7 Smart Ways to Add Equity to Your Home
By Leigh Martinuzzi | Martinuzzi Property Group – eXp Australia
Adding equity to your home is one of the most practical ways to fast-track wealth creation. It can allow you to refinance and pull out capital for your next purchase, increase rental returns, or strengthen your overall financial position.
And in a market like the Sunshine Coast, where buyer demand is strong but expectations are rising, smart improvements can create a real gap between “average” and “premium”.
What surprises most people is this: equity isn’t usually created through massive structural renovations. It’s created through perception. When the market perceives your home as modern, clean, low-risk and move-in ready, value shifts quickly. Here are seven practical ways to do exactly that.
1. Paint: The Simplest Way to Add Tens of Thousands
If there’s one improvement I consistently see add serious perceived value, it’s a fresh coat of paint. Old paint dates a home instantly. Even if everything else is functional, buyers feel like the property needs work. Fresh, neutral colours like soft whites, light greys, warm neutrals, completely reset that perception. The home feels brighter, cleaner and bigger.
And the cost? If you’re prepared to do the work yourself, you’re generally looking at $1,500 to $2,000 in materials for an average home. Even hiring a painter can be extremely cost-effective relative to the value it creates. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It needs to be fresh, cohesive and consistent throughout the home. That alone can shift buyer emotion and emotion drives price.
2. Refresh the Kitchen
The kitchen is often called the heart of the home, and rightly so. It’s where buyers spend their time assessing lifestyle, practicality and value. But people assume they need a full $40,000 renovation. In most cases, you don’t.
If the layout works and cabinetry is structurally sound, a cosmetic refresh can completely transform the space. Repainting cupboards, replacing handles, upgrading tapware, changing outdated appliances, even installing new laminate benchtops can often be done for under $3,000 if managed well.
The key principle is simple: avoid moving plumbing and structural elements. That’s where costs escalate. A fresh, modernised kitchen signals that the home is cared for and up-to-date. That perception can add significantly more than what you spend.
3. Bathrooms: Target the Visual Impact Items
Bathrooms can become very expensive very quickly. A full strip-out and rebuild can easily land between $30,000 and $45,000. But often, the biggest return doesn’t come from a full gut job. If the waterproofing is sound and the tiles are still presentable, focus on the items buyers immediately notice like a new vanity, modern mirror, updated tapware, and a frameless shower screen.
These elements create the biggest visual shift. Buyers don’t usually check what’s behind the walls. They respond to what they see. By targeting the right components, you can modernise the bathroom for a fraction of the cost while still achieving a significant uplift in perceived value.
4. Lighting, Switches & Power Points
This is one of the most overlooked equity strategies. Old light fittings, yellowed switches and outdated power points subtly age a property. You might not consciously notice it, but buyers do.
Replacing dated fittings with simple modern oyster lights, upgrading switches and power points throughout the home (often around $50 per point), and standardising everything creates a cohesive, modern feel. It’s not glamorous. But it works. Especially in rental properties, this can dramatically improve tenant appeal and rental returns without large capital outlay.
5. Improve Curb Appeal
The front of the home sets the tone before buyers even walk inside. But again, don’t overcapitalise. Re-roofing, full recladding or major structural changes often produce lower returns than expected.
Instead, focus on cosmetic improvements such as painting or rendering the façade, replacing a heavy outdated fence with something lighter like a simple picket style, tidying garden beds, adding fresh mulch and a few well-placed plants.
You’re not rebuilding the home. You’re elevating its first impression. That first emotional response can add significant value before the buyer even reaches the living room.
6. Tidy & Invest in the Garden
Gardens don’t need to be elaborate. They need to feel maintained. Clean edges, trimmed hedges, fresh mulch, pressure-cleaned paths and driveways.
These small touches send a powerful message that the property has been looked after. Buyers often equate presentation with maintenance. If the exterior looks cared for, they assume the rest of the home has been too. It reduces perceived risk. And reduced risk supports stronger offers.
7. Play the Finance & Strategy Game Properly
This is the part most people miss. Renovating alone doesn’t create wealth. Harvesting the equity does.
Once improvements are complete, the next step is to have the property revalued, speak to a strategist who understands equity release, and consider how that additional value can be leveraged into your next move.
Timing also matters. Improvements made during strong buyer demand can produce amplified results. In the Sunshine Coast market especially, where supply remains constrained, well-presented homes often outperform the median significantly.
And finally, partner with an agent who understands buyer psychology. The way your improvements are positioned to the market determines whether you achieve “average” or “premium”.
The Bottom Line
Equity isn’t created by spending the most money. It’s created by spending strategically. Fresh paint, a refreshed kitchen, targeted bathroom upgrades, modern lighting, improved street appeal and tidy landscaping can add tens of thousands in perceived value often for a relatively modest outlay. The real power comes from combining smart improvements with sound finance and strong market timing.
If you’re wondering what your property could be worth right now and which improvements would genuinely move the needle in today’s market, reach out to our team anytime. At Martinuzzi Property Group, we believe in radical honesty and practical advice. We’ll tell you where to spend, where not to spend, and how to maximise your upside without unnecessary risk.
Book your complimentary appraisal and let’s map out a clear strategy to build and harvest your equity the right way!
👉 Get in touch with us today and and let’s give you fantastic results that you deserve.
Request Your Free Market Appraisal Today!
Click here to book your appraisal
SUBSCRIBE to stay up to date with all the latest property insights and news.
Click Here to Subscribe
The Sunshine Coast Seller’s Guide to Choosing the Right Agent
Get Your Free Guide Here
Just Listed Your Home? Here’s What Happens Next (And How to Get Ready for a Great Result)
Download the Guide Here