Some shortcuts cost more than they save, especially when you’re getting your home ready to sell. Presentation matters. So does quality. When a home looks like it’s been rushed onto the market, buyers notice. And they don’t just question the finish, they start questioning everything.

Gina von Sturmer runs a pre-sale concierge service at Professionals Real Estate, helping homeowners get their properties market-ready. She’s seen plenty of cases where cutting corners has backfired.

Buyers can spot a cover-up

Painting is one of the most visible upgrades, and one of the easiest to get wrong. In one case, Gina brought in their go-to painter to quote a full repaint. He was reliable, reasonably priced, and had delivered excellent results on previous jobs. But the seller, trying to cut costs, chose a cheaper alternative. It showed.

“You could see it in the quality. One side looked touched up. Not finished properly. It made buyers question: what else are they hiding?”

Instead of looking fresh and well-presented, the house looked rushed, like it had been patched up for a quick sale. And that raised more doubts than it solved.

Patch jobs don’t build trust

When buyers walk through a home, they’re looking for signs of care, or neglect. If something looks hastily done, it shifts their mindset. They stop thinking about how they’d live there, and start wondering what’s wrong with it.

Poor presentation makes the agent’s job harder. It creates doubt in the buyer’s mind and forces the conversation toward flaws instead of features. Quick fixes don’t just look cheap, they invite suspicion. And suspicion stalls sales.

This isn’t about spending big, it’s about spending smart

You don’t need high-end finishes in every room. But visible work needs to be clean, consistent, and properly done. “A job that’s been properly done” gives buyers confidence. A touch-up job, on the other hand, suggests the seller is hiding something, or doing the bare minimum to sell.

If you’re unsure which jobs to prioritise or what buyers actually care about, our Quick Guide: Getting Your Home Ready for Sale includes a full breakdown of high-impact updates, and how to avoid wasting money on the wrong ones. Join MyTrends to unlock this and a full library of guides designed to support you at each stage of your property journey.