Should you renovate your property before selling it?

Opinions are divided, here is our advice

Many homeowners wonder whether work is necessary for a property sale project in order to increase the value of their property.

But what is really the case? What work should be done? What will help your property increase in value? What work will help you sell faster?

First of all, we advise you not to undertake any major works before selling your property, as potential buyers and future owners will probably make alterations to suit their own tastes. It is therefore unnecessary to incur costs in major works, which may not please the future owners.

We advise you to refresh your home and bring it up to standard before selling it. Of course, you can decide to sell your property as is, but there must be a logic in the selling price, which cannot be equal to the price of the same property renovated.


Here are some things you can work on before selling your property.

A refreshment of the dwelling

First of all, we advise you to give your home a new look. For this, 2 steps are essential:

A big clean-up

A thorough cleaning of your home will bring freshness and lightness during visits. It is easier to attract buyers with a home that looks clean and tidy. The first impression is essential to be able to project yourself into a property. Cleaning your property also means de-cluttering and tidying it to air out the spaces.

The paint

A fresh coat of paint will give the house a new look. New and clean paint also contributes to the first impression visitors have of the house. Repainting the walls is not very expensive and is easy to do, although it does take some time. We advise you to use a nice white paint or a fairly neutral colour to bring light into the rooms. Do not choose a colour that is too strong to help potential buyers in their buying decision.

Bringing electricity up to standard

Bringing the electrical installation up to standard is a very important point before selling your property, as without a compliant electrical installation, the price of your home may fall. At the time of sale, property diagnoses must be provided to constitute the sale file. Among these compulsory diagnoses, we find the diagnosis of the electrical installations. We therefore advise you to carry out an electrical update before selling your property.

Housing insulation

Replacing windows is an expense that may seem high, but think again. This expense will add considerable value to your home and thus increase its price. Nuisance can be a repulsive criterion for potential buyers. The other significant advantage of having your windows replaced is the energy performance of the property, which is mandatory in a property advertisement. The installation of double glazing is an interesting investment to improve the DPE (Diagnosis of Energy Performance) score.

Possible rooms to renovate

The bathroom or the kitchen are often rooms that need to be renovated. These are the two most decisive rooms for a sale. However, these are quite costly works.
We advise you to give these rooms a fresh look with paint on the kitchen furniture for example, as a colour that is too old or too marked is a hindrance to pleasing potential buyers. Other details can be improved without incurring too many costs, such as repairing seals or changing door handles.

Our final tip

If you have an exterior, a terrace or a balcony, remember to show it off before viewings. It is a considerable asset for buyers, so it would be a shame to neglect it.

To conclude, here are the important points to remember

- Give priority to energy work
- Refresh your home
- Don't forget the exterior

And for more extensive work, we advise you to provide estimates in order to be transparent with future buyers and to give them confidence in the amount of work to be carried out. This will also avoid any unreasonable negotiations on the sale price.

To avoid incurring unnecessary costs in renovating your home, you should work with an estate agent who can guide you through the necessary work before selling your property.