DIY projects that upgrade your home for a summer sale

If you’re planning a summer sale, be prepared to stand out from the crowd.

While spring is historically known as the booming real estate season, summer is hot on its heels, with many vendors taking advantage of this time of year to best showcase their property’s outdoor features.

Try the following DIY projects to have your property summer-ready before auction day.

Create colour memories with paint

Applying a fresh coat of paint is a tried-and-true selling tactic for creating visual appeal and what’s known as “colour memories”.

“Buyers look at lots of homes and need something to remember. Colour is important for triggering memories,” says Andrea Lucena-Orr, colour planning and communications manager at Dulux Group.

“Even if it’s just painting the front door, or a kid’s bedroom, or a wall behind the bed. It doesn’t have to be bold; just something to distinguish the home from the other 10 properties buyers saw that weekend.”

Try experimenting with the latest shades on the interior walls. This summer, Dulux predict interiors will be inspired by “global flavours” with a combination of adventurous and exotic colours.

Popular paint shades include warm, deep hues such as red, burgundy and orange, specifically, Dulux Manila, Buttercookie and Gold Pheasant.

If you’re hesitant about using colour, a classic shade of white is a safe go-to.

“Interiors are more trend based than exteriors, but white also remains very popular. White allows buyers to visualise themselves in the home,” Lucena-Orr says.

O’Grady house featuring Dulux paint. Photo: Whiting Architects

Future-proof the exterior

A well-presented facade creates excitement and interest from the outset, urging potential buyers to inspect the property.

If the paint on your property’s facade is peeling or in a dated colour, now is the time for an update.

Unlike interiors where a use of colour is encouraged, vendors are advised to choose neutral, classic paint shades for their property’s facade.

“For exteriors, in the last five years we’ve seen a massive increase in the use of greys as base colours, or other colours with grey and not yellow undertones,” Lucena-Orr says.

Painting the exterior with a premium paint product such as Dulux Weathershield can provide a further selling point. Designed to withstand all conditions, Weathershield is guaranteed to protect your home as long as you live there.

Other quick updates to improve your property’s street appeal include installing a front path and undertaking a makeover of the side of the house.

“This forgotten space can be revitalised with a side path, new paint on the fence and some greenery to transform what can often be an eyesore into a feature path connecting the front and back of your home,” says DIY and landscape expert Jason Hodges, brand ambassador for Adbri Masonry.

Create an outdoor domain

There’s no better time to sell a property with an outdoor dining area, than summer.

If your home is lacking a designated entertainment area, adding an outdoor domain – inclusive of a barbecue, seating, lighting, and a feature such as greenery, a heater or fire pit – can be a cost-effective way to boost your property’s value.

“Real estate 101 will say more rooms can command more value. A well-planned outdoor room is a genuine extension to your house that can return both financial value and significant lifestyle benefits,” Hodges says.

According to Hodges, a modest outdoor room project will take around three weekends to complete: two weekends to set posts or lay pavers, and a final weekend to clean and dress the space up.

“I’d suggest an entry level functional outdoor room will come in between $7,500 and $10,000, and upwards from there depending on the size of the space and selections with regards to pavements, furniture and features,” Hodges says. “Really, it can be as big and beautiful as you desire.”

O’Grady house featuring Dulux paint. Photo: Whiting Architects