Spring pickings: 20 things that home sellers should spend on to improve their home this selling season

Victorian homesellers are facing their toughest spring in years. But savvy sellers who put in some leg work can boost their odds by making their home stand out from the crowd.

Point Cooks Abe Ihmeari and wife Mimi, as well as their daughters Hazzel 10, Mazell, 8 and Nekita, 22 have refreshed their whole kitchen, overhauled their bathrooms, replaced carpets and repainted. Picture: David Caird

Abe and Mimi Ihmeari have spent the past six months getting their Point Cook home ready to impress for this year’s spring selling season.

They have repainted, recarpeted, repolished and sealed the home’s concrete floors, resealed their driveways and overhauled their bathrooms with new tapware, tiles and decorative plaster walls.

RELATED: ‘Danger’ suburbs where homeowners are losing money

Hawthorn champ puts Brighton house up for sale with sunken lounge

Brighton home designed by Test cricketer Max Walker boasts a secret speak-easy

Mr Ihmeari said the idea was that the next owner “won’t have to worry about anything for the next five years”.

“With the clearance rate today, I would say this would have a better chance of selling,” he said. “A lot of the houses for sale near us do look very tired.”

They’ve also invested in styling the home, with Ms Ihmeari leading the interior design process and buying their own furniture that they will use in their next home.

The five-bedroom house has been listed for sale with a $1.6m-$1.76m asking price.

Abe Ihmeari and wife Mimi, daughters Hazzel 10, Mazell, 8 and Nekita, 22 have competed their reno in time for spring selling season. Picture: David Caird

Ray White Point Cook’s Amar Thakkar said the property had so far attracted about 45 prospective buyers, but homes in a similar price bracket where the owners hadn’t invested in preparing for sale were only getting 10-12.

“The better the house presents, and the higher the traffic coming through, then naturally you end up with a better result,” he said.

20 things to spend on for a spring sale refresh, and what to expect to pay

■ Commercial cleaning: $30 an hour

■ Replacing guttering: $60-$70 an hour, plus materials

■ Rendering: $45-$80 a sq m

■ Plaster repairs: $45-$90 a sq m

■ Fencing: $75-120 a sq m

■ Resurfacing a driveway: $35-$150 a sq m

■ Window repairs: $50-$150 an hour

■ Colour consultation: $85- $175 an hour

■ Floating floorboard installation: $55-$235 a sq m

■ Replacing kitchen splashback: $45-$250 a sq m

■ Blinds: $20-$400 per window (not including labour)

■ Add a metal pergola: $185-$700 a sq m

■ Adding a deck: $200-$1000 a sq m

■ Adding home security: $150-$2800

■ Adding home automation: $3000-$15,000

■ Interior painting: $20-30 a sq m ($2500-$3500 for a two-bedroom unit)

■ Installing a double carport: $1400-$6000 (plus planning)

■ Landscape architect-led garden refresh: $2500-$6000

■ Exterior painting: $12-$60

a sq m ($5500-$20,000 for a double-storey house)

■ Kitchen renovations: $10,000-$45,000 ($2000-$14,000 for a flat pack)

Source: hipages cost guides, based on national averages

Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.

MORE: Dubai-style Melb home decked out with $50k+ crystal inside

Coastal ‘top of the town’ house rebuilt after bushfire

Isla Fisher’s post-divorce setback

Originally published as Spring pickings: 20 things that home sellers should spend on to improve their home this selling season