Most renovations aim to improve a house, and if you’re lucky, add some value to your property when it’s time to sell up.
There are however some that do the opposite.
Hipages recent data shows the most in-demand trades homeowners seek out for home renovations and upgrades are plumbers, electricians and painters.
Major renovations are down 20 per cent since 2022, but design and style jobs have grown in popularity with the category growing in demand on Hipages by 135 per cent since 2022.
Real estate experts have revealed the renovations worth doing, and the ones that can actually devalue your property, bearing the warning: “Just don’t do it.”
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DON’T DO IT
Whether a renovation will help or hinder your sale really depends on what the buyers in the area want, and finding a good agent who knows the neighbourhood in and out will help you with that.
One rule of thumb when it comes to renovating is: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’
Brisbane agent Holly Bowden at Ray White Wilston said the first thing to note is don’t add anything that won’t bring value to the property.
“Recently a client asked me if they should change their windows to aluminium, there was nothing wrong with the windows, they were beautiful, so that’s not going to add value,” she said.
Statement features had increased in popularity by 79 per cent through Hipages, yet bold, hyper-personal renovations were also a no-go that often turned buyers away, according to Ms Bowden.
“Bold colours, with their (sellers) own signature style like wall paper or tiles that are not on trend, dated or no longer in fashion,” she said.
Holly Bowden from Ray White Wilston. Picture: Supplied
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“It’s a known fact to depersonalise the house when selling and styling, but I also think a little bit of personality as long as it’s on trend helps.
“Some of the stylists are very neutral and when they stage it just looks like every single other property, just white and cream, there’s no personality or colour, that’s something I say don’t make it too stark, don’t make it look like every other, so engage in a good stager.”
Another big no-no was DIY renovations, where Ms Bowden encouraged owners to use professionals if upgrading the home.
“I’ve seen it where people say ‘I’ve done it myself’ rather than getting a professional, then it looks botched and doesn’t look great – and they (buyers) see that and then start to doubt the quality of the entire property.”
DO POOLS ADD OR DECREASE VALUE?
Another “don’t do it” related to pools, but it really depended on the area and the property, Ms Bowden said.
“Adding a pool if you’ve got space and still got line of sight inside to outside can add value if you think about the positioning. Get some advice from your agent, we’re always happy to do that.
“But don’t go putting in a massive pool where you’re not going to have a blade of grass left,” she added.
Ray White The Bayside Group director Kevin Chokshi also said pools could be quite “polarising”.
“If it’s a more of a modern, larger family home then yes, pools can add value. But it’s the reverse if it’s an older property and the pool needs a lot of maintenance, then I’d suggest to the owner to remove the pool.”
Kevin Chokshi from Ray White The Bayside Group. Photo: Supplied
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DON’T GO OVERBOARD
Mr Chokshi said owners can often go “overboard with luxury”.
“Every suburb has a ceiling, so you want to understand your suburb’s ceiling. Triple glazed windows, wolf appliances, commercial grade kitchens … buyers aren’t going to know the cost and appreciate the value. You don’t get paid back for going further past market expectations.”
Another tip was to not add niche spaces like cinema rooms or gyms.
“In a normal sized home, most of the time owners would just prefer the extra bedroom.”
WHAT’S ON THE OUTSIDE DOES MATTER
The experts all said the first impression does matter and what you see on the outside – from the street – sets a “silent emotional tone”.
“A lot (of value) is added from the street appeal, not enough sellers think that. If someone’s going on a date, how you look, how you dress says a lot before you even speak,” Mr Chokshi said.
Lawns, gardens and the external front of the house was worth putting time and money into.
Painting was one of the most in-demand jobs on the Hipages tradie platform, increasing by 200 per cent since 2022.
“Always exterior washing is my absolute go to with every single client, they think about I need to paint, they just need to do an exterior wash. A simple external wash can save you thousands in painting,” Ms Bowden said.
Doing a pressure wash of the outside of a home can make a huge impact.
“First impressions driving past and taking a step back from the street, seeing a beautiful manicured lawn shows the property has been well loved, you can have your interiors look amazing but the first impression isn’t shining then it sets the tone of what to expect inside,” she added.
’NICE TO HAVES’ VS ‘MUST HAVES’
EV batteries, chargers and solar panels didn’t necessarily add value to a home.
“I think it’s a really personal choice. I don’t think investing the money in it prior selling would be a smart decision – if you want to have that to reduce your costs don’t do it to try add value, because it doesn’t,” Ms Bowden said.
Another huge value add was a garage, so if you had the capacity to do that, that was worth it according to Mr Chokshi.
“Lock up garages are a non negotiable for a lot of people, especially for safety for cars but it’s also an extra space for prams, golf clubs, storage, a whole new room that adds flexibility. It can narrow the buyer pool if there isn’t,” he said.
Other small renovations that owners could do that could make a big difference were storage and layout related.
“Any layout improvements that’s an easy fix to give the house a good flow, there small things that can be done to fix out, perhaps remove a random a random plaster wall that will just change the perspective,” Mr Chokshi said.
“As well as storage adds value. Linen cupboards or even a clean attic buyers will appreciate because it’s an added space they weren’t expecting.”
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