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Tips for Planning Your Summer Renovations

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Spring is here and summer’s not far away. That makes now the perfect time to tidy up your house and start planning your summer renovations.

Let’s be honest, properties always look their best in the summer – and with a few extra daylight hours in the evening you’ve got no excuse not to start and/or finish a few jobs around your house. So seize the day. Start planning your summer renovations right now.

You may even be considering getting your house ready to sell. In our industry, we often see prospective buyers turned-off by homes with incomplete renovations. Worse, first-home buyers seem to not be looking for houses that still need some work done to them – even if the price is adjusted accordingly.

In a typical market, unfinished homes or houses that require a lot of work don’t generally sell as quickly or as highly as ones that people can move into and enjoy right away. It sounds obvious, right? So how do you avoid being one of those houses sitting on the market with jobs half done?

Make sure you plan properly and pay attention to the details. Think realistically about what needs to be done, the budget you have and how long it will take to complete the work. You may not be ready to sell when you had first thought, but you’ll have more time to complete the renovations that could save you time and fetch a greater price in the long run.

Keeping your home style fresh and modern should be a priority. But everyone is different and it’s a sure thing that some of your potential buyers will not share your tastes in home decoration. When you want to sell your home, it’s smart to choose neutral colours for semi-permanent features – including walls, window treatments, carpets and furniture – and personalise the space with artwork, photos and ornaments. Dark colours close space down, so use with care.

Put personal items into storage when you’re at the stage of showing your home to buyers. It might feel bare to you, but potential buyers don’t want to see the life you’ve had in this home; they want to imagine their lives in it. The best way to do this is by presenting them with as blank a canvas as you can.

Small Budget Renovations

  • Update light fittings, electrical switches and tap ware.
  • In the bathroom, install exhaust fans, heated towel rails, and new tiling.
  • In the kitchen, freshen things up with new cupboard handles, floor coverings, new small appliances.

Medium Budget Renovations

  • People value good storage options, so add wardrobes where they’re lacking.
  • If you have a period home, consider the removal of decades of paint on those original doors, dados and ceiling beams and see the beautiful wood that lies beneath.
  • Living rooms and bedrooms are often overlooked, but feature walls – if done well and with neutrality in mind – can really add a point of difference.
  • Polish floors if you have good timber floors.
  • Tidy up or replace your soft furnishings, such as carpets and window furnishings.

Big Budget Renovations

  • Kitchens and bathrooms are still your big-ticket areas where the most value can be created.
  • Add en suites to bedrooms and decking to create a larger outdoor living area.
  • French doors or sliders to outdoor areas are well worth the effort.

When you’re working out your selling plan, think realistically about what you can achieve, factoring in both time and expense. Having one or two things completed well, will be more in your favour than trying to sell your unfinished vision to a new owner.