Renovate · Stay or Sell
Renovating for Retirement: Stay Comfortably or Sell for More
Not every downsize starts with a move. A targeted renovation can make your home easier to live in for the next 20 years, or lift its sale price before you go.
The key is knowing which of those two goals you are renovating for.
Two Very Different Renovations
Renovate to stay
- Single-level living, wider doors, step-free entries
- Accessible bathrooms and better lighting
- Lower running costs: insulation, solar, efficient heating and cooling
- Less garden and maintenance
Renovate to sell
- Fix what buyers notice first
- Kitchen and bathroom refresh, not a rebuild
- Paint, flooring, lighting and street appeal
- Professional styling for photos and inspections
Mixing the two is where money gets wasted. Features you value for ageing in place may add little to the sale price, and a cosmetic refresh for buyers will not make a home easier to live in.
Floor Plan, Kitchen and Styling
What worked for a growing family may not suit how you, or today’s buyers, want to live. Think about how the home flows: privacy, easy access between indoor and outdoor living, and whether the layout still works.
- Floor plan. Opening up living areas, moving a main bedroom downstairs or adding a deck can change how a home lives.
- Kitchen. Buyers decide in the kitchen more than any other room. A functional, well-styled kitchen sells homes.
- Styling. A professionally styled home photographs better and typically sells for more. We use professional stylists matched to your likely buyer.
- Budget. Spend where the return is highest and get fixed quotes before you start.
Is Renovating the Right Call?
Sometimes the numbers say that renovating is not the best use of your money. If your land has development value, selling to a developer, building a backyard home or subdividing may leave you better off.
Before you renovate, we compare the cost and likely outcome against selling as-is, selling to a developer and building on the block, so you choose the option that leaves the most in your pocket.
Further reading: How to increase the value of your property.
No obligation
Renovate, Sell or Build?
Tell us about your home and your plans. We will help you work out which option makes the most sense, and connect you with trusted trades and stylists.
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