Holiday home renovations could add big money to your home’s value this Christmas.
A DIY Christmas home reno could be Aussie homeowners’ ticket to gifting their home a $30,000-$50,000 value boost.
For most of us, it could be like getting half a year’s extra pay from one or two weeks when most of the rest of the country is gorging on seafood.
Interior design specialists and professional homebuyers who add value to purchases with quick renovations have revealed a week or two off over summer is more than enough time to do a handful of updates that don’t require professional help — and won’t cost “an arm and a leg”.
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THE INTERIOR DESIGNER
Kurved by Design director Kellie Richardson said with many Australians staying home to get things done around Christmas, putting in a bit more effort with a small overhaul to some key features could make that time profitable.
Ms Richardson said the goal was to create a scenario where prospective buyers considering your home against others that still needed work would be more inclined to compete for yours.
“They will be assessing a home that’s had no updates against those that have had some updates, and that look cared for,” she said.
Kellie Richardson from Kurved by Design says a mini reno could be your ticket to a big summer holiday windfall.
Before tackling any projects, the interior design guru recommended watching some YouTube videos to confirm it was a job you felt comfortable you had the skill set to tackle.
“A lot of people are looking at getting the paints and doing it themselves, with YouTube videos on how to do your own home renos,” she said.
“You can save a lot of time and money and it’s better in your down time than someone else getting paid for it.
“But don’t bite off more than you can chew.”
Noting that even little things could add value to most homes, her top suggestion was a “mini-bathroom reno”.
“A lot of people are over the silver and the chrome,” Ms Richardson said.
Replacing towel rails, toilet roll holders and even the taps for those who were more confident around a set of tools, could be fast projects that would quickly change how a bathroom looks.
While replacing tiles was best left to the professionals, painting or regrouting them could be quite straight forward and instantly give the room a lift.
Replacing tapware could be within reach for some handier Australians, and an easy way to change how your bathroom looks.
For homes with a tiled splashback in the kitchen, that was also an option.
“And they are simple things that can brighten up that area of the home,” Ms Richardson said.
The easiest way for a homeowner to add some value quickly and without needing a professional is refreshing the paint — and if you haven’t done your place in the past seven years, you’re overdue, she said.
“A drum of paint is a couple of hundred dollars, and it’s amazing how far it goes,” Ms Richardson said.
“And a lot of the paint now comes with self primers, and you only have to buy one tin.”
She suggested picking a white and crisp colour, that will provide a neutral backdrop for where windows look out to your gardens — something she also advised spending a bit of time on this summer.
Painting your home is a great way to make it stand out to buyers and add value, but it’s best to keep it simple with a crisp, white look.
The interior designer said even the basic updates she had suggested could add as much as $30,000-$50,000 — depending what sort of housing market your home was part of.
But with emergency call outs around the holidays likely to be quite expensive, she said to stay away from anything that needs a plumber or electrician.
THE PROFESSIONAL HOMEBUYER
Advantage Property Consulting boss Frank Valentic said with building costs up, most of his clients were opting for low-cost renovations that could make it look like you’d done an expensive one.
In most cases, a lot of this work can be done by enthusiastic amateurs in a week or two.
“At this time of year it’s about tackling the easy cosmetic jobs that don’t cost an arm and a leg – and they can add lots of value,” Mr Valentic said.
The experienced property flipper routinely arranges for entire apartment complexes to be overhauled for quick value upgrades, and has appeared as a buyer’s agent in numerous seasons of The Block.
Advantage Property Consulting boss Frank Valentic says home renovations don’t have to cost an arm and a leg.
He said he’d learned to stay away from the electrical and plumbing aspects of bathrooms and kitchens without professionals lined up.
“Rooms to focus on are the non-wet areas, so that’s bedrooms, lounge rooms and living areas,” Mr Valentic said.
“And they can be quite easy to make a marked difference to.”
One of the fastest ways to refresh and add value to a home was updating the floors, and while this would usually require a professional, installing new carpets or even floating floors could be done in a day or so – depending on the size of your home.
Larger chains might also have staff working right up to the public holidays around Christmas and quickly after.
“But a coat of paint, most people can do themselves,” Mr Valentic said.
Rather than plotting a feature wall, he advised a neutral scheme and then using your home’s styling to add colour and personality.
Melbourne’s Abe Ihmeari and wife Mimi, as well as their daughters Hazzel 10, Mazell, 8 and Nekita, 22, replaced carpets and repainted before selling their home. Picture: David Caird.
He advocated replacing door and cupboard handles, repainting bathroom and kitchen tiles, and even window furnishings such as blinds and curtains.
“Handy people can probably do all that themselves,” Mr Valentic said.
Those worried about their skills could probably get a handy person around if they have one in the family or friend group.
For those who don’t, calling a local real estate agent and telling them you’re considering selling next year and looking for some advice on summer updates could get you valuable tips on where to focus your energy, as well as contacts for handy persons in your area.
If your place needs more work, getting a builder or renovation company around could get you a good sense of when they would be available in the new year — and maybe even some nuggets of advice for summer jobs you could tackle yourself.
Mr Valentic said cleaning out and replanting tired or overgrown gardens could also go a long way to making a home look more presentable — making buyers more willing to compete.
“If you put some mulch down and some shrubs, that can make a massive difference,” he said.
A garden clean out can go a loong way to helping your home sell out, while fresh mulch can add serious aesthetic appeal. Picture: iStock.
For those wanting to go a bit further without spending big on a renovation, replacing a kitchen bench or bathroom surfaces could often be handled by a handy person and a relatively cheap way to add serious value.
“These are the areas that have the most impact in helping to sell a property,” Mr Valentic said.
Noting most of these jobs could be done for a few thousand dollars, he said spending $10,000 could go a long way towards refreshing a home and net a return from $30,000-$40,000.
“These are cosmetic things, but will make it look your home look a lot more renovated than it actually is,” Mr Valentic said.
YOUR FESTIVE RENO SCHEDULE
December 27:
Start cleaning out the garden in the front and back yards, as well as plotting any new additions. This could probably get done in a day or two – but it’s hot at this time of year and it’s hard work. Better to spread it out over the week. If your property is big enough, this counts as cardio – so you can blow off a trip to the gym.
December 28:
A lot of real estate agents will go the extra mile, even a few days after Christmas. Get one around to give some advice on what renovations your place needs to really sell well.
If your walls and ceiling need it, clean or sand them back a bit so you can get on with painting later in the week.
December 29:
Head to Bunnings, most don’t have a sausage sizzle on a Monday — so factor in a lunch break elsewhere. When you get home, check what you’ve bought is the right fit for your plans, start putting in your masking tape and drop sheets so you can get going with painting in the morning.
December 30:
Start painting, replacing grout, etc … early. If it’s going to be hot, you want your work in place, drying, before you start dripping with sweat.
December 31:
Buy a bunch of good beers, ciders or bottles of wine to take along wherever you’re going for New Year’s Eve. This isn’t genorisity. It’s bribery. You’re going to ply the best tradies and handy people at the event with them, and extort a promise that they’ll help you with a quick job or two on the weekend. Promise them a barbecue and a slab or bottle of wine for their efforts (note, this is far cheaper than even mates rates for a tradie these days).
Don’t forget to take some time to celebrate 2025, after all that’s when you made the decision to tackle this renovation and set future you up for a prosperous 2026.
January 1:
Sleep in. Then put a second coat of paint up to ensure your home update really looks fresh.
Maybe do a bit more work on the garden and spread some fresh mulch around. Note: if you have neighbours who are into amateur fireworks, don’t put the mulch out before New Year’s Eve. Don’t leave any dry garden refuse in exposed piles, either.
January 2:
Really sink some time into the garden and tackle any of the project work that involves power tools. Neighbours will have a lot more good will towards your plans to be a better homeowner in 2026 today, than they will if you have the drill or power saw going at 7am on New Year’s Day. Ensure your barbecue is clean for tomorrow.
January 3:
Make sure you’ve got something good for the barbecue. A steak will get a lot more hard work from your mate, cousin, in-law or that random who wore a tool belt to the New Year’s gathering you were at, than a couple of sausages in bread.
When they get there, tell them you need to get the new kitchen and bathroom benchtops installed before you can serve up lunch. If they’re reluctant, move a tablecloth that’s currently covering their slab.
January 4:
Finish up in the garden. Add a few new plants, spread some mulch around any flower beds, and trim some of the existing greenery back if there’s still room in your green waste bin.
Expect a follow up call from the real estate agent who was around last weekend, they’re persistent and will probably want you to look at listing late in January or early February.
Resist. For most cities, PropTrack data shows you will get the best result for your home if you sell in March.
Source: Advantage Property’s Frank Valentic, Kurved by Design’s Kellie Richardson.
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