Naomi Findlay, Australia’s Rapid Renovation Expert, shares the 21 common mistakes renovators make and her personal advice on how to avoid them.

Nobody wants a lemon.

And that’s no different in the world of renovation and property.

Renovating for wealth isn’t about smoke and mirrors. It’s not about cutting corners. Renovating for wealth is producing a product with an appropriate finish for the property type, market, and price point. There’s no room for dodgy, shonky, or unsafe work.

A SHORT STORY

Let me share a story with you about a few people who used to renovate in a city in New South Wales. They were well-known for cutting corners, for covering up integral floors, and for doing everything absolutely close to the legal line.

You know what? It caught up with them. Not only did they get a reputation with agents. They also got a reputation with building inspectors. So every time one of their properties was inspected, a building inspector could see it a mile off and absolutely made sure that the potential buyer knew everything about that property.

In many cases, it scared buyers off. For me, that’s just karma. There’s no room for poor workmanship or finishes in renovating for wealth.

HOW DO YOU GET AROUND THAT?

• First, you only use quality product that’s appropriate for that property
• Second, you always use qualified—where necessary—licensed trades
• Third, you always make sure that you’re happy with the level and quality of work and finish that has gone to that property. You can’t expect someone to live in a property that you wouldn’t even imagine visiting yourself.

So remember, it’s not smoke and mirrors. It’s not dodge or shonk. It’s quality finishes and workmanship. That will make sure that you have longevity in your renovating business in your patch. That’ll ensure that people are actually lining up to buy or lease one of your projects and not running the other way.

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