What Actually Makes Buyers Pay More for your home — Lessons from Selling in the East Coast Bays

There's a conversation I have with almost every seller before we go to market. It usually starts the same way: "We were thinking of renovating before we sell."

And almost every time, my answer is the same: don't. Not because presentation doesn't matter — it absolutely does. But because there's a difference between spending smart and spending big, and in my experience, most sellers get that line wrong. They pour money into a full kitchen reno or a bathroom gut-out when what buyers actually respond to is something much simpler — and much cheaper.

Let me explain what I mean, and I'll use a real example to show you how this plays out.

The Albany Campaign That Changed for $150,000

Late last year I listed a 1990s home in Albany. The sellers came to me with a plan: renovate the kitchen, redo the bathrooms, and essentially present a "new" home to the market. On paper, it made sense to them — spend $60–80k, get a better price.

I talked them out of it.

The kitchen and bathrooms were dated, sure, but they were clean, functional, and liveable. Buyers on the North Shore know how to look past a benchtop they'll eventually replace. What they struggle to look past is a home that feels dark, closed-in, or tired.

So instead of renovating, I focused on three things:

We opened the home up. Old built-in cupboards in the lounge were removed, instantly making the living space feel bigger and more connected. The home had an elevated position with good natural light — but you'd never have known it with those cupboards boxing the room in. Once they were gone, the whole feel of the house shifted.

We refreshed the surfaces. Fresh paint throughout, new flooring in the living areas. Not expensive materials — just clean, modern, and neutral. The kind of finish that says "move in tomorrow" without pretending the home is something it isn't.

I highlighted the potential beyond the four walls. The outdoor flow was styled to show how the section could be used — entertaining, kids, space to breathe. I wasn't selling what was there today. I was helping buyers see what their life could look like in that home.

The result? Multiple bidders at auction. The property passed in — but within days I had multiple written offers and negotiated a final sale price $150,000 above where the auction had stalled.

No new kitchen. No new bathrooms. Smart presentation, honest staging, and a campaign that let the home speak for itself.

What We See Sellers in the East Coast Bays Getting Wrong

The East Coast Bays has a particular housing stock — a lot of 1960s to 1990s homes on good-sized sections, many with views or elevated positions, and most with layouts that reflect the era they were built in. I walk through these homes every week, and the pattern I see most often is sellers over-capitalising on renovations that don't move the needle.

Here's what we mean:

A $30,000 kitchen renovation doesn't add $30,000 to your sale price. In most cases, it adds far less — and in some cases, the buyer rips it out anyway because they want their own design. What does move the price is a kitchen that's clean, bright, and doesn't distract. If the bones are good, a deep clean, fresh handles, and clear benchtops will do more than new cabinetry.

Buyers in this market buy potential, not perfection. Especially in the Bays, where land value and position drive pricing. A buyer looking at a 1970s weatherboard on a north-facing site in Murrays Bay isn't expecting a show home — they're imagining what they'll build over the next five years. Your job isn't to finish that vision for them. It's to remove the barriers that stop them from seeing it.

The outdoor space is where open homes are won and lost. In my experience, the moment a buyer steps onto a well-presented deck or looks out at a section that's been tidied, mowed, and thoughtfully arranged, the emotional connection clicks. The Bays lifestyle is about indoor-outdoor flow, coastal proximity, and space. If your outdoor areas feel neglected, you're hiding your biggest asset.

The Three Things I Focus On at Every Pre-Market Home Walkthrough

Before any listing goes live, I walk through the home and focus on the details that consistently make the difference:

Light. Open every curtain, clean every window, and if a room is naturally dark, address it with lamps or lighter furnishings. Buyers equate light with space, and space with value.

Flow. Can you move through the home naturally? Or does furniture block doorways, corridors feel tight, and rooms feel disconnected? Sometimes moving one couch or removing a hallway table completely changes how a home feels to walk through.

The story the home tells. Every room should have a clear purpose. A spare bedroom with a desk and a reading chair says "home office." A sunny corner with a blanket and a side table says "this is where you'll have your morning coffee." Buyers don't just inspect — they imagine. My job is to make sure what they imagine is the right thing.

This is also where working with Charlotte pays off — she has a sharp eye for styling and presentation, and between the two of us, nothing gets missed before an open home.

The Honest Truth About Presentation

There's a reason I don't give sellers a generic checklist and say "good luck." Every home is different, and what works for a 1990s plaster home in Albany is different from what works for a 1970s brick-and-tile in Rothesay Bay or a renovated bungalow in Murrays Bay.

The common thread is this: spend on what changes how the home feels, not on what changes how the home looks on a spec sheet. Paint, flooring, decluttering, outdoor styling, and smart furniture arrangement will almost always deliver a better return than structural renovations done in haste before a campaign.

And if you're unsure where the line is — that's exactly the conversation we want to have with you before anything else happens.

Thinking about selling in the East Coast Bays? We'll walk through your home and tell you exactly what's worth doing — and what's not — before you spend a dollar. No obligation, just straight advice.

Get in touch today →