Junior Investor

2. Mid-range budget

House façade and exterior paint

Fresh paint in keeping with your existing colour palette gives you an instant value boost but without the full price tag. One topcoat, along with a tidy-up of any obvious wear, will reduce the perceived cost of maintenance. This is something a potential buyer will factor into their offer. A professional touch-up costs around NZ$4000 or, if you do it yourself, NZ$500 for paint and brushes. Don’t forget to replace the dented or rusty letterbox and take note of the garage door’s condition. If it’s scratched or mouldy, consider a topcoat of paint, oil, or stain to make it look brand-new again.

Garden and lawns

Find a gardener via Builder’s Crack or on a student job search website. Usually, NZ$300 to NZ$400 a day is the going rate for weeding, pruning and a general tidy, plus disposal of any waste.

Install or update outdoor light fittings

Install appropriate feature lighting for entertainment areas or put LED downlights into the soffits to light a side path. Accent lighting creates an impressive ambience and will turn a nondescript back deck into a destination when you host guests. You’ll be looking at anywhere from N$50 to NZ$200 per fixture, plus an electrician’s labour at NZ$80 plus GST an hour. Complete the look with outdoor furniture.

Create a seating area

If you’re selling, enlist the help of a home stager to rent you outdoor furniture at a fraction of the cost of buying it. This will evoke emotion, where a potential buyer or tenant begins visually fitting their own furniture into the spaces. Staging costs NZ$1000-NZ$4000 for up to four-week rental.

3. Extravagant

Full house repaint

A professional repaint has two benefits. • A fresh seal of paint will protect the house from the seasonal elements. • It adds substantial perceived value because a new paint job will last for up to 10 years. Choose a colour palette in keeping with neighbourhood taste. You don’t want to risk alienating some potential buyers or tenants with an outrageous colour. Allow for NZ$7000 to NZ$15,000 for a professional paint job, including scaffolding, which is a legal health and safety requirement. However, after the house is freshly painted, prepare to start noticing lesser maintained features which suddenly appear more jaded. This is called the ‘Diderot Effect’. So, set aside NZ$5000 to NZ$10,000 in the budget for supporting maintenance, depending on what may stand out.

Replace or re-oil cladding

If your house has timber cladding, over the years it will have faded and weathered. Consider a reclad of the worn materials. Or a more cost-effective option would be to re-oil or re-stain the timber.

Landscape architect

A professional will deliver the maximum manicured effect and give balance to the overall streetscape. If you want to make a splash, employ a landscape architect to plan a flowering rotation through the seasons. If you’re building, keep aside a NZ$50,000 to NZ$100,000 budget for landscaping, including plants. This will pay itself back on valuation day.

Water feature or a centrepiece

If there’s no constraint to your budget, a floating overbridge or a centrepiece water feature adds allure to an entrance. A bespoke outdoor lighting plan by a qualified electrician will transform the house after dark, too.