Many people are taking advantage of spending more time at home to spruce up their properties.

If you’re looking to sell in future there are several easy repairs and refreshes you can do now to add appeal and value to your property.

Ray White Premium Property Specialist Christine Rudolph said it was important to put yourself in the shoes of a buyer when preparing your home for sale.

“When we sell homes, we are appealing to people's emotions,” Ms Rudolph said.

“It's very important for a buyer to walk in and really feel themselves living in a property.” 

Ms Rudolph said making a few simple changes to your property could add thousands of dollars in value.

“It's incredible how spending money on a fresh coat of paint inside and out, cleaning gardens, maintaining gutters, mending repairs to decks and decluttering can make a huge difference to a home,” she said.

“I am constantly surprised and delighted returning to my client’s homes after having advised this and it looks like a completely different property.”

While many people choose to add value to their property and renovate before selling, failing to obtain appropriate council approvals could cause issues at the time of sale.
“It's really important to make sure that any major renovations done to a home receive final certification,” Ms Rudolph said.

“I have seen many homeowners lose a sale as they have added a deck, garage or structure to their home which has not been approved and certified by their local council. 

“It's incredible how many buyers are diligent about this in doing their investigations and it can be a very costly mistake to not get work done properly by a professional.”

Easy ways to add appeal to your home

• Clean gutters, mow lawns, repair fences and tidy gardens.
• Deep clean the whole house, including walls and windows.
• Apply a fresh coat of paint using light-coloured neutral tones.
• Put away personal items such as photos and valuables.
• Patch nail holes and cracks in wall and ceilings.
• Change dated light fixtures.
• Re-grout bathroom and kitchen tiles.
• Consider hiring a professional home stager.
• Add indoor plants or fresh flowers.

The information in this article has been prepared for general information purposes only and not as specific advice to any particular person. Any advice contained in the document is general advice and does not take into account any person's particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs.