgrades.
By investing time and effort into these home improvement steps, you can enhance your home's presentation and potentially increase its selling price. At Wings Real Estate, we are here to guide you through every step of the selling process, ensuring that your home stands out in the competitive Gold Coast market. Contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve your real estate goals.
Disclaimer: Not every home improvement adds the type of value that translates to an increased sale price. The suggestions noted above are exactly that - suggestions. They don't represent a guaranteed pathway to higher prices, but we have seen these factors improve selling timelines and prices in the past. Your situation may vary. This is not to be considered investment advice.