In previous articles, we have discussed how to get your property ready to sell and the mistakes not to make when selling your property. You may be considering whether your property needs a bit of an upgrade before you place it on the market. The question is, what is considered a feasible upgrade?

There are varying opinions on what upgrades are essentially needed before selling your property.

At the end of the day, it is preferable not to spend money on upgrades or renovations that are not going to increase your chances of selling quickly or obtaining a higher selling price.

What upgrades are considered a good idea before selling?

• Repainting your house

Painting your house before a sale will certainly not be a wasted cost, as buyers will appreciate a neat, clean appearance and will be satisfied that they will not need to paint for some years.

Tip: Paint your house with a neutral colour that buyers will not feel that they need to replace with another colour.

• Security upgrades

Ensuring your security gate, alarm system and electric fence (if you have one) are all 100% functional will provide prospective buyers a great deal of comfort, given security is a paramount concern for most people.

Tip: Have your security gate motors checked and serviced if needed. Check that your burglar guards are not loose.

• Roof and gutters

Replacing your gutters with aluminium ones will be advisable, especially if you have old asbestos or fibre cement gutters. It will give a clean and fresh look to your roof, which again will please potential buyers.

Tip: Appoint a reputable roofing company to inspect the roof for leaks and replace all broken tiles.

So what upgrades are NOT considered to be a good idea before selling?

• Renovating bathrooms

This all depends on whether your bathrooms look old and tired. In most instances, new owners will want to add their appeal to the bathrooms, in which case upgrading a bathroom when it is not needed will be a wasted cost, as it is likely not going to increase the selling price.

However, if the bathroom is old, then renovating it would be a good idea to add more appeal to prospective buyers.

Tip: Be selective when renovating a bathroom before selling. For instance, don’t tile to the ceiling, replace the basin and shower door only or replace sanitaryware only when necessary.

• Renovating the kitchen

Kitchen upgrades can be very expensive and are not feasible to undertake before selling. Buyers often prefer to refurbish a kitchen to meet their own needs and are generally not scared off in the event that some work is needed on the kitchen.

Tip: Replace the countertop and/or doors if needed.

• Retiling

Unless you have to replace cracked tiles and you no longer have any spares, you may be forced to retile floor or wall areas.

Buyers prefer to view a house where there is minimal work to be done. Seeing cracked tiles will certainly disappoint a buyer and provide them with negotiating power.

The cost of retiling may be less than the reduction in a sales offer.

Tip: Carefully inspect floor areas for cracked tiles and retile if needed.

If you have maintained your home over the years and undertaken some upgrades for you to have enjoyed while you have resided in the property, then it is likely you will not be faced with the scenario of undertaking any upgrades as mentioned above to sell your property.

Remember, buyers are generally looking for a neat, tidy home that is both aesthetically pleasing, has been maintained and serves their needs.

Spending money on upgrading the property before you sell must be carefully considered before merely going ahead with it.

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