Selling Your Property: Should You Renovate Before Putting It on the Market?
It’s a question homeowners ask me very often during a valuation: “Should I do some work before selling?”
My answer is usually the same: not necessarily.
Before putting a property on the market, the goal isn’t to redo a house or apartment to your own taste. It’s above all to identify which flaws might put buyers off, and which improvements can genuinely enhance how the property is perceived — and therefore how well it sells.
Small jobs are often the most worthwhile. Bold or worn paintwork, a cluttered room, a few neglected finishes, an untended garden or an underused terrace can create an overall impression that falls short of the property’s true quality. In these cases, a few simple touches can make a real difference, especially in photographs and at first viewings.
On the other hand, I generally advise against undertaking a full renovation solely in order to sell. Completely redoing a kitchen or bathroom is a significant investment, with no guarantee that your choices will match future buyers’ tastes.
For some properties — particularly in Bordeaux, where the charm of period buildings is part of what buyers are looking for — it may even be better to keep the original features and let the new owners imagine their own project.
There is, of course, another category: technical work. A damp problem, a roof in need of repair, outdated electrical wiring or poor energy performance can weigh much more heavily in a buyer’s decision. The energy performance certificate (DPE) is also part of the information provided to buyers in the technical diagnostics file.
Finally, if major work has already been carried out, it’s essential to be able to present a clear file: invoices, planning permissions where required, and contractors’ certificates and warranties. Certain renovations and extensions may be covered by the ten-year builder’s warranty (garantie décennale). Any work requiring authorisation must also have been properly declared, and its completion formally registered where required.
My advice:
Before committing thousands of euros to renovation work, have your property valued as it stands.
That’s precisely a professional’s role: to tell you what’s worth improving, what can stay as it is and, above all, whether the work you’re considering will actually affect the sale price or how quickly the property sells.
Sometimes a few adjustments are enough. And sometimes the best advice is simply to do nothing at all.
Thinking of selling in Bordeaux or the Bassin d’Arcachon? During the valuation, I can also advise you on any work worth doing before listing — and on the work that, in my view, isn’t necessary.
