Thinking about selling? Don’t put your property on the market until you’ve read these 10 top tips for increasing your sale price.

A lick of paint

First and foremost, get your overalls on and apply a fresh coat of paint to the property.

“An easy, relatively inexpensive way to freshen up a property is to give your walls a fresh coat of neutral coloured paint,” says Century 21 chairman and owner Charles Tarbey. “A light shade allows people to imagine themselves living in a property, without needing to carry out great deal of work.”   

Do a spot of gardening

The weeds might have got a bit out of control recently, but it’s time to trim them back if you’re putting your property on sale. Landscaping the garden also gives the impression that it’s easy to maintain – another draw for busy buyers.

Cover the brick

Another exterior trick to use if you’ve got a brick home is rendering. This can completely change how a place looks. If your property is weatherboard, try painting it with one of the popular colours that developers use on new developments.

Hit the deck

Refreshing outdoor living spaces is an underappreciated way to add value – but a comfortable outdoor living area is one of the things that buyers are increasingly looking for. Oiling a deck is a time-honoured way to spruce it up, but you can also look at adding varnish that has a stain in it to make the deck look like new.

New carpet

Replacing that well-trodden shagpile can also make a huge difference. Ray White spokesperson Lyndsey Douglas suggests that it might not cost a bomb, either.

“People often overestimate how expensive a new carpet is – and underestimate what a difference it makes to the place,” she says.

If you’ve got wooden floorboards, it may even be worth eschewing the carpet altogether – although you’ll need to investing in sanding, polishing and a few rugs.

Have a clear out

De-cluttering your property prior to sale has a couple of benefits – aesthetic and practical.

“By simply removing excess furniture and personal artefacts you can increase the feeling of spaciousness in your property, which is valued by purchasers,” says Tarbey. “The extra space also allows people to move around the property with greater ease during inspections.”

Pay attention to the furniture

A completely empty property can be just as bad as a cluttered property, says Douglas.

“If the premise is vacant, hire furniture,” she advises. “Buyers need to be able to picture the lifestyle the property offers.”

You shouldn’t just chuck in your grandma’s 1940s leftovers, though: choose and position your furniture carefully to create a modern look that will be appealing to buyers.

Let there be light

Small details like changing the light fittings make a subtle but important difference. This by itself can make your home look more stylish as there is a wide range of designer-looking light fittings that can be bought on a budget.

It’s probably best to stay away from oversized chandeliers, as these may not be to everyone’s taste – instead, keep it neutral. Doorknobs are another minor fitting that can make a huge difference to a buyer’s impression of a property.

 

My kitchen rules

Replacing your kitchen benchtop and cupboard handles is a relatively low-budget way to spruce up cooking areas.

If your budget won’t stretch to that, a cheaper alternative is employing some elbow grease: sanding back, repainting and revarnishing benchtops and doors is far less costly and will make a property appear a lot more valuable.

Choose your targets

Regardless of what you do to the property, it’s essential that you target your efforts in the right areas, says Tarbey.

“Focus all changes on the main areas that will have the greatest impact on prospective buyers,” he says.

It’s essential to spend time and effort on the entry point, which gives viewers their first impression of the property.

“Highly-utilised rooms such as the kitchen and bathrooms will also benefit the most from fix-it efforts when it comes to increasing buyer appeal – and ultimately selling price,” he concludes.