5 simple things anyone can do to increase your house value estimate
Wendy Moore shares her top learnings from Selling Houses Australia – and they’re surprisingly easy and budget friendly
When you’re ready to move on from your current home, it can be difficult to know what projects to take on to help guarantee a good price – and hard to know if you’re overcaptilising (or wasting your money, in layman’s terms). Even in a falling market, investing in some key areas will help your home achieve the best price possible, so it is definitely worth considering making some changes. Here, we’re sharing interior design expert Wendy Moore’s sage advice, learned on the job flipping houses on home renovation and realty show Selling Houses Australia.
1.Make sure you know what the problem actually is!
WENDY: “Listen to your real estate agent, and make sure you get feedback from buyers. That way you can be sure that you’re investing time and money on the areas that will actually make a difference. Often we get a bit blind to the issues in our own home – but for a prospective buyer – it’s a complete turn off. Our Greystanes home was a great example, they were completely used to living with an outdoor toilet! But for anyone looking to live there – it was a BIG FAT NO GO!”
2. Paint makes perfect
WENDY:“Fresh paint and a modern colour scheme instantly transforms a space. In fact, with some rooms, this is all that’s needed to completely turn around an outdated, unloved room. It’s cheap, easy and definitely DIY!”
3. Tackle the big canvases
WENDY:“When you have a large home, like we did with Como and Redlands, rather than trying to spend lots of our budget on one room, it was actually best to invest our money on the biggest canvasses, the walls and the floors. Refinishing or replacing a floor makes a huge difference to the whole home and makes the property feel less overwhelming for prospective buyers.”
4. Clean!
WENDY:“You know what they say about cleanliness – it matters. A clean, well maintained home feels loved, and a loved home is more attractive to prospective buyers. Clean everything, your drawers, your floors and especially your windows. Clean windows with new blinds or curtains makes a huge difference for a small investment and a good amount of elbow grease – take the time and get the return!”
“Simplify your home by investing in a storage unit for the short term and using it to remove clutter and excess furniture” ~ interiors expert Wendy Moore
5. Colour, colour, colour
WENDY:“A well chosen colour scheme creates a mood, and a mood can sell a home. Get some professional help if you’re not confident, and choose a scheme that feels calming and soothing. Greens and blues are a very safe starting point, as is a monochrome scheme, the soft coastal scheme we did at Terrigal is simple and beautiful and all you need is to add some welcoming texture and you’ve created a lovely home.”
