Selling? How to unlock up to $40k in extra home value with easy DIY
Investors looking to sell their property can add an extra $30,000 to $40,000 in value by refreshing their home design through easy and inexpensive DIY, an industry expert said.
Interior designer and Kurved by Design founder, Kellie Richardson, said investors looking to sell should review their property design, as it can affect buyers’ perception and extend time on the market.
“Selling your house is stressful, but simple design tricks can hasten the process and increase property value,” Richardson said.
“If you spend a couple of thousand dollars on decorating, wallpapers, and paint throughout the house, it can easily give you $30–40,000 in extra value.”
She said that one of the common design issues in Australian properties, particularly in new builds, is the mismatch between growing house sizes and shrinking land sizes, leading to cramped spaces in areas like bedrooms and lounges.
Additionally, low ceilings and insufficient natural light increase the feeling of small spaces.
“This can create a feeling of being hemmed in.”
“However, there are ways from an interior design point of view to overcome this challenge with clever styling,” Richardson said.
Richardson said easy DIY solutions can improve cramped spaces, including using vertical stripes on walls, maximising natural light, strategically placing mirrors, and opting for lighter furniture with visible legs to create a more open feel.
“Incorporating vertical panelling, wallpaper with subtle vertical stripes or decorative mouldings that extend from the walls to the ceiling helps emphasise height,” Richardson said.
"Doorways and windows can be framed with elongated trims to create a sense of grandeur. If possible, installing taller doors or arched entryways contributes to a more spacious ambiance.”
Additionally, property sellers can use lighting to increase spaces, with Richardson suggesting vertical sconces, upward-facing lamps, and LED strip lights along the ceiling to enhance height and create a floating effect.
Similarly, she said adding mirrors and artwork to the walls can amplify the room’s openness.
“Placing a large mirror opposite a window maximises natural light while also making a room feel more expansive.”
“When hanging wall art, aim for wall art that fills the top half of the wall and hang the art as close to the ceiling as possible to draw the eye upwards,” she said.
Richardson also pointed out that investors can increase their property value by modernising their home through new tapware, kitchen tiles, or a simple coat of paint.
“If you want to have a luxurious feel, definitely stay away from the darker, heavier colours, black furniture, dark woods.
“We are seeing a lot of pastel colours at the moment – light green, blue, pink and some clay-like autumn colours too, but nothing as dark as what we’ve had previously over the years.”
In addition to DYI tricks, Richardson said staging can be another tool to increase properties’ value on the market and lower their selling time.
“We recently had a townhouse that sat unstaged in the market for eight weeks without any buyer’s interest. We staged it, and it was sold the next day.”
“Investors looking to sell should consider easy DYI or staging as it will make more money in the long run than what it costs,” Richardson concluded.