Real estate Australia: 14 things we learned from season 14 of Selling Houses Australia
As the hit TV show Selling Houses Australia wraps up its incredible 14th season, the resident experts share the good, the bad and the ugly of the contemporary home makeover.
The Selling Houses Australian team are just about to wrap up their 14th season of the hit lifestyle Foxtel show.
This is what home experts Andrew Winter, Wendy Moore and Dennis Scott have learnt this time around.
ANDREW WINTER’S TOP PROPERTY TIPS 0f 2022
1. Property boom surprise
One thing I have seen this season that stands out for any other season in Selling Houses Australia history is the impact of the property boom. In many cases homeowners were taken by surprise when the sale result beat even the most enthusiastic valuation. It really only happens every 10 to 15 years, in my opinion.
It’s a positive surprise and everybody embraces it of course, but it’s followed by a slump. So I say homeowners beware.
2. Fear of missing out on a good sale
It’s a different kind of FOMO. Not buyers missing out on a property, but sellers holding out for a higher sale price. We’ve had quite a few sellers this season who panicked that they wouldn’t maximise their home’s value and wanted to hold out, hoping they’d get more in a couple of months. You don’t see it very often and it’s also related to the boom. A few of our episodes did have sellers who were afraid to take the first offer, which can often be the right one. In some cases it was.
3. Houses that weren’t built for the land they’re on
We had a few homes this season which had primary design flaws. Features which didn’t make the most of the land itself or its location. In one episode the land had a great view but you couldn’t see it as the house was built to look away from it.
The house faced a lovely back garden but it was not well utilised and had poor flow from inside to outside. Then there was an entry to the property you can’t find as it wasn’t at the front of the house.
4. Tight Budgets- Prioritise!
‘We don’t have enough money’ would be the quote most often used when referring to renovating to sell. It’s all about short term gain and getting top dollar quickly and easily. You have to weigh up what is enough to sell the house. In a classic Australian four bedroom, two bathroom home that’s very dated, you don’t have to do both bathrooms. Just make sure one of them is functional and clean but the other one gets a refurb. This approach was successful this season with Wendy being very clever about that.
WENDY MOORE’S TOP HOME MAKEOVER TIPS of 2022
5. New Paint Never Gets Old
Every single renovation has budget constraints (just like real life!), but the power of paint to completely reimagine a space has been like a silver bullet for me every single time. Particularly this season – We had some seriously daggy and outdated kitchens that were very well built, making it hard to justify ripping them out and starting from scratch. Getting the doors and end panels resprayed with a new colour had an incredible impact each time – and at a fraction of the price. Add some new handles, maybe a new splashback and benchtop and you could mistake it for a completely new kitchen. Obviously painting the walls of a room in a new shade also has an impact, but I have really pushed the idea of using colour on walls rather than a safe shade of white. We need more colour in our lives and paint is a simple way to completely change the atmosphere of a home.
6. Embrace the era of a home
I was determined to showcase as many schemes and styles as I could this season, and often the first inspiration comes from the home itself. So many people either disregard or actively fight against the era of the home when they start designing, but it’s actually your strongest anchor point. Every home has a history and every era has a unique beauty that can be both celebrated and modernised.
For me the home in Denistone was a great example, a daggy old late 60s home at first glance, but actually had some really lovely features, like a fluted glass feature wall – they just needed the right colour scheme to make them sing. I fell in love with that home and I had more feedback from people who felt the same than for any other home. We don’t need to throw out our history to create beautiful spaces.
7. Team work makes the dream work
A great renovation and a successful sale happens because a team worked together well. Each time we start looking at a home for Selling Houses, my first port of call is Andrew Winter – we need to understand why the home isn’t appealing to people before we even think about the makeover. Once we can pinpoint the reasons, we can prioritise our spending. Dennis and I can work out between ourselves where the money should go and how we can work together to make the biggest impact. And then there’s our build team – listening to their advice, solving problems together and actually being on the ground with them every moment so we know exactly what we are all up against has been the best experience this season.
8. You don’t have to do everything:
When you’re selling a house, you don’t actually have to solve all the problems, you just need to remove the fear and reduce risks for potential buyers. Prioritise rooms and features that will help you show the home’s potential.
Often, when we had a tight budget, we focused our funds on just one bedroom, so buyers could see what could be achieved with the rest of the house. If a kitchen is dated, but functional, a rework, rather than a complete redo, leaves more funds for other areas, such as a really old and ugly bathroom – which can be a serious turn off for buyers.
9. In this market, making a home feel liveable is key:
The current economy has completely changed the type of homes that are appealing to buyers. A ‘renovator’s dream’ is no longer the attractive buy it once was. With the pressures on building costs and supply of materials, a home that needs a lot of work is really overwhelming – and actually quite scary for buyers. Making a home a place that feels like it’s comfortable to live in creates a sense of flexibility for people, the idea that you can buy a home and live well in it exactly as it is, even though it’s not perfect, is a much safer investment right now. It gives buyers time to wait until things start to feel more predictable before they embark on their own renovation.
DENNIS SCOTT’S TOP GARDENING TIPS of 2022
10. Use a professional:
There have been numerous occasions when the issues are the result of DIY failures. This is particularly true with painting. We all have different skill sets. Wendy Moore is funny, smart, and knows interiors, especially paint colours. I am not so funny, not so smart and not so great with paint colours. It would be foolish of me not to call on Wendy’s years of experience when it came to choosing paint colours. Choosing your house colour is a big decision so use a colour consultant or designer. Then use a professional painter. It will be money well spent.
11. Standards are different:
What you think is clean and tidy may actually be the opposite for a prospective buyer. If you are looking to sell, get some advice from an expert or trusted friend. Make sure they are brutally honest. Simply clearing overgrown foliage from pathways, stairs, access points plus mowing lawns, removing weeds and a fresh lick of mulch in the garden can work wonders. It will also allow natural light to flood into the home.
12. Outdoor space is essential:
In the current market, people’s ideals have shifted and we are spending more time at our own home than ever. I know kitchens and bathrooms sell a house; this will never change but we need to consider the exterior of our homes now more than ever.
The outside space of our home needs to be considered as an extra room. Whether you have a completely landscaped property or just basic turf, it needs to be tidy and its potential obvious to the buyer.
13. There is no “I” in team:
Having played professional sport for a long time I loved the team environment; in fact, I would go as far as to say I thrived in it and I missed it enormously. Selling Houses Australia has given me a piece of my life back that I had lost, team work. From the integrations and production team, to the build team, my little buddy Nigel and the trades that we choose if team work was not there, we would never achieve the results we do.
14. Turf is king:
Turf makes the world a better place. It is the carpet of the outside world. But for me it is much more significant. Turf delivery means I am closing in on the finish line and almost done. There is something magical about turf that transforms a space from uninviting to a green oasis. Every garden space can benefit from having that soft velvet-like feel under your feet that turf creates. Roll it out, water it and enjoy. What’s not to love?
Selling Houses Australia’s final episode of season 14 airs on Wednesday June 1 at 8.30pm on Foxtel’s Lifestyle channel. Or yu can catch all 10 episodes on Foxtel On Demand.
Originally published as Real estate Australia: 14 things we learned from season 14 of Selling Houses Australia
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