Renovating your home is a great way to give it missing features and a much need update. Part of that process is knowing what features buyers in your market are looking for. You also need to be careful not to get too carry away and overspend on frivolous and expensive fittings and fixtures.

Before You Spend Cent

Before you spend a cent on your renovations or home improvement projects take the time to get some advice. Chatting to someone with the right experience and insights is going to help you get ideas and a better idea of what your project is going to cost.  At Realestate Uno we can connect you to professionals. Who can help you with this. Also check out Real Estate Narellan.

Getting ideas and inspiration is what Realestate Uno is about. View the gallery of photos or watch the how to video’s that can help provide ideas and tips. There are also countless TV shows, like Selling Houses Australia. The Block or Grand Designs to feed your imagination. Then make a mood board of all your favourite ideas. It will give contractors a better idea of what you want.

Plan your renovation carefully. The more time you take on the fine details, the more likely your project will get done on time and to budget. The first step is to decide what you want to do. And then get a cost for each portion of the project. That means spending some time getting quotes for materials and labour. You also need to identify what permits and permissions your project may need before it can proceed.

If you can roll your sleeves up and DIY you can save a bundle on labour. Just don’t try do any work that a license contractor should be doing. Jobs like electrical, plumbing and building work should be left to the pros.

Checking for Business License

Make sure that any business you hire is licensed or qualified to carry out work in your home. Contractors should also be insured to work on your property. Otherwise you could be held liable if anything goes wrong.

Adding a coat of paint is perhaps the best value add before you sell, and it isn’t going to break the bank.

Mirrors can help increase the feeling of space and give buyers the impression your square metrage is a lot more than advertising.  These can help increase the feeling of space, giving buyers the impression your square metrage is a lot more than advertised. Mirrors also reflect natural light, which you can never have too much of.

If you want to change out old curtains then roller blinds are your best budget replacements.

If you are looking for a big bang for your buck upgrade of your garden then get planting. For a few hundred dollars you can transform a garden bed with some well chosen flowering plants, shrubs or even a tree.

If your backyard is a jungle it could be obscuring views and preventing people from actually seeing your home. A quick prune, trim and weed could be all it needs to smarten it up.

Pressure clean. Everything from your driveway, paths, paving and walls will get a new lease of life. Buy a pressure washer for a couple of hundred bucks or hire a handyman to take care of it. And say goodbye to years of mould, mildew and grime.

Check for Important Things

If your backyard is a jungle it could be obscuring views and preventing people from actually seeing your home. A quick prune, trim and weed could be all it needs to smart it up. This is especially important for improving the street view of your property, where a neglected garden could put off prospective buyers.

If roller blinds don’t make sense. Then consider installing timber shutters. While shutters do cost more, they will give you more insulation and a look to complement the decor of your home.

Changing out your old vanity is not only budget friendly. It will give your bathroom a totally different feel. Depending on how your plumbing installation you may even be able to install a wall hung version. Which will make your bathroom feel that little bit more spacious. Just make sure that it is made from a moisture resistant material.

Tiles are one of the cheapest options for transforming that space behind your cooker and benchtops  the splashback. Ceramic tiles start at around $35 per square metre, excluding labour, and can be laid in a day or so

If your property has energy burning halogens then changing these out for LED versions will make a big difference to your energy bill. Not only will your home have better quality lighting, something all buyers are looking for, but this will also update the look and feel of your interiors.

Cosmetic Renovation

If you are doing a cosmetic renovation then consider hiring an interior decorator or stylist. They not only have good taste, but know what colour scheme and furnishings will appeal to buyers. Some will even throw in the first consultation on the house, and then expect to be charged by the hour.

You will be surprised how much difference a new shower screen can make to a bathroom. This is even more noticeable if you are replacing one of the old style framed styles. Newer designs – semi-frameless and frameless – are low profile and help make your space appear larger.

A new roof costs can cost many thousands. So if yours is structurally sound it doesn’t make sense to replace it. Having it pressure clean and painted is infinitely cheaper and will make a very noticeable difference.

Hiring a professional home staging service or stylist may seem like an extravagant expense. But it could add as much as 10% to the value of your home. Do the maths and see if it makes sense for you.

Getting your home ready for sale is just a matter of getting it listed right? No, nothing is further from the truth. When prospective buyers walk through your property on an open day you want them to fall in love with it. That is unlikely to happen if your home is clutter or full of yesteryears furnishings.