Five budget-friendly updates to do before selling your home to maximise the sale price

When putting a house on the market, it should look fresh, clean and modern to appeal to a large number of buyers.

That’s according to Cherie Barber from Renovating for Profit, who has has transformed more than 110 houses to maximise resale value.

Over time she has developed techniques for achieving the maximum sale price for minimal outlay, focusing on inexpensive modifications in key areas.

“You want to create optical illusions to make rooms appear larger, brighter and more modern,” Barber said.

This targeted approach can be used to update a tired home quickly and on a tight budget, increasing its appeal to buyers while keeping more money in your pocket.

Here are some of her techniques for updating homes on a tight budget.

1. Kitchen

“Spruce up, don’t replace,” says Barber. “If on a tight budget, for around $200 you can use laminate paint to resurface the cabinets.”

“But you will get a much more satisfying transformation if your budget can stretch to around $3500. For this, you can remove and replace the doors and end panels of the cabinets while retaining the cabinet carcass.”

Resurfacing the benchtop and installing new handles will dramatically transform the kitchen into a modern, bright space, without the cost of a full reno.

2. Bathroom

Much like the kitchen, It’s easy to transform and modernise a bathroom with simple resurfacing techniques.

“Those horrible embellished orange tiles from the 1970s can easily be resurfaced,” Barber said. “You can DIY paint them with tile paint, or if the budget allows it, hire a professional painter to apply the paint. You could also look to have the tiles professionally sprayed for a superior finish.”

Controlling the scale of a pre-sale bathroom renovation is the key to avoiding overspending, according to Barber.

“If you are looking to do small renovations in the bathroom on a budget, be careful about removing or replacing any tilework as you will then incur the cost of having to get the bathroom re-waterproofed,” she said.

Select consistent shapes and styles when updating tapware and handles to give an overall modern aesthetic.

3. The house facade

“You can paint the facade for an easy revamp, and anyone can do this,” says Cherie. “Maybe look to hire a professional for painting the eaves and gutters as these can be difficult to reach and professionals are used to working up high on a ladder.”

Other inexpensive additions to freshen up the facade include a new door handle, planter boxes filled with colourful flowers under the windows, and a new house number.

“You could even add a small outdoor setting,” she said. “Make it look cute to appeal to more buyers.”

4. Window furnishings

Nothing dates or darkens a house as dramatically as heavy, old-fashioned curtains, says Barber.

“You can replace these with white or timber venetian blinds to make the room appear larger and brighter as well as make it look more modern,” she said.

These can be hung without needing to hire a professional, so the cost is not prohibitive for a quick and easy transformation.

5. Flooring

Many homes have mismatched flooring inside such as timber, tiles and carpet, which can make a home feel disjointed.

“If you install a consistent style of flooring throughout the house, it makes the rooms appear larger,” Barber said. “Buyers like the flow-through effect of continuous flooring.”

“Carpet tends to make rooms appear smaller. But for around $4000 to $5000, you can install new timber-look vinyl flooring to update the house.

“This makes the house look modern and gives a great first impression.”

You can add a colourful modern rug to create and define a cosy and inviting living space.

Thinking of selling? Read Domain’s Ultimate Guide To Selling Your Home to find out everything you need to know.