Just 3 Things: The Outside Jobs Worth Doing Before You Sell in Wellington

Just 3 Things, Part 1: The Outside. Next up: Part 2, The Inside →

Presentation can make a huge difference to your property sale price and how quickly your sale happens.

If people could really see the numbers, the difference it makes, and how easy it can be, they'd fall off their chairs.

Welcome to the JUST 3 THINGS series, where we'll give you the plot spoilers and quick wins on a budget.

We've been selling real estate for a hot minute (17 years and over 500 homes sold) but more importantly we've also been vendors ourselves 4 times in the last 3 years as we renovated and sold off our own rental properties. Lots of working bees, and quick visits to hardware and garden shops, some great tunes and an assortment of meat pies!

In this series, we're sharing the practical insights and rules of thumb from this experience that will help you to focus on the right stuff and turn things around easily. They answer the question, 'If I could just pick 3 things, what would they be?'.

Let's start with the outside

1. Add garden 'features'

Here you want to create spaces and add features to make your garden more delightful, inviting and interesting and to show some outdoor living. Sometimes it's creating something out of nothing and other times it's just lifting what's there.

For a hit list of ideas: add pots with colour, table settings (e.g. a small table & two chairs) or perhaps a bench seat, garden beds with edgings to define them, bark and plants (pull out the weeds), flat decking or pavers for a sitting space, trellis screens for privacy (e.g. attached to fences). Save money by shopping the garden centre sales and buying in bulk from suppliers like The Goods Shed! If you want advice and to avoid over capitalising, sing out.

2. Maximise 'light and space'

Cut back or remove any big trees or bushes that are blocking light into your property or eating up the garden space and tidy-up overgrown bits of the section, removing any debris.

3. Waterblast & wash

Waterblasting your paths, decks, fences and driveways and softwashing the house will see off the green or dark staining and bring these back to a nice fresh look.

Does it make a difference?

A client recently sold for over $81,000 over their average expected sale price in 22 days and with multiple offers. Do I have your attention now? Presentation wasn't the only thing they did well but it was a key part of their strategy.

This is a market where experience really matters and all clients start with a unique property preparation plan done for them, to do better than the average.

Want the detail? Read what we spent on our garden before selling and the exterior prep that actually moved the needle.

If you'd like some advice or a chat about the market, or to find out what you can realistically get and how you can get a price up in the range or sell more quickly, drop us an email leonie.snook@harcourts.co.nz or call or text on 027 518 0008. Or check what your home is worth.

We hope this helps you now that the sunny days are here, and brace yourself for the next one as we'll be going inside, with the brutal advice of what to do and not do.

No fuss, no sales pitch, no juniors, just service! Leonie & Steve