By Ben Hennessy (HENNESSY REAL ESTATE)

With a sunny weekend behind us of mid-to late 20 degrees, the promise of spring is just around the corner.

While the current cool snap is a reminder that winter isn’t quite done with us yet, we can all eagerly anticipate the warmth of coming spring days, truly a beautiful time of year in our region.

The rain, welcomed by most, is well timed for the winter crops and a great top up for the moisture profile as we head into planting season for the summer crops.

As we say goodbye to winter, spring is once again a wonderful reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.

Our very landscape seems to be shrugging off the drab clothes of winter and embracing the colour, vibrance and new growth of spring, and with it our spirits are lifted.

Spring is also the time of plans and projects.

Perhaps one of the unexpected ‘silver linings’ of the current situation is the extra time that we now have on our hands.

Time is the most precious of all commodities, no amount of money ever bought another second of time, and it is something we usually comment that we have so little of.

So how have you been using your extra time?

We all know the cliché that a builder’s home is never finished.

So I had to applaud as I drove past a great local builder who was finally getting around to building a picket fence for his beautiful home.

Perhaps an unexpected spin off from the extra time now available for jobs around the house!

Great job mate.

So while the variety of uses of our time may have been curtailed, there are still many worthwhile plans and projects to sink our teeth into this spring.

There is nothing quite like a lockdown to remind us of the time-honoured truth that home truly is where the heart is.

So how have you been improving your home?

We would love to hear your stories – so post your best ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots on Facebook (tag Hennessy Real Estate) or Instagram (#hennessyrealestate) and the winners will get a $500 voucher at Mrs Hath’s Nursery, winners announced on September 16 so get cracking!

Traditionally, the spring selling season has been a favourable one for the real estate market, with many property sales occurring during this time.

So if you have been thinking about selling, then the months ahead are undoubtably a great time of year to do so.

Preparing your home for sale can make a significant difference to the final sale result.

Often I am asked about the best ways to add value to your home, so here are my five top tips:

  1. Paint covers a multitude of sins – Just as spring’s arrival seems to throw a fresh coat of colour over the drabbery of winter, a coat of paint in your home can bring new life to tired spaces.
    Affordable and within the realms of the modest home handyman, this is a cost-effective way to immediately improve the presentation of your property
  2. Outdoor living spaces – As Aussies, we love our outdoor living. Be it beers around the barbie, backyard cricket, morning coffees in the sun, or just enjoying the fresh air, a great outdoor area is immensely appealing.
    Whether you pave an underutilised corner of the yard or construct a timber deck off the back of the house, a great outdoor area adds excellent value and bang for buck return.
  3. Build a shed – now before some readers roll their eyes at the seemingly male-serving nature of this comment, please hear me out – sheds add value!
    A decent sized shed can be achieved for around $20,000, but can often generate a 2-1 dollar return on investment by incoming buyers. Worth considering.
  4. Upgrade floor coverings – whether it’s new carpet in the bathrooms, polishing the floorboards or laying some new vinyl planks in the living areas, new flooring gives a great first impression when buyers walk into your property.
  5. Kerb appeal – possibly saving the best to last, improving you kerb appeal is a guaranteed winner when it comes to selling your property faster and for more money.
    Try this exercise – walk out the front of your house and survey it from the front kerb.
    This is the first view of your home that buyers will have. How does it look?
    Trees and shrubs a bit overgrown? Gardens looking tired and in need of some fresh mulch?
    Garden a bit sparse and wanting some fresh plants?
    You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it a good one!
    Improve the kerb appeal, you won’t regret it.

This list is by no means exhaustive, there are many ways to improve the appeal of your home and set yourself a great project for spring.

So whatever your plans, enjoy the beauty of the changing season and the promise of the warmer weather ahead.

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