Knowing what\u2019s fixable and what\u2019s fatal in a property can be the difference between success and failure in the real estate<\/a> game.<\/strong><\/p>\n Property expert, Cathy Morrissey, who teaches people how to renovate for profit through her company, The Renovation College, explains what\u2019s scary-looking to the uninitiated, but easy to fix.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything that looks like it hasn\u2019t been painted in 20 to 40 years is scary!\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cThe paint is usually chipping off, it\u2019s often got asbestos<\/a> lurking in the home somewhere and on first look, it appears to need to be ripped down and started again,\u201d Morrissey says.<\/p>\n What\u2019s scary-looking to the uninitiated \u2013 like old paint \u2013 could be easily fixed. Picture: Supplied<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But don\u2019t freak out, she says. \u201cGet a professional to come and look at the home. A licensed painter, for example, can advise if there is any serious problems with asbestos. Sometimes it doesn\u2019t require any special attention and paint can be easily fixed,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Dated bathrooms and kitchens also frighten off would-be buyers from otherwise good properties, Morrissey says.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re definitely the two rooms people get really hung up on. Maybe the bathroom is a little dated, but is it in good working order? Do the kitchen cupboards open? Are the bones good?<\/p>\n It\u2019s possible to cosmetically change a few things, like swap out the taps or paint the tiles<\/a>, to really rejuvenate those rooms. Often they are less of a problem than they first appear,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Dated bathrooms can scare off prospective buyers from otherwise good properties. Picture: Getty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For someone with little renovation experience, holes in plasterboard might be daunting.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething like that is so easy to fix though,\u201d Morrissey says.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can hire a handyman to fix plaster quick smart for a few bucks. That should never be a deal breaker, unless it reveals a bigger structural problem,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cHoles in walls from lots of hooks etc look ugly when you inspect, but if you\u2019re painting<\/a>, the painter will often fix those small things as part of the job, so don\u2019t be put off,\u201d Morrissey adds.<\/p>\n Big, ugly trees and old-fashioned gardens can overwhelm a facade and date a house, she adds.<\/p>\n Curb appeal: Why your facade is important<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOn one of my properties, the first time I inspected it, I knew all I had to do was pull down the ugly tree in the front and voila! Fixing the front cost under $100 but made a huge difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
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