Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa May/ June 2020 | Page 28

IMPROVING
Make renovating
worth
your
while
Improve your property & make it profitable
W
hen selling a home, the ultimate goal is to sell at
the best possible price and make a fortune out
of it and there is only one way of doing that, it is
through renovating. There are certain renovations that can
significantly increase your sale price, these might be a bit
costly on the pocket, but will be a return on investment in
the end.
However, the biggest risk in renovating a property you
are about to list is that you might over-capitalise and make
the property uncompetitive in a specific area.
“Before going forward with any renovations, it is
imperative that you first determine the average selling
price of homes in the area to ensure that after renovations,
your asking price is still within the average range,” says CEO
of Greeff Christie’s International Real Estate, Mike Greeff.
Below are five renovation tips to boost your re-sale value
and keep the asking price competitive to make sure that
that ‘’For Sale’’ sign turns into ‘’Sold!’’.
Kitchen Makeover
The most frequently used and most scrutinised room in
any house is the kitchen and this makes it your number
one priority when renovating. Everyone wants a modern
kitchen so re-doing it will really entice buyers and you are
sure to see the money invested in this room finding its way
back into your pocket, especially if there are top quality
finishes and ample counter space.
“Kitchens are the focal point of almost every home
showing, and an impressive kitchen will almost always
make the difference between an average offer and the
maximum offer,” says Greef.
What to focus on when renovating your kitchen:
Focus on colours and textures when making
upgrades instead of breaking the bank for
appliances.
Upgrade countertops
Paint your cabinet doors or consider replacing the
doors
Consider re-tiling your kitchen for that fresh and
uplifting look
“There's just something about new doors, handles and
stainless-steel appliances that excite people, so making
these minor, somewhat inexpensive changes will make the
world of difference,” says Greeff.
26
MAY/JUNE 2020 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
Bathroom Beauty
Second to the kitchen, the bathroom is the next
commented-upon room in the house. It is expensive to
upgrade but it is a guaranteed return on investment.
If you don’t need to replace any ‘large’ items i.e. bath,
toilet, shower etc. then small features are the way to go. Re-
painting the toilet, bath or basin can also make the world
of difference and could make these items look brand new.
What to focus on when re-doing your bathroom:
A fresh coat of paint can completely transform the
bathroom and it does not have to cost a lot
Adjusting the pressure of the shower
Adding stainless-steel taps will give it a classy,
upmarket look and feel
Re-grout the tiles
Remove and replace silicone around the shower,
bath, and toilet areas
Improving energy efficiency
Because of the world we live in, everyone is becoming
more energy-savvy and we are all trying our best to save
energy where we can. Making your home more energy-
efficient can make a big difference when selling your home
and although it’s costly, it is a certain return on investment.
Greeff says that as the number of energy-efficient homes
continue to rise, first-time buyers and tenants are starting
to favour these upgraded homes over traditional homes
due to the potential long-term savings.
“If you are going to be making energy-efficient
upgrades, make sure that your real estate agent markets
your home to highlight this and if you’re comfortable, ask
your real estate agent to show potential buyers copies of
your utility bills so they can see how much less they will be
paying.”
How to make your home more energy-efficient:
Ceiling insulation
By using ceiling insulation, you will reduce the energy
needed to keep your home at a comfortable temperature.
Additionally, you are helping to eradicate the largest
contributor to global warning and it’s a return on
investment, a win-win situation.
Geyser blankets
Lighting systems i.e *LED’s or *CFL’s
CFL - Compact fluorescent lamps can reduce

power consumption by up to 75%
LED: These are the latest saving energy light globes
and they last up to 100 times longer than the usual
globes
Solar water heater
Having a solar water heater can drastically reduce
power consumption and will save a large amount
of electricity.
If you cannot install solar heating, consider a heat
pump.
Spruce up your exterior
First impressions are lasting impressions. Ensuring that the
exterior of your home looks good is imperative because it’s
what people see when they first arrive. The key is to create
a lasting impression from the moment people pull up and
the trick to doing that is by enhancing your entrance.
“Improvements to your property are definitely steps in
the right direction and will certainly improve curb-appeal,”
Greeff says.
How to improve the exterior of your home:
Create a designated pathway
It is essential that when you design and build your path
that you get the width correct, more often than not,
pathways can be too narrow so ensure that you leave
enough room for two people to walk side by side.

Various types of pathways:

- Stepping stone walkways

- Flagstone walkways

- Brick walkways

- Gravel walkways
Keep it clear
Trim down overgrown trees and bushes that block
the view of your home and walkways.
Install low-cost, low voltage outdoor lighting. This
not only adds to the safety and security of the
home, but it also adds accent lighting to the house

and can illuminate a pathway.
Replace the hardware
Replace din gy-looking hardware such as the
mailbox, house number and overhead lighting.
These elements work better collectively so instead
of having a mix-and-match aesthetic, rather go for
a similar style and feel.
A fresh coat of paint
Re-painting the interior of the home is a must when
wanting to boost value. Greeff says that ‘’most sellers don’t
realise how much abuse walls take until that fresh coat of
paint has been applied. A new paint job has the potential
to lighten rooms, hide visual defects and can instantly
make a space feel fresh and clean”.
Tips for re-painting your home:
Choose a colour that not only appeals to you, but
to a larger pool of people as well.
Colour suggestions include:

- Gray Owl

- White

- Duck egg

- Pantone’s 2020 Colour: Classic Blue
If you are wanting to boost your home’s value before
listing it, consider the above renovation tips. These are
renovations, that even if you decide not to list, they will
still make your home more liveable and more aesthetically
pleasing.
You can’t go wrong with a kitchen and bathroom
remodel and when talking about top-quality finishes and
additional features, it not won’t only make your home more
enjoyable to live in, but when you do decide to sell, it will
certainly work in your favour.
SOURCE Greeff Christie’s International Real Estate
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine MAY/JUNE 2020
27