First impressions are lasting impressions. So when it comes time to selling your house then you need to make sure your house is ready to sell. But, with soaring building material costs these days, it has become really expensive to do renovations. I have been renovating both my home and investment properties for years now and I have seen a massive increase in prices over the years. Therefore, it has become extremely important to cut costs as much as possible whilst still maintaining a high standard.
Luckily over the years I have managed to pick up many tricks of the trade and I’m going to let you in on some of them now. One of the most important things as a general rule of thumb is you need to make sure that you don’t spend more than 10% of the current value of the house on the work, or else you could find yourself over capitalising.
1. Simplify the work to be done
Renovations can be extremely overwhelming, so the secret is to break it down into small chunks that are manageable. If for example you are doing the whole house then break it up into each room, and then each job within each room. In so doing you will remain motivated and get the job done faster and more efficiently.
2. Curb Appeal
The first thing that people see is the outside of your house, whether it be a wall, garden or a driveway. Therefore, you need to beautify this area, so fix those cracks in the wall and then give it a new coat of paint. Fixing the gutters and anything that is looking a bit tired will make a massive difference, yet is a very cheap and easy fix. Re-pave the driveway, or fix broken or missing pavers. Replace old door handles with new ones. Spend some time in the garden removing weeds and re-mulching the beds. Maybe even add new beds and new plants.
3. Update your Kitchen
Everyone wants a new kitchen so this is one of the most popular rooms for home buyers to scrutinise, but this doesn’t mean that you have to bin all the old cupboards. When renovating your kitchen, some simple solutions are: replace the kitchen faucet set, add new cabinet door handles, paint the existing doors and update old lighting fixtures with bright and more energy efficient ones.
If your cabinets are still good but your doors and drawers are looking old and sad and you have a little bit extra to spend then find someone (or do it yourself) who will refinish your doors and drawers. This simple and cheap exercise is one of my favourites and it can transform the whole look of your kitchen.
4. Update your Bathroom
Change the toilet seat. Modernise the taps. Re-tile over the existing vinyl. Re-grout the tiles in the shower and around the bath. Change the bath. Paint the walls and ceilings to get rid of the mould stained areas. These are simple, inexpensive and easy updates that you can do yourself.
5. Update General Items
A paint job is a simple way to lighten up your house and get rid of any furniture marks or signs of wear around your house. Use light, neutral colours that will make your house seem more light and welcoming.
Old and aging carpets can be off-putting and give a bad impression to home buyers. Rip them up and put in some laminated flooring or vinyl flooring to give your house a younger and newer look. If you already have timber floors and they are a bit weathered, then bring them back to life with a coat of wood oil to make them look as good as new. Another cheap option is to paint them white or cream, as this makes the whole house seem lighter and more relaxed.
Exchange any old or outdated curtains you have with more modern simple ones. Or you can even add simple blinds to make your rooms appear more spacious and tidy.
All the above are simple tricks that you can use to make people think you have spent a lot of money!
I have been doing these simple tricks for years with my own properties, so if I can assist you in any way then please feel free to get hold of me