Exterior render refresh
Crack repairs, blown-render patching, full re-render or a fresh acrylic top-coat over tired brick. Single biggest lift to street appeal in listing photos.
Pre-sale home restoration · Melbourne-wide
Get your home sale-ready in 2 weeks.
Render, paint, plaster, blockwork, windows, doors, cabinetry, floors and cosmetic repairs — from one Melbourne team that works to your agent’s photo date. Free walkthrough, fixed-price quote in 48 hours, finished and photo-ready by the listing campaign.
20+ years of exterior render and heritage restoration across Melbourne. Trusted by vendors, executors of deceased estates and selling agents across the northern corridor, inner north, bayside and Macedon Ranges. One reliable team for every trade — no chasing three contractors.
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Pre-sale facade refresh · sold in campaign one
Render, repaint, landscaping tidy — Melbourne
Why pre-sale work pays
The cheapest part of a sale campaign is the part that lifts the final hammer price the most. Three reasons vendors keep booking this work:
Better listing photos
Your home photographs once. Fresh render and paint travel through every realestate.com.au scroll and every Saturday open.
Faster days-on-market
Presentable homes hit asking sooner. Less price reduction, fewer open-for-inspections, shorter campaign.
Higher offers
Removes "what would I have to fix?" from every buyer’s spreadsheet. They bid on lifestyle, not a renovation budget.
What we fix before your listing photos
One team, one quote, one site lead — you don\u2019t coordinate three trades and chase invoices the week before auction. Windows, doors, cabinetry, floors and concrete painting included.
Interior & exterior repaint
Neutral, buyer-friendly palettes. Cut-in lines that survive close-up auction photos. Eaves, fascias, front door — the bits agents zoom in on.
Plaster, ceiling & cornice repairs
Set-and-skim cracks, patch water stains, replace sagging cornice. Removes the "what’s wrong with that ceiling?" question at every open.
Blockwork, brick & render tidy-ups
Brick repointing, lintel rust treatment, render colour matching on patches. Heritage and modern brick alike.
Window & door restoration
Frame repairs, weatherboard patching, handle & hinge swaps, sash cord re-runs. Buyers touch every door and window at an open — make them glide.
Cabinetry repairs & refresh
Kitchen door re-hangs, soft-close retrofits, scratch fills, handle swaps and paint refresh. The cheapest way to make a kitchen feel fully renovated.
Skirting, staircase & trim work
Patch dings, sand back scuffs, repaint architraves and stair treads. Trim work photographs hugely well and signals a home has been cared for.
Floor sanding & concrete painting
Hardwood sanding and polishing for tired interior boards, plus driveway and patio concrete painting. The single biggest visual lift for entry spaces.
Fences, gates & deck repairs
Sagging gates re-hung, palings replaced, decks re-screwed and re-stained. The first thing buyers touch when they walk in.
Pressure wash & gutter clean
Driveways, paths, render and roof tiles back to original colour. Gutters cleared so listing photos don’t show overflow stains.
Indicative pricing
Real ranges from recent Melbourne pre-sale jobs. Every quote is fixed in writing after a free walkthrough — no day-rates, no surprises at invoice time.
| Scope | Typical range (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Exterior repaint (single-storey weatherboard or brick) | $6,000 – $14,000 |
| Exterior render refresh + repaint | $8,000 – $20,000 |
| Full interior repaint (3–4 bed home) | $5,500 – $12,000 |
| Plaster crack & ceiling repair package | $800 – $3,500 |
| Floor sanding & polishing (3–4 bed) | $2,500 – $5,500 |
| Kitchen cabinet refresh (doors, handles, soft-close) | $1,800 – $4,500 |
| Concrete driveway / patio painting | $1,200 – $3,500 |
| Fence repairs, pressure wash & gutter clean | $900 – $2,800 |
| Full pre-sale package (combine multiple) | From $12,000 |
Ranges assume good substrate and standard single-storey access. Two-storey, scaffold-required, or heritage scopes are priced on site.
Recent pre-sale work
Real Melbourne homes prepared for listing campaigns — Newport, Ivanhoe, Caulfield, Doreen and across the northern corridor.
Your 2-week sale-ready timeline
From first phone call to photo-ready, in plain English.
Day 0–2
Walkthrough + fixed quote
We visit, agree the scope with you (and your agent if you’d like), and email a fixed-price quote within 48 hours.
Week 1
Prep & repairs
Render crack tracking, plaster patching, pressure wash, fence and gutter work. The unglamorous stuff that makes the finishes sit right.
Week 2
Paint & finish
Top-coats, cut-ins, touch-ups. We work to your photo date — not the other way around.
Listing day
Photo-ready handover
Site swept, rubbish removed, hardware re-fitted. Ready for the photographer to walk straight in.
Recent Project
Transformation in Newport, Victoria
Showcasing the completion works at this stunning property in Newport, Victoria.
For real estate agents
Add us to your vendor prep panel
One number to call for render, paint, plaster, windows, doors, cabinetry, floors, concrete and cosmetic repairs across Melbourne. Fixed quotes within 48 hours, work scheduled to your photo date, invoicing that can settle at sale by arrangement. Already trusted by agencies across the northern corridor and inner north.
Pre-sale work near you
Active across Melbourne metro and regional Victoria. Tap your suburb for local pricing context and examples.
Frequently asked questions
What Pre-Sale Restoration Actually Involves
Getting a property ready for sale is a race against the auction or listing date, and the work has to be sequenced so trades do not trip over each other and everything is dry and finished in time for photography and open homes. We start with a walk-through against the agent's timeline, working backwards from the listing date to lock in painting, rendering touch-ups and repair work in an order that lets each job cure properly before the next one starts.
Kerb appeal carries a lot of weight in a quick sale, so exterior work is usually front of the queue, pressure washing paths and render, touching up faded paint, fixing sagging gutters or a leaning fence gate, and tidying up anything a buyer would notice walking up the driveway. Inside, we focus on the defects that stand out in a home open, cracked cornices, scuffed skirtings, sticking doors and dated tapware, rather than a full renovation the vendor is not going to get value back on.
Timing around an auction campaign is tight, usually four to six weeks from listing to sale, so we work to a fixed schedule rather than an open-ended job list. Render repairs and painting need enough curing time before photography, so those go early, while quick cosmetic fixes like caulking and touch-up paint can be scheduled closer to the first open home once the bigger jobs are locked in.
Common Problems We See
Faded or peeling exterior paint
Sun-damaged paintwork is one of the first things a buyer notices from the street, and touching it up or repainting the facade is one of the highest-impact jobs before listing.
Cracked render or rendered feature walls
Hairline cracks and stained patches in render stand out badly in listing photos and are quick to patch and blend if caught early in the campaign timeline.
Overgrown or neglected front gardens
A front yard that has not been maintained undercuts kerb appeal regardless of how good the house itself looks, and is often overlooked until late in the process.
Small defects noticed at building inspection
Sticking doors, loose balustrades and minor plaster damage often get flagged at a pre-purchase inspection and are far cheaper to fix before listing than to negotiate off the price after.
Grimy exterior surfaces
Paths, driveways, render and roofs build up grime and moss over winters that photograph poorly and make a property look tired even when it is structurally fine.
Signs You Need Pre-Sale Restoration
- The agent has flagged the exterior as needing attention before the first photography session.
- Paint on the facade has visibly faded compared to when the home was last listed or purchased.
- There are several small defects around the property that a buyer's inspector would likely flag.
- Render or brickwork shows staining or cracking that would show up clearly in listing photos.
- The auction or listing date is set and trades need to be locked in on a fixed schedule.
- The front garden and entryway do not reflect the condition of the rest of the property.
Not sure what you're looking at? Send us a photo through the contact page and we'll tell you honestly whether it needs attention now or can wait.
Repair or Replace?
Repair usually makes sense when
- • Paint or render defects are cosmetic and can be patched, cleaned or touched up within the campaign timeline.
- • Fixtures like door handles, tapware or cabinet hardware just need updating rather than full replacement of the unit.
- • Minor plaster or cornice damage can be filled and blended without needing a full ceiling repaint.
- • The garden and entry need tidying and refreshing rather than a full landscaping redo.
Replacement is the better spend when
- • Guttering or fencing is damaged enough that a quick fix would still look obviously patched in photographs.
- • Exterior paint has failed so extensively that a full repaint is more efficient than patch touch-ups.
- • Fixtures are outdated enough that buyers would clock them as needing replacement anyway, making a swap worth the cost.
- • Render damage is structural rather than cosmetic and needs proper reinstatement rather than a surface patch.
Pre-sale work is about return on effort within a fixed timeline, not a full renovation. We prioritise jobs that noticeably lift kerb appeal and remove obvious defects a buyer or inspector would flag, and we are upfront when a repair versus replace decision should be left to the vendor rather than assumed.
Our Inspection Process
- 1
Timeline mapping against listing date
We work backwards from the agreed photography and open home dates to sequence trades so painting and render work has time to cure properly.
- 2
Kerb appeal walk-through
We assess the property from the street and driveway first, since that is the buyer's initial impression, noting paint, render, fencing and garden condition.
- 3
Interior defect list
We walk each room noting cracks, scuffs, sticking doors and dated fixtures that would stand out in a home open or building inspection.
- 4
Trade sequencing plan
Once the defect list is set, we schedule pressure washing, render repairs and painting first, leaving quick cosmetic fixes for closer to the first open home.
Materials & Products We Use
Exterior acrylic paint systems
Fast-curing, UV-stable exterior paint used on facades and fencing so the finish is ready well before the photography date.
Cement-based render patching compound
Used to blend cracks and damaged sections of render so patches are not visible once painted over.
Pressure washing equipment
Used on paths, driveways, render and roofs to lift built-up grime and moss that would otherwise photograph poorly.
Neutral tone touch-up paint
Interior touch-up paint matched to existing walls in neutral tones that photograph well and appeal broadly to buyers.
Standard chrome or brushed nickel tapware
A common quick-win fixture upgrade in kitchens and bathrooms that lifts perceived condition without a full renovation.
Expected Timeframes
| Job | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Full pre-sale defect list and quote | Half a day on site |
| Exterior pressure wash and touch-up paint | 1-2 days |
| Render patch and repaint of a facade | 3-4 days plus curing time |
| Interior defect fixes, doors, plaster, fixtures | 1-2 days |
| Full pre-sale program across an average auction campaign | 2-3 weeks |
Weather, access and drying times shift these figures — we confirm a realistic schedule before we book you in.
What Affects the Cost
Size of the defect list
A property needing only a handful of touch-ups costs far less time than one with an extensive list of paint, render and fixture issues.
How tight the campaign timeline is
A compressed listing date sometimes needs trades run in parallel rather than sequentially, which affects scheduling and cost.
Extent of render and paint failure
Cosmetic patch and touch-up work is quicker than a full repaint or render reinstatement across an entire facade.
Garden and exterior condition
An overgrown or neglected front garden takes considerably more time to bring up to a presentable standard than one that just needs tidying.
Number of trades required
Coordinating render, painting and general maintenance together within one program takes more planning than a single-trade job.
Every job is quoted after we've seen it. We itemise labour and materials so you can see exactly what you're paying for.
Before & After
Typical starting conditions on Melbourne properties, and what the finished work looks like.
Before
A weatherboard facade with faded, patchy paint and a driveway stained with years of built-up grime ahead of a scheduled listing.
After
Facade repainted in a fresh neutral tone and driveway pressure washed, ready for photography with three weeks to spare before auction.
Before
A rendered entry wall with visible hairline cracks and staining that would have shown clearly in listing photos.
After
Cracks patched and blended, wall recoated to match the surrounding render with no visible repair line under normal light.
Before
An interior hallway with a sticking door, scuffed skirtings and dated cabinet hardware flagged during a pre-listing walk-through.
After
Door adjusted to close smoothly, skirtings touched up and hardware swapped to a simple modern finish ahead of the first open home.
Keeping It That Way
- Start the defect list and trade booking process as early as possible once a listing date is set, since render and paint need curing time before photography.
- Prioritise exterior work first, since kerb appeal drives a buyer's first impression before they even walk through the door.
- Keep the front garden tidy throughout the campaign, not just before the first open home, since ongoing inspections happen right up to auction day.
- Fix small defects like sticking doors and loose fixtures before a building inspection rather than after, since it is cheaper than a price negotiation.
- Stick to neutral, broadly appealing touch-up colours rather than bold choices, since the goal is presentation for sale, not personal preference.
Work That Pairs With This
Rendering & Plastering
Render cracks and staining on a facade are one of the highest-impact pre-sale fixes and are best scoped alongside painting.
Painting
A full or partial repaint is usually the single biggest kerb appeal improvement within a pre-sale timeline.
Pressure Washing
Cleaning paths, driveways and render quickly lifts a property's presentation ahead of photography with minimal disruption.
General Maintenance
Small interior defects like sticking doors and loose fixtures are typically resolved in the same visit as other pre-sale maintenance.
Selling soon? Let\u2019s get started.
Book a free 20\u201330 minute pre-sale walkthrough. Written fixed-price quote in your inbox within 48 hours.