Selling home minimal do-ups/repairs

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rscole86

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#206068 8-Dec-2016 16:20

I am interested in peoples top ten? things they would do up for minimal/no expense to help with the sale of their home. I am happy to take any/all ideas, from weeding the garden, to carpet cleaning or replacing handles/door knobs.

To help with peoples answers the property is in Porirua, and is very much in the first home buyers range. And in this market the house is always going to sell, but want to ensure we don't get haggled down on price too much. Obviously people cannot comment without necessarily seeing the property, but I am just very much interested in any and all ideas at this stage and will let the CFO will no doubt tell me what we can and cannot do

I was thinking of asking my second question about selling/buying or selling then renting/house sitting back to buying, but will ask it in another thread.

ubergeeknz

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#1684735 8-Dec-2016 16:34

Tidy, clean and stage the house and exterior / gardens.

Beyond that I would just fix obvious problems.

It probably doesn't make sense to put much into renovating because whoever is going to buy it may not like what you've done anyway. If you must, ie. the interior's in a bad way, keep it very generic (plain colours, etc).

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#1684739 8-Dec-2016 16:38

Declutter it (not that I'm assuming its cluttered), a house looks better if it has furniture in it so people can picture it with their own furniture in its place. People aren't that good at guesstimating sizes of empty rooms, so some furniture is better than none. But too much stuff, esp personal stuff, makes the rooms look smaller and its harder to imagine their own stuff in its place.

Sugar soap the walls and doors, esp in the kitchen, get all the fly spots off the ceiling and light fittings and the fingerprints off the light switches and door frames. Does wonders to brighten up the place. Clean the bathroom mirrors, shine up the taps, fix any drips.

A lick of paint here and there if there's any peeling or cracking. Putty up the minor dings and picture hook holes and paint over.

Like you say, weed and tidy the garden trim the trees/shrubs and edges, clean the carpet. A bit of shake and vac to make the place smell pretty.

Replace the toilet seats if they look at all manky. Check the letterbox, replace it with a new one for street appeal. Makes sure all the light fittings work.

Basic stuff that makes the place look clean and cared for.

richms

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#1684751 8-Dec-2016 16:54

Clean all the fittings, I have been to many open homes where things like lightswitches and taps have been gross. Also around door handles etc. Get it as clean as you can.

Make sure all lights work, are not a mismatch of colour and are on for any open home so the place is bright inside.

Hotwater is not turned off, showerhead is not all blocked up so it has the best hope of decent flow possible. Any hard to turn old taps are sorted out. People assume that is an expensive fix if they are not competent to fix them themselves.

Range/oven is as clean as it can be and any signs of rust on it are cleaned off as well as you can.

No doors squeek, all the locks actually latch closed etc.

Richard rich.ms

Wheelbarrow01

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#1684981 8-Dec-2016 23:24

Sometimes a vendor building inspection can help you to see things that need doing. I am currently marketing my late mum & dad's place (through an agency of course - not myself personally) and my siblings and I spent a significant amount of time (over a year) clearing out a lifetime of "stuff" and catching up on around 30 years of mostly deferred maintenance.

However, because we are so used to the general look and feel of the house, we got a building inspection done by a fresh and unbiased set of eyes, and this uncovered things that needed doing which we just hadn't noticed.

For example, one of the air vents in the concrete ring foundation was missing it's grille. We never noticed, but the inspector said that it points to vermin/cats etc being able to get under the house. Point taken. He also identified a shifted slate tile on the roof which we never noticed (mostly because it's a massive 2 storey house and the problem could not be seen from the ground). It was letting rain into the ceiling so it needed an urgent fix. He also pointed out that the upstairs balcony railings did not comply with current height standards by quite some margin (it's a 1950's house) - not an issue for us, but any buyer with children would notice it and be concerned.

There were many other seemingly small things which added up - not so much in terms of cost for us to put right, but from a buyer's perspective all these little things look like hard work, time and effort to take care of - and it could be the difference between them buying your place, or someone elses. So for us, having the ability to see the real issues behind the marketing facade and put them right before listing the property has been money well spent.

I also can't recommend furniture staging enough. I've always known our family home was big, but the way the staging company arranged the furniture made all the rooms look enormous, and the particular style of furniture they used really complemented the 1950's style of the house perfectly.

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#1684993 9-Dec-2016 00:13

I used to know a roof coater who told me $5,000 of his roof coating service increased the house value by $20-30,000 and so was popular with people looking to sell their property.

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#1684994 9-Dec-2016 02:18

Wheelbarrow01:

He also pointed out that the upstairs balcony railings did not comply with current height standards by quite some margin (it's a 1950's house) - not an issue for us, but any buyer with children would notice it and be concerned.

house perfectly.

It is a bit of a waste of time them telling you that, because it isn't something that needs to be corrected, and it would have complied when it was built. If it was required to comply with the new laws, then that would be different. But essentially you paid for something they didn't need to tell you, if they had looked at when the building was constructed. The classic is when the inspectors go around noting missing door stops, which is something anyone can do with no skills. IMO inspectors should really be mainly looking at weathertightness things, such as flashings and roofing, as they only appear to spend a limited amount of time on site. Some don't even go onto the roof. To really inspect a house indepth, you have to spend a good 3-6 hours going through things and also checking the councils records and plans to see if what was built, matches the plans. I have seen many reports, and they often miss essential things that people would want to know. One totally missed a big gash in a roofing membrane that was letting in water that I picked up fairly quickly

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pctek

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#1687263 13-Dec-2016 18:55

I had a '70s decor house. painted the fake wood, painted the tiles. Couldn't get rid of the hideous lino though so that stayed.

Fixed up drive with some new concrete, painted all the lower part of house.

Packed away all clutter and unneeded items and just had the basics in furniture and stuff on benches etc.

Tidied garage and shed the same way.

The less stuff, the roomier it looks.

Yes, change cupboard handles, it can make a massive difference.

So can paint.

Fix any minor annoyances, sticking doors, dripping tapes etc.

Make sure everything is shiny and clean.

Evict the pet....OK, just to the outside...and remove pet beds and bowls etc when there are going to be viewings.

Pick up all clothes, rubbish etc.

Pretty much make it look pretty.

Ditto gardens.

I had one patch that was a total nightmare, couldn't dig it, couldn't anything. So I sprayed it and meantime, until it died, covered it in mulch.

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#1687273 13-Dec-2016 19:14

We are doing similar with a view to upgrade in the next year or so as our current house is too small for the additional child we would like to have. Ours is also in the first home buyers end of the market so should sell fairly easily

But Small jobs I have planned to do before we get around to it are to make the process less painful are:
- tidy up of the windows, sand and paint where needed. It's amazing what a lick of paint can do to areas that need it.
- garden tidy up, planning on putting some small bordered gardens in the corners of the section with some easy growing/easy care plants.
- as others have said, we plan on decluttering, all my toy collections are boxed up in the shed and when we go to sell everything will go into storage or borrow shed space with friends to hold it all.
- decent thorough clean, again as others have said a decent clean of the entire house (switches, walls, ceilings etc) is really noticeable when visiting other houses.

I've often wondered about generic type paintings etc rather than personal photos etc on the walls, whether the photos personalises the house or whether the generic paintings would add more flair etc to the spaces.

Oriphix

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#1687333 13-Dec-2016 20:47

We have bought and sold three houses in the past 4 years and the below is what we have done with minimal cost and great return in investment. Everything below was done by us and not outside help so we kept the cost down.

1. Do the lawn and gardens and the work on the face of the house. Why? That is the first impression someone gets when they arrive at the property. Most of the time the pictures that people take and put on trademe for example is what catches the eyes of possible buyers. So make it count.

- If the property is fenced make sure you check and replace broken palings and if you can paint it even better.
- If you have gardens then weed it place a weed mat and plant shrubs and bark on top. Why shrubs and not flowers? Because flowers are harder to look after and if it dies then its a waste of money and looks bad.
- Make sure that lawn is always cut. Not every buyer comes from real estate, some come through while driving by.

2. Wash the exterior of the house. Most of the houses you go and visit the inside looks nice however the outside looks to be neglected.

- Make sure that the gutters are clean and no weeds growing on it. Why? Because if someone does a building report and there inspector is good they would write that in the report.
- Clean windows and wash all the spider webs. Last thing you want is from the inside looking out and there is dirty windows.

3. Paint the inside of the house a neutral color. You can go to delux and get a neutral colour chart. Why paint natural colour? When you stage a house its easier to stage on white walls then it is to stage on green or blue walls for example. I will cover staging below. If you are not sure stick to white walls and ceilings.

4. Staging. Just remember a simple line "Less is More". If you have lots of things take it and put it in storage. Make the rooms as empty as possible. Simple things like colorful cushions, bowls etc you can pick them from briscos for cheap and make it look nice.

Example: The one on the right is better :)

Hope that helps and good luck with the sale.

SATTV

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#1687384 13-Dec-2016 21:42

find yourself a good real estate agent that will tell you where to spend your money.

We met one at an open home, she told us that while the house was fully renovated it only had one bathroom, she said if they had seen her before renovation she would have told them to install another bathroom / en-suite. They would have sold the house faster and got a lot more money for the house.

We invited her to our house, We had planed on doing the kitchen, she told us that a flash kitchen will not sell our place, it is the views.

She said if we were to sell maybe a bit of lipstick in the kitchen, if we spent $50 000 in the kitchen we might raise our value $10 000.

A good agent will tell you what will be good money spent and what is wasted money, after all they want your house to sell so it is in their best interest to give you the best advice, they will know what buyers are wanting and my have a few on their radar looking for what you have.

All the best, I hope it all goes well for you.

John

I know enough to be dangerous

nunz

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#1689572 15-Dec-2016 16:30

rscole86:

I am interested in peoples top ten? things they would do up for minimal/no expense to help with the sale of their home. I am happy to take any/all ideas, from weeding the garden, to carpet cleaning or replacing handles/door knobs.

To help with peoples answers the property is in Porirua, and is very much in the first home buyers range. And in this market the house is always going to sell, but want to ensure we don't get haggled down on price too much. Obviously people cannot comment without necessarily seeing the property, but I am just very much interested in any and all ideas at this stage and will let the CFO will no doubt tell me what we can and cannot do

I was thinking of asking my second question about selling/buying or selling then renting/house sitting back to buying, but will ask it in another thread.

Garden furniture or upgrade ideas:

There is a lot can be done with free wooden pallets. Quick to screw together and they make great raised gardens, seats, hanging areas.

https://themicrogardener.com/20-creative-ways-to-upcycle-pallets-in-your-garden/

The simple bench idea quite effective.

tyres - firestone, beurepairs etc have to pay to get rid of them. get thme off their hands. find a paint free cycle place - lots around.

Raised gardens, swing, edgings, composts, seats, decorations etc:

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=do+up+garden+using+tyres&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjem72VnvXQAhUKnZQKHbQCCV0QsAQIGg&biw=1267&bih=1043&dpr=0.9

Cheap flowers - We planted sun flowers across the front of our house in an area that the previous tenants had grown weeds in for the last million years. They covered over tubers, weeds etc. We also planted poppys among them. - Lots of colour - beggar all price. Pansys, Microgreens, etc in pots up the side of steps - welcoming. Lots of $1 per plant stuff at Mitre10, bunnings etc

Put stuff in that reflects the possible dreams of buyers etc. Kids swing - rope and a board. Compost if likely to have gardners looking at it. Look at freecycle - lots of stuff given away. Ask for old chairs and spray paint them in colours, or an old bench to sit on.

Image result for do up garden using tyres

If you're cutting down any shrubs or trees etc to clear stuff - shred for barking nad think about using them as adgings. Garden edgings make a huge difference in how a garden is viewed.

Garden Edging Ideas Cheap

Old concrete blocks ditto.

Garden-Bed-Edging-Ideas-Woohome-8

make is smell like coffee or bread when people come to look at it.

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rscole86

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#1693781 22-Dec-2016 12:55

Thanks for all of the suggestions, will mix and match with what suits our abilities and costs. Cheers

Handle9

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#1693873 22-Dec-2016 15:17

nunz:

Garden furniture or upgrade ideas:

There is a lot can be done with free wooden pallets. Quick to screw together and they make great raised gardens, seats, hanging areas.

https://themicrogardener.com/20-creative-ways-to-upcycle-pallets-in-your-garden/

The simple bench idea quite effective.

tyres - firestone, beurepairs etc have to pay to get rid of them. get thme off their hands. find a paint free cycle place - lots around.

Raised gardens, swing, edgings, composts, seats, decorations etc:

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=do+up+garden+using+tyres&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjem72VnvXQAhUKnZQKHbQCCV0QsAQIGg&biw=1267&bih=1043&dpr=0.9

Cheap flowers - We planted sun flowers across the front of our house in an area that the previous tenants had grown weeds in for the last million years. They covered over tubers, weeds etc. We also planted poppys among them. - Lots of colour - beggar all price. Pansys, Microgreens, etc in pots up the side of steps - welcoming. Lots of $1 per plant stuff at Mitre10, bunnings etc

Put stuff in that reflects the possible dreams of buyers etc. Kids swing - rope and a board. Compost if likely to have gardners looking at it. Look at freecycle - lots of stuff given away. Ask for old chairs and spray paint them in colours, or an old bench to sit on.

If you're cutting down any shrubs or trees etc to clear stuff - shred for barking nad think about using them as adgings. Garden edgings make a huge difference in how a garden is viewed.

Old concrete blocks ditto.

Be very careful with some of these types of ideas. Done well they can look ok but done poorly they look like someone has reused some random crap and a buyer will just have to get rid of it. If I was buying a house and saw above it would put me off.

If you can't do something well don't do it. Well trimmed and mowed grass appeals to lots of buyers. The keen gardeners will see where they will put their garden beds, the one who hate grass will hate gardens as well.

A blank canvas is very appealing to many buyers, they just need to be able visualize how they would arrange the house which is why having furniture in the house is important.

Kiwifruta

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#1693934 22-Dec-2016 16:25

Handle9:
nunz:

Garden furniture or upgrade ideas:

There is a lot can be done with free wooden pallets. Quick to screw together and they make great raised gardens, seats, hanging areas.

https://themicrogardener.com/20-creative-ways-to-upcycle-pallets-in-your-garden/

The simple bench idea quite effective.

tyres - firestone, beurepairs etc have to pay to get rid of them. get thme off their hands. find a paint free cycle place - lots around.

Raised gardens, swing, edgings, composts, seats, decorations etc:

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=do+up+garden+using+tyres&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjem72VnvXQAhUKnZQKHbQCCV0QsAQIGg&biw=1267&bih=1043&dpr=0.9

Cheap flowers - We planted sun flowers across the front of our house in an area that the previous tenants had grown weeds in for the last million years. They covered over tubers, weeds etc. We also planted poppys among them. - Lots of colour - beggar all price. Pansys, Microgreens, etc in pots up the side of steps - welcoming. Lots of $1 per plant stuff at Mitre10, bunnings etc

Put stuff in that reflects the possible dreams of buyers etc. Kids swing - rope and a board. Compost if likely to have gardners looking at it. Look at freecycle - lots of stuff given away. Ask for old chairs and spray paint them in colours, or an old bench to sit on.

If you're cutting down any shrubs or trees etc to clear stuff - shred for barking nad think about using them as adgings. Garden edgings make a huge difference in how a garden is viewed.

Old concrete blocks ditto.

Be very careful with some of these types of ideas. Done well they can look ok but done poorly they look like someone has reused some random crap and a buyer will just have to get rid of it. If I was buying a house and saw above it would put me off.

If you can't do something well don't do it. Well trimmed and mowed grass appeals to lots of buyers. The keen gardeners will see where they will put their garden beds, the one who hate grass will hate gardens as well.

A blank canvas is very appealing to many buyers, they just need to be able visualize how they would arrange the house which is why having furniture in the house is important.

They look like good ideas for the home where one lives as opposed to a property on the market.

Disrespective

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#1693943 22-Dec-2016 16:44

Some thoughts:

Tidy the house. Pile all your junk into boxes and take them away for the viewing. Keep tables and benches clear and free of everything that isn't flowers or ultra basic homeware. A buyer doesn't want to know they can store 50 years of national geographic under your coffee table with only a few dozen looking dusty, they want to see it light and airy and think about their own collection of North&South doing the same.

Tidy the front garden. Weed and trim everything that can be seen from the road up to the front door. Don't forget about the back/sides, but less attention would be fine. Seriously, first impressions count. A lot.

Clean your windows and wash the house down. Down on the south coast of Wellington dirt and grime builds up quick and having a clean house makes it look significantly better. If you have even a partial view or view into a yard you want the view to be clean and clear. Dirty windows could distract and make the viewer lose sight of what they can see.

Clear any car space you might have. Don't have piles of rubble or old timber lying around as that's just stuff the new owner has to dump. In the Wellington region car parking and spaces are gold. Even if it's a lean-to it's worth a huge amount to be able to park your car off the street. A full carport will make it hard to see their own car in there.

Just imagine what you want to see when you go to view a property. A wash down and run to the dump will get you a long way.