Are you looking for cost-effective ways to add value to your home? Would you like to increase your potential selling price or valuation without spending the earth?
When it comes to renovating, costs can spiral out of control if you are not careful. So this list has been prepared with frugal-ness top of mind!
It’s amazing what a difference a good first impression makes. I normally advise sticking to neutral tones when painting inside or out but when it comes to your front door – don’t be afraid to go bold. Ask the paint salesperson for advice about what’s popular and take a photo of your home with you so you can ask their advice when choosing a colour.
No matter what colour you choose, a fresh coat of paint will make your home look more modern and fresh.
Simple changes but so often overlooked. You can buy new showerheads and toilet seats for a relatively small cost and instantly make your bathroom appear more modern without taking on a full renovation. For bonus points – update the shower curtain while you’re there if you have one.
Did you know that most kitchen cupboard handles are a standard size? And you can buy new, modern handles at most large hardware stores starting at around $5 each. Most handles can be taken out and replaced with nothing more than a screwdriver.
Tip: Take one of your old handles along to the store with you to ensure you get the right size. Also, you may need a small saw to cut the screws on the new handles down to size – so check that you have one or grab a cheap one while you’re at the store as well.
You would be blown away by how much value you can add just by de-cluttering. Effective storage clears floor space, making your home feel bigger and more spacious. Go one step further and donate anything you haven’t touched in 12 months to your charity store. Someone out there probably needs it more than you.
The 2 most important (and valuable) property features are sun aspect and location. With that in mind, are there trees on your property stopping your home from getting as much sun as it should be? Give them a healthy trim to maximise your sunshine. It’s cheap to hire power tools for this sort of thing. Or invest in your own so you can keep on top of overgrown trees and hedges in future. Please stay safe though! If you would rather get a professional in, get in touch with me and I’ll put you in touch with a local arborist who can help.
Keep reading for more tips, including how to style your home on a budget.
Styling your home to increase its potential sale value doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Start with the following ideas and you will be well on your way to achieving a great result.
The first option on this list is also the cheapest and most important. You can dramatically improve the look and feel of your home by removing any unnecessary furniture, nick-nacks and general clutter. Donate surplus items and for anything leftover, hire a storage unit if you can. Leave kitchen benches and desks clear except for one or two items. Remember: clutter eats equity!
Sticking with the removal theme, it’s smart to remove personal items where you can so that your future buyer can imagine their family in your home.
Make your rooms as bright as possible by using high-wattage bulbs throughout your home. Make sure to use warm white bulbs which give off an inviting golden tone. If they take a while to warm up, make sure you turn them on in advance of any buyer viewings.
Create inviting corners throughout your home with a few well-placed lamps, the added warm light will make your home even more welcoming.
For the same reason you should use light, neutral paint colours so you don’t risk putting some buyers off, you should use white linen throughout your home for a clean and tidy look. Add different coloured throws to each bed to provide a splash of colour.
Every bed looks more inviting when it is stacked with lots of pillows. Buy fresh inners that haven’t had the life squashed out of them and finish it off with brand new pillowcases.
Dress up any ageing couch or chair with cushions. Go for soft neutral colours and choose soft textures to add a feeling of warmth to any room.
The key to making any room feel larger and lighter is to add mirrors. Use them to replace spots that were once taken up by family photos before you depersonalised.
Go with light, fresh aromas that don’t overpower potential buyers.
There is nothing like greenery to make your home feel more inviting. Make sure you add plants to bathrooms as well to add a pop of colour.
Bold, plush looking towels are a great way to add luxury to an otherwise neutral bathroom.
Note: Style all potential bedrooms to have a bed in them if possible. If you don’t have a spare one lying around, you can place an air-mattress on top of crates and dress it up like a normal bed to achieve the same effect.
When in doubt, always remember less is more. Except if it leaves you with an empty room!
Bonus tip: If your carpet is looking a bit tired, consider getting it professionally cleaned. A deep clean can give your carpet new life before you go on the market. This can cost a few hundred dollars but it’s usually worth every penny.
Keep scrolling to see a selection of helpful articles just like this one, including 5 mistakes to avoid when selling your home. My goal is to provide as much value to you as possible, even if you choose not to use my services when selling your home.
If you’re thinking about selling your property, it can feel daunting in the beginning. The key is having a plan, along with a trusted adviser you can call on to answer all those little questions that come up along the way.
Whether you’re planning on selling soon or not, I’m happy to help out with free advice. Feel free to reach out to me anytime. My phone number is below, or click here to email me.
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, REA 2008
Arizto New Plymouth
Mobile: 020 486 6975
If you just want to jump straight into more helpful articles, keep scrolling past this section. If you’re curious about what Arizto is, continue reading below:
Arizto is all around NZ and expanded to New Plymouth in June 2021. Arizto aims to change the common perspective of the real estate industry by providing straightforward, quality services that Kiwis can trust. Our innovative approach comes in the form of fair fees of 10%+gst, which includes professional marketing, a local real estate agent, and 24/7 access to our state of the art technologies. This saves our clients thousands of dollars compared to other agencies.
We’ve created a more attractive option for both home sellers and real estate agents. Our user-friendly app and online interface helps us cut down on margins such as multiple physical offices throughout the country, so we’re able to work smarter and pass on these cost savings to home sellers. By forming an in-house team of specialists, we’ve also taken a lot of pressure off our agents, so they only have to focus on what they’re best at – selling houses.
Tony is excited to offer Taranaki a better alternative to the traditional real estate model. He believes people deserve the highest level of service while paying a fixed and fair amount in fees. That’s why he joined Arizto after a successful two years in the industry, where he has a track record for achieving exceptional outcomes for his clients.
With a background in marketing, Tony brings a unique skillset to selling property, ensuring his listings get maximum exposure on the market. Clients repeatedly say he’s helpful, knowledgeable and easy to get along with.
Here’s a selection of articles I’ve picked that I think you might be interested in. Simply click on one to read it. These are all from my blog, where I post a new article every week. Again, my goal is provide as much value to you as possible, whether or not you choose to use my services when selling your home.
If you have any feedback, or there’s a topic you want me to cover, feel free to get in touch.
Based on Taranaki’s median sale price, traditional real estate agents charge around $26,725. It comes as no surprise that sellers are unhappy paying such high commissions, and we agree it’s unnecessary. Arizto found flaws in the way traditional real estate is performed and created a better solution for Kiwis. Get started by requesting a free appraisal to find out how much your New Plymouth property is worth.
