Whether you have purchased a property as an investment opportunity, or you’ve been living in your home for some years and are now looking to sell, here are our top tips when it comes to renovating to re-sell your property:
1. The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home (or the stomach!)
For many buyers, a kitchen is the hub of the home. If you are looking to attract families, they need a space to eat, and ideally open site lines for keeping an eye on children in as many places as possible. If your target market is more young professionals, then they will be looking for a functional space with high quality finishes and a good layout - Think coffee machine and high stools at either an island of breakfast bar. Whatever layout you go for, you should always aim to keep the space feeling light and bright. Whilst black cabinets and dark wood might be your personal taste, it's not going to be everyone's and a bright and neutral kitchen is going to offend much fewer prospective buyers!
2. Bathrooms
Similarly to with the kitchen, here you want to aim for clean, neutral and bright. You can always add some colour pops through towels and accessories. The more neutral the palette, the more a buyer can imagine their belongings in there as if it were a blank canvas for them to tailor the space to their needs.
Again, your target market for the property will likely dictate the style for the bathroom - Single business men and women will likely be looking for an amazing shower, whereas a young family will be in desperate need and search of a bath. Bear this in mind when designing the bathrooms.
3. Other Rooms in the House
In-keeping with the notes for the kitchen and bathroom, it's important that you try and keep the entire property neutral, but stylish. Perfectly placed ornaments and pictures can bring a room to life, but too many personal anecdotes and photos can alienate buyers rather than inspire them.
4. Target Market
As mentioned in some of the above points, your target audience for the property is something to focus on from the second you start. There is no point designing a house in a great school area, next to a park in minimalistic style - It is just not realistic for a family to live in.
5. Budget!
You need to set a realistic budget for your renovation project, plus all the extras for staging.
6. Timeline
You’ll need to think about how the refurbishments will work. Will you be living in the property during the renovation? Will that even be possible? If youll need to stay elsewhere, that cost will need including in the budget as well. Most full property reforms take between 6-8 weeks. If you are planning to live onsite while renovations take place, the timeline will no doubt be longer as spaces will need to remain liveable.
7. Don’t cut corners
If you are renovating a home before selling, and know that you will not be benefiting from the modernisations, it can be tempting to cut corners. Opting for a cheap finish or leaving in an old draughty window for example. We are here to tell you that these things are noticed! If you are looking to get the best price for resale, you need good quality finishes that will impress prospective clients.
8. Consider your tradespeople and materials
Going for the most expensive quote doesn’t necessarily mean the workmanship will be the best. Ask for photos of similar projects, do they have any work references from previous jobs? This is a large investment of time and money and you need to have total trust in your team of tradespeople and designers. Your construction team will also no doubt have recommended retailers for materials - The quality and price of materials should be inkeeping with your overall budget, style and design.
