When the owners of this house walked us through for the first time, their desperation was clear. The tenants had left this well-laid-out family home in dire condition. Investment property renovations can turn your nightmare into a win.
We aim to create interiors for physical and mental wellbeing. Working on preparing this home for sale, we tried to make every corner of it feel spacious, brighter and functional. Soft hues, pleasant-to-touch materials, practical organisation, and most of all – keeping it authentic – are the ways we make it happen.
BEFORE & AFTER Master bedroom and ensuite
The tenants had ruined this house in so many ways. The tenants had painted the walls, ceilings and doors all in different colours, unfinished and uneven. We had to change three doors and we also ended up installing a new front door.
The carpets were beyond saving and were the first thing we removed before starting work. The smell coming from them was unbearable. We installed new doorknobs and bathrooms mirrors, lights were updated. We also took care of some maintenance issues. Fresh paint on all surfaces – including inside kitchen pantry, wardrobes walls, and shelves, around bathtub and bathroom tiles. The scope of the work increased over time. You don’t see every little detail at first or at least you don’t think it is that important. Until you see the house turning slowly from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan.
Investment Property Renovations
This project shows how important investment property renovations are when you want to make more from the sale.
The difference between what was the market price of this home before and after renovation lays in the range of eighty thousand dollars. Investment properties are tools to create financial security and when it is time to sell them, you need to give your property the best chance to perform. As they say, to make money you need to spend money. However, renovating is not spending. It is investing in future gain.
Of course, no one can promise you how much you will make more if you decide to invest in renovation before selling. Neither the real estate agent nor we as the renovators can give such a guarantee. It is because the situation has too many variables and it is not only up to one factor or one person. But if you give your property the best chance, most often than not it gives in return. If you use a good agent and reputable renovators, you most certainly will be happy with the end result.
BEFORE & AFTER the front room
BEFORE & AFTER the living room
BEFORE & AFTER bedrooms
Problem solving and overall presentation
Solving problems is a big part of what we do to make a property ready for sale. When the owner trusts us to do the job all along – from maintenance issues to painting, and then home staging, it all falls together nicely. It’s because we focus on the overall look and feel of the property, not just zooming in on certain areas. The result is buyers that fall in love with the home and are happy to pay a premium to make it their own.
This home had an outdated kitchen and bathrooms. The flooring that went across the living room and repeated in the bathrooms was a combination of black- and peach-coloured tiles. To make the tiles not stand out too much so that the rooms feel harmonious, we painted the whole house in peach as well. It is not a usual colour, but it felt well with the rest, including the black windows and exterior door frames. The newly-installed carpet helped to further soften the space.
The kitchen did not have wall cabinets. To harmonise its look and add a bit of charm in an otherwise characterless kitchen, we added a shelf that we removed from another part of the home. During the home staging, we decorated it with a pot plant.
We called this Blue Door Project because of the colour we chose for the new front door. It is a colour that invites and evokes a feeling of relaxation.
Ready to sell
With every project we work on, we strive to achieve the maximum result within the budget we are given. The clients’ aim with repainting was to sell the house for $520 000. After our work and the works done by an electrician and plumber, the home sold for $565 000. As we will always say, team effort is the most important element of achieving such a goal. You need owners that understand that they need to do works to improve the value of their property; a real estate agent that is trustworthy, experienced, and skillful in translating that value to buyers so they can see the positives; all-round tradies that understand the complexity of the problems; and someone with an eye for design to be able to see how all will come together at the end.
This property was sold by Ross Kretschmar of Welsh Real Estate. See the home listing here.
Do you need help in preparing your property for sale? Contact us today!
