Magic of 'elbow grease'

Lure helping hands with a barbecue, but be sure the work is done before the real fun begins. Photo / Getty Images

Transforming your home for sale needn't always cost tens of thousands of dollars. More nifty home improvement products hit the market every year.

Mortgage broker Campbell Hastie jokes that "elbow grease" is the best "magic product" when it comes to selling a home.

"Elbow grease seems to work like magic when applied liberally to any property," says Hastie.

"A crate of beer and a bag of steaks is a great way of leveraging elbow grease because you can usually get more people to apply it for you. "If you get enough beer and steaks you might not have to apply any product at all yourself while still achieving a great result on your house.

"First-time users of leverage beware: you've got to use the elbow grease before cracking open the steaks otherwise you get a different sort of magic or maybe no magic at all."

But if your home needs more than a good clean then some additional enhancements may be required.

For example, a faux brick wall can really give a boring wall a fabulous trendy look. Real estate agent Andrew Murray, of Apartment Specialists, often recommends faux brick for apartments to give them the industrial look. The panels are easy to install.

Likewise imitation wood flooring such as laminate or even vinyl/linoleum can transform a room.

Vinyl wall decals are another great way to liven up a plain wall and make it look modern.

You can also use vinyl backsplashes in the kitchen and bathroom to add a wow factor for remarkably little money.

When it comes to the outside, good old Wet & Forget or a cheaper version using the same active ingredient is still a magic product that will transform dirty paths and woodwork with little effort. Make sure you apply it quite a few weeks before the marketing period begins.

Another product that can make instant improvements to the outdoors is bark, says Matt O'Brien, real estate agent at Barfoot & Thompson. It provides a clean visual background and can cover up beds that might otherwise look like a lot of work to potential buyers.

O'Brien often advises clients to replace their lawns with brand new ready lawn.

On the subject of faux, Bunnings team member Kabir Veygal recommends Un-Real Hedging, an artificial hedge that can be erected to cover a fence or other surface and bring instant green to the garden.

One of Veygal's other favourite magic products for instant transformation is Cabot's Kwila Oil Based Deck and Exterior Stain, which can make a tired deck look new again.

Paint for inside is another magic product that has never really lost its appeal with buyers.

Providing the surface it is being applied to is clean and smooth, it can give a room a whole new look very quickly. But do be aware that rumpty old carpet will give away that you're window dressing the room.

If your grout is looking grubby consider some grout stain. It both colours and seals and makes the grout look brand new again.