Buyers notice the small things first. A wonky gate, a mouldy path, an overgrown front garden. You don't need to renovate. You need the place to look looked after.
Outside first
- Lawn and edges. A fresh mow the day before an open home matters more than it should.
- Hedges and beds. Trim, weed, mulch. See garden and hedge care.
- Paths, driveway and deck. A pressure clean takes years off them.
- Gutters. Overflowing gutters can show up in building reports.
Inside
- Doors and windows that stick or won't latch
- Loose handles and fittings
- Holes and scuffs in walls, patched and painted
- Caulking round the bath, shower and sinks
- Missing door stops, loose handles, wonky cupboard doors
Street appeal
Buyers form a view from the car. The mailbox, the front path, the lawn edges, the front door and the gutters visible from the street all count. Tidy the first thirty seconds of the walk from the kerb to the door and the rest of the house gets the benefit of the doubt.
Light and smell
Open the blinds, clean the windows and replace dead bulbs. Fix anything damp or musty. Mould smells put buyers off faster than a scuffed wall.
Photo day
The listing photos are the first inspection. Mow, trim and clear the garden the day before, and keep cars, bins and hoses out of shot. Wet decks and driveways photograph badly, so aim for a dry day after a clean.
What building reports flag
Overflowing gutters, damp patches, rotten timber and loose fittings regularly turn up in pre-purchase reports. Dealing with them first means fewer surprises and fewer price negotiations.
Do the list in one go
Write everything down and send it in one email. A batch is quicker and cheaper than a few separate visits. See how quotes work. Cover the list with handyman repairs.
Not everything is worth fixing before a sale. Ask your agent which items they think buyers will care about, and stick to those.
Timing it
Aim to finish the repairs a week or two before photos are taken, and do the lawn and pressure cleaning as close to photos and open homes as you can. Gardens change quickly here.
What to skip
Big renovations rarely pay back before a sale. Spend on what buyers see in the first thirty seconds: the street view, the front door, the yard and the bathroom.
Get a quote
Send the list, your suburb and your dates. We will tell you what fits in a visit or two.