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Renovators beware: 7 top buyer turn-offs that are easily fixed

May 16, 2017 Leave a Comment

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From asbestos to wallpaper, mould and landscaping issues, there are so many things that can dissuade people from purchasing a property. Therefore, it’s imperative that you don’t present a job half done. There’s often no point in completing a partial renovation if the rest of the property is a turn off to potential buyers.

 7 top buyer turn-offs that are easily fixedImage source: Bathroom designer

7 top buyer turn-offs that are easily fixed

 – Asbestos – Commonly found in the walls and ceilings of properties built prior to the 1980’s and 1990’s, asbestos has since been banned in Australia due to the health hazards it poses when the building material is disturbed. As such, it’s understandable that its presence in a home may deter a potential buyer. However, it’s a problem that can be easily and safely removed from a property by asbestos specialists and trade professionals in a way that will not cause harm to yourself or anyone involved in the process. Obviously, it can then be replaced with safe building materials.

– Mould – Mould can be a huge turn off when purchasing a property, but most mould can be removed. Firstly, find the source of the problem and repair it – reasons for mould and damp walls can be poor ventilation or damaged plumbing, to name a couple. If poor ventilation is to blame, install an exhaust fan, or if leaky pipes are the culprit, call a plumber to repair them. In addition, there are numerous products on the market that kill mould which is an important step. If the mould is simply cleaned up, it will reappear time and time again, no matter if there is a water issue or not.

– Wallpaper – Wallpaper can be considered a nightmare by potential buyers, but there are a couple of easy ways you can update or remove it. If you want to save the existing wallpaper, firstly check that there is no damage to it like tears or bubbling. Alternatively, if the paper itself isn’t heavily textured (as in a flocked or velvet finish) you can often just paint right over it. However, if removal is the only option there are two popular and effective ways to do so – one involves chemicals and the other steam. Using a stripper chemical can disintegrate the wallpaper which allows you to peel or scrape away the remaining wallpaper from the wall. Using a steamer loosens the glue underneath the wallpaper, allowing you to pull the rolls of wallpaper from the walls as you steam. These methods are usually two man jobs, and you should be super cautious about your safety!

– Messy landscaping – If your home has an overgrown, messy garden, this can be an easy fix – while there might be some hard work involved, the outcome is usually glorious. Strip back, hedge, prune and mow to get the yard in order. You will be amazed at the results of what a little “green decluttering” on the exterior can do. Your property can often look brand new!

– Too many bedrooms – It’s tough to imagine this could ever be a problem but some people are put off by the presence of too many bedrooms. Firstly, you must ask yourself – does your home feel out of proportion? This is a common problem for a lot of properties, especially when there are too many bedrooms and not enough living spaces. Make sure to look over the floorplan of the property – make note of how many bedrooms there are versus how many lounge spaces and bathrooms. Can you knock down a bedroom wall to create another lounge room? Can you convert a smaller bedroom into another bathroom or add an ensuite onto the master bedroom? Floorplan changes like this can make your property a lot more desirable to potential buyers.

 – Not enough bedrooms – Conversely, do you feel that there are not enough bedrooms to appeal to prospective buyers? Look at the floorplan and consider where you may be able to steal space from to create another bedroom. Do you have an overly large living area that you can steal from or a bedroom that is far too large?

– Dated kitchens and bathrooms – These are a massive turn-off for most people but they can be quite easy to modify. We have all seen the pastel pink and green baths, avocado green kitchen appliances, orange pine doors and brightly coloured splashbacks of the past. However, these things shouldn’t be an issue as gaudy colours can be fixed. There are numerous paint products on the market that are created especially for tiles, acrylic surfaces, laminates and benchtops and they come in whites and other neutral colours. For items like your toilets, basins, tapware and kitchen appliances, affordable replacements can be found in the marketplace too. These methods will instantly update a colourful kitchen or bathroom.

Naomi Findlay is one of our resident experts, principal of Silk Home and founder of the International Institute of Home Staging. Find out more about Naomi.

You can check out more of Naomi’s posts here

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Before & after: Renovating a kitchen while keeping Before & after: Renovating a kitchen while keeping ALL the character!

What a great example this is by @huntingforgeorge 

See all the details, and the laundry, on the blog now, via link in bio.
The patient has very much bounced back! Letterbox The patient has very much bounced back!

Letterbox kinder egg deliveries from a friend, dressing changes without a flinch and refusing to nap despite all the bribes (check the face on him in pic 3!).

Thanks for all your care and messages/comments for this tired and shaken up mama! Now very relieved and grateful 🙏
Before & after It's not just the award winning de Before & after

It's not just the award winning designer houses that get us excited here. It's also the beloved family homes which are renovated and extended to make them fit for purpose so people can continue to live where they love 🤗

@inspiredspacesaus helped her clients with teenage kids transform this house in Sydney's Hills District inside and out, making it their forever home. 

Due to the nature of the block they could only extend sideways and then gave it street appeal with render, new windows and doors.

See inside on the blog now, via link in bio. It was completely overhauled!
Charlie doesn't recommend running head first into Charlie doesn't recommend running head first into tiled steps 🤕

Oh what a night. Thankfully Hornsby Hospital were as amazing as always and we avoided stitches. All taped and glued  back together and now to keep him calm for the next few days (🤪) and watch for signs of concussion. 

Bravest little patient ever. Yes I've had a 🍷

Funny how we go into super organised mama mode in times like these. Grabbed dinosaurs, textas and scrapbook on the way out in case we had a long wait!

UPDATE: thanks for all the love! Charlie is so well this morning after a big sleep!
Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressi Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressive!

The new @studio.xox ONLY sells Australian brands. Like @nood_co coloured basins, lead-free eco brass from @faucetstrommen and @lindseywherrett's  ceramic basins made by hand in Tassie.

And as for their Sydney showroom (they also sell online): WOW.

See and read more on the blog now via link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop
#creatingbeautifulspaces #homestylingdesign
#designbywomen #homestylingtips #sydneycreatives
#homestylingsydney #interiorstyling #interiordesignsydney
#everydaydesign #interiortrends #renovationinspiration
#homedesigninspo #lovemyhome #stylingdetails
#loveinteriors #homeimprovements #interiordesignaustralia
#dreamhomeinspiration #homemakeover #personaldesign
#interiordesignaus #creatingbeautifulspaces
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#interiorinspiration #myhomedesign
I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new @madeinaustshow in Sydney this August.

🦘🐨Forget every tacky association you ever had about touristy Australian made and prepare to see a showcase of the best of home, lifestyle, fashion and beauty made right here. If the pandemic has made you appreciate buying local even more, this is for you.

It's the first business to business trade event connecting retailers with Australian made products to champion our local makers🙏

Apply to exhibit or find out more at their website, via their bio, now!

Are YOU buying more Australian made post covid?

#madeinaustralia #australianmade #aussiemade #aussiedesign
Do I recommend a timber vanity top? A big fat NOP Do I recommend a timber vanity top?

A big fat NOPE! 💧 

Which is why we have recently covered ours with a Caesarstone top (thanks to @justinplace_sydney for the advice and supply) and the sweet RELIEF of not having to worry about this high traffic area anymore, I'm telling you!🤗

Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

Ours probably lasted a year (if that) before it started to go downhill (and we want a good decade out of a bathroom, right?!). 2.5 years on, everything else in this bathroom looks virtually brand new and the water marked vanity top was really letting the side down and making me sad!

But I'm so pleased with this solution, I have to say! Took the plumber less than an hour to remove the sink, install the top and connect the sink back up. We didn't need to move the tap and it isn't too close to the basin.

The kids are allowed to brush their teeth and wash their hands (liquid soap 🥴) in here again and I can leave my hair straightener on there with gay abandon 😆

The reflective surface (which I can clean with whatever I like!💪🏻) brightens the room up too!

Next week I'll tell you what I really think of my brass tile trim too 😉

#interiorsaddictbathroomreno2 #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #timbervanity
Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

✔️ I'm English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008😆 

✔️ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. 🛁 

✔️ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) 📓 

✔️ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London 🚔 

✔️I had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife 😁

✔️ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK ❤️ 🇬🇧 

✔️ At school, my favourite subject was French 🇫🇷 and I was head girl 🤓🤓

✔️ I'm addicted to ☕️ , long hot baths and💄 (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

✔️ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message 😁

✔️ My favourite cuisine is Japanese 🍣 🍜 and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

✔️ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

✔️ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or🍷 

✔️ Cheesy as it sounds, 💁‍♀️being a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life 🧒👦

✔️ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view 📖 

✔️ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

✔️ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker 😯 🅿️

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better 😘

📸 @vanlowvanlow
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Visit Jen's profile on Pinterest.

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About Naomi Foxall

Naomi Foxall is a freelance writer, content and social media manager, living on the NSW South Coast.

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