Category Archives: Property Makeover

Papillon Interior Kitchen

Property Makeover Dilemma – To Renovate Or Not To Renovate?

As a Property Makeover Specialist I regularly speak at property presentation seminars, and often hear the same questions.

 
Last time I shared with you a very common dilemma people can have – should I renovate or do a property makeover if I’m in a popular development area? You can read that article here.
 
Another very popular question is: “A friend of mine has recently made-over their place to sell, they put in a kitchen, they painted and landscapers were there for days. Then someone bought it and they are now pulling the house down or they are now installing their own kitchen – isn’t that a waste of money?”
 
The first thing I say is; if you made those changes in your home without listing for sale and you decided to pull them out or you chose to demolish the property, then I would agree with you!
 
However, it is important to understand what the actual expected reward from the makeover investment was. It actually really wasn’t because the kitchen would be used for the next 15-20 years, it was the fact that the kitchen was a drawcard to get more people through their home and created competition – that is how it has paid them back.
 
property makeover

Property Makeover How Do We Proceed If Home In Development Area?

As a Property Makeover Specialist I have a series of the same questions that are often asked during the initial consultation process.

I regularly guest speak at property presentation seminars and was presenting very recently, when those same questions appeared. I will share them with you over the next few months, starting with this first and very common dilemma:

‘All of the houses in my street have been either knocked down or fully developed. It’s unlikely that a family will buy, however I don’t have a crystal ball, so should I waste time and money making changes, even though my home may be bulldozed and developed?’

In answer I say; yes absolutely, a property makeover is essential, but with caution. In this scenario, it is likely that there will (without seeing the home or discussing with the local agent) be two types of buyer categories, the owner/occupier and the investor/developer.

For example, the owner/occupier wants to buy one of the remaining cottages in the area and then renovate to make their home work for their family dynamic. In this case they will either want to move in immediately or rent out the property until their planning permission is through for renovations.

Property Presentation

The Three Types Of Property Makeover Explained

A real estate agent, who happens to be a friend of mine, asked me recently:

Are there differences to the kind of work you do when it comes to the kinds of property owners?

I thought that that question made sense because most property makeovers have different goals.

Having worked with over 400 makeover projects your Property Makeover Specialist will actually manage projects that fall under these types:

  • Property Makeover to Sell

  • Property Makeover to Rent

  • Property Makeover to Stay (when they have recently bought)

Each type requires a very different approach. It involves a formula of fixed and variable components giving a tailored result, with the right blend of needs, wants and requirements to ensure the best outcome. So to explain the differences, I’ll use the framework I’m following for my business.

Property Makeover to Sell
This is the most common type of a property makeover project. All of which are aimed at showing off the property’s best points and minimising the distractions or negatives.  The goals of this type are as follows:

  • To maximise the market value of a property before it hits the market

  • To optimise the market appeal of a property before it hits the market

  • To enhance the ‘sellability’ of a property when it’s on the market

Also referred to as a ‘pre-sale property makeover,’ the critical element that defines a success makeover of this type is value. This means that changes undertaken for projects under this type are cosmetic in nature without major changes to the carcass of the property.