Whether you’re ready to sell or have just bought a new property, the chances are a little home improvement is on the agenda.
Recent buyers will know many homes are ready to move into these days but there are always touches you want to add to make the place your own. And those ready to climb the property ladder will be thinking carefully about how they might improve their home at the lowest cost and still maximise their price potential.
While DIY enthusiasts revel in these challenges, most of us want some help, either from the lack of time, skills or interest in wielding a screwdriver, paint brush and nail gun.
When it comes to your biggest asset, it’s a good idea to leave serious upgrades to quality tradespeople who know exactly what they’re doing. But it can be hard to find a tradesperson. tor. There are a lot of general builders out there, but sometimes a five-star finish requires specialist skills. So, I’ve listed a few areas of expertise that you might consider.
Carpenters – Masters of their craft, a great carpenter can make fantastic in-built cabinets, bookshelves and even bathroom vanities with water-resistant woods such as bamboo. The work will be unique and a constant pleasure.
Electricians – Their skills go beyond the norm of installing light-fittings and ensuring supply to your home. They can cable a data network, fire alarms and audio-visual equipment for a home theatre.
Lighting consultant – Allied to the work of an electrician, a light consultant can make your home come alive with lighting solutions that you might never have considered. When it comes to selling your home, stylish lighting is a winner.
Plasterers – Never accept anything less than an expert in this field. They’ll not only do the job right but take half the time of a mere mortal and ensure your walls are smooth and flawless.
Painters – This is probably the task most of us think we can do ourselves. If so, you’ll need the patience of a saint. All that cutting-in work can be a killer. New gyprock walls can take three even four coats, and still need more. If you’re planning to do the exterior, be careful up that ladder. If you are going to wield a brush, don’t be a cheapskate with the paint. Cheap paint will double your work.
Tilers – It’s easy to think you can do this job, too, with a little time and application. The technique seems so easy, especially with those plastic spacers to keep everything straight. Maybe you can do this yourself, but expert tilers can take on complex jobs that will add value to your home. They’ll offer amazing ideas for how to tackle a particular challenge and get the job in a fraction of the time.
Roofers – Got a leak? Don’t spend your weekends asking unanswerable questions up a ladder about how the water gets in. Please leave it to experts who see these problems every day, not twice in a lifetime.
Landscapers – These guys are not gardeners, of course. Their value is creating a vision for your garden, not just trimming a hedge or mowing the law. A great landscaper will offer not just a design but the plants that will turn the plan into a luscious reality.
Concreters – Their skills vary enormously from laying a polished concrete floor complete with under-floor heating and delivering unique kitchen benchtops to creating a driveway that won’t crack or wear for years to come.
Flooring experts – Please, don’t try this unless you know what you’re doing! Laying Linoleum is possibly one of the most frustrating tasks imaginable. There’ll likely be glue everywhere, bubbles in the floor, edges that aren’t quite flush to the corners – the list goes on. Whether you want vinyl, carpet, a floating floor or a quality hardwood timber for your flooring, get the experts to install it.
Of course, there are a lot more specialists who can help you, such as a mason, ironworker, and glazer, but I’m sure you’ve got the point by now.
If you’re about to undertake home improvements but are wondering where to start, our property management team uses trusted local tradespeople and may be able to make some recommendations.