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Alisa and Lysandra’s top tips for adding value to your sale

October 16, 2015 Leave a Comment

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Renovating your property and preparing it for a sale means you want to add maximum value for the least amount of money. And whilst we’re all familiar with the usual makeover tips, we go a little further, revealing not only what to do but also how to do it so you can get bang for your buck!

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Not just a lick of paint but the right colour

We’ve heard it many times over; a lick of paint will do wonders for your makeover. Indeed it will but it is important to know what hues to use to maximise the aesthetic potential of your property.

For exteriors we recommend dark hues because they hide imperfections and can accentuate the architectural appeal of your home. A 1950s oval tin shed that would normally need replacing can look remarkably beautiful painted in a dark exterior colour. For a fresh, contrasting look complete it by replacing old worn out doors and windows with new white ones, and you’ve just saved yourself the cost of a new shed!

Create the illusion of space

For a few hundred dollars, you could be adding thousands to your sale price by knocking down a non-structural wall. Buyers are looking for open, airy spaces and open plan living is on the top of their agenda and lifestyle. Can you knock down the wall that’s joining the living room and the tiny kitchen? Great, go ahead and do it and you’ll reap the rewards at sale time.

Landscaping tips and tricks

Backyard
Credit: CVG Finance

A good clean up of the garden is a given, but a good prune is something most sellers don’t pay attention to. How do you feel when you get your haircut? Exactly our point!

We recommend pruning your trees and plants and giving them a generous ‘haircut’ at least eight weeks before sale time. This will not only aid your garden clean up but will help promote new growth just in time for your sale, making everything look vibrant and lush. Selling in a hurry? Get rid of any leggy growth or dead wood and tip prune your plants for an equally effective result.

Front door appeal 

Much like dating, first impressions count and you’ll have potential buyers saying: “You had me at hello!” if you put a little more love and attention into your front door area.

Start by eliminating any clutter from your entrance to allow the energy to flow through your front door (this is a feng shui must). Make sure your front door is functional and in perfect working order. Rust on screen doors is a turn off for buyers and so are wooden doors that have had extended exposure to harsh elements like sand, wind and sun.

Repair or and repaint immediately and why not have some fun updating your front door with a fresh new colour. For as little as $80 and an afternoon’s labour you could be adding a few thousand dollars to your sale price.

Add the shiny things

IMG_6108

Let’s face it, people are like magpies; they are attracted to shiny things!

Add some affordable bling to your home by replacing your old worn out taps with shiny, new chrome ones. Replace a plain tiled feature wall with contemporary tiles that offer textural reflection and lustre. Light switch panels can tend to go yellow over time, replace them with new ones or even opt for a completely new and contemporary light switch panel. Adding large inexpensive mirrors to bring in the light will also amplify your interiors. Finally, finish off by styling your property with luxe accessories which you can take with you after the sale, like copper, mirror, glass or chrome vases, trays and floor lamps.

Change buyers’ perceived value of your property 

Small cracks, dents and damages that you think may not be noticed can in fact play a major role at sale time. As your potential buyers inspect the property these insignificant imperfections, although not major, can still be noticed subconsciously therefore shaping any buyers’ perceived value of what your property is worth. Attention to detail is a must, so make sure that during the makeover you inspect your property with fresh eyes just like your buyer will.

Flooring rule: less is more

With flooring always remember that less is more. Strip back that aged carpet to reveal the natural wooden floor boards underneath; not only will it freshen up your interiors but it will also create the illusion of space by having one type of flooring seamlessly featured throughout the entire home. If you are replacing your flooring opt for simple floorboards, or carpet (if you must). Unless it’s a bespoke property with exceptional quality materials, your flooring should never be the showstopper!

Ask a professional 

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For the affordable investment of a consultation session, you can have all the guesswork removed and save hours of laborious planning if you get the advice of a professional. Makeover blind spots are easy to miss, but with a pair of fresh, expert eyes you can be on your way to maximising the value of your property.

Read all Alisa & Lysandra’s articles | Read more about Alisa & Lysandra| Visit their online store.

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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
Blue, green or lilac? 🎨 @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? 🎨 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

“We are very honoured to have been a part of The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,” he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

🙏Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! 🎨 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find 🤗

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
📸 @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old 🤭 N The things that excite me as a 40 year old 🤭

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

✔️ ventilation holes
✔️ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
✔️ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
✔️ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
✔️ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
✔️ compact, sleek, European design
✔️ 10 year warranty
✔️ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so 👌🏻

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
"Living rooms are important spaces where our publi "Living rooms are important spaces where our public and private lives intersect."

So says stylist @nataliewalton in her gorgeous new book Style, the Art of Creating a Beautiful Home.

"They are where we gather to welcome guests and entertain. But they are also where we decompress and relax at the end of the day. Increasingly, they are open-plan spaces and need to work within a greater scheme. Bringing all the elements together cohesively requires care and consideration. And, if you want a space that lives up to its true potential, make it personal and create with conviction."

Read an extract, the chapter on elevating your living room, on the blog today via link in bio.

Published by @thamesandhudsonau Pix by @chriswarnes 

#livingroomdesigns #nataliewalton #coffeetablebooks #designbooks #interiorsbooks #livingroominteriors #elevateyourspace
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About Olivia Shead

When she's not writing for Interiors Addict, Olivia is now a TV and radio news producer. She's a journalism graduate of UTS Sydney.

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  1. AvatarSandra Ward says

    October 16, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    Such sound and sensible advice. Thanks ladies.

    Reply

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