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PROBLEM 01 — EXTERNAL
Slippery Driveway Before Selling — What Buyers Actually See and Feel
DIRECT ANSWER
A slippery driveway is caused by algae, moss, biofilm, and leaf-tannin buildup on concrete or pavers. In Brisbane’s humid climate this happens within 12–18 months on any unsealed surface. A professional pressure clean removes the hazard entirely in one visit. Cost is $200–$380 for most Brisbane driveways. The driveway is the first surface buyers step onto — a black, slippery, algae-covered approach communicates neglect before they reach the front door.
❌ WHAT BUYERS SEE
Green-black algae coating the driveway
Visible slip hazard — dark wet patches
Oil stains from previous tenants or cars
Tannin streaks under overhanging trees
Cracked surface highlighting age and wear
Moss between pavers or along fence line
✓ WHAT PRESALE SERVICES DOES
High-pressure clean removes all algae and biofilm
Pre-treatment with algaecide for deep growth
Oil stain treatment before pressure application
Edge and gutter channel cleaned too
Anti-slip sealer applied if required post-clean
Path, steps and side access included
$280
Average driveway pressure clean, Brisbane
4–5×
Return in buyer perception vs cost
3 hrs
Typical on-site time, standard driveway
Why does a dirty driveway affect days on market?
Buyers make their first emotional decision about a property before they park the car. A stained, slippery driveway triggers three things simultaneously: safety concern (slip hazard), maintenance concern (what else hasn’t been fixed?), and a subconscious downward revision of the property’s value. Research across Australian property markets shows that poor external presentation adds an average of 14–21 days to time on market — buyers who are uncertain at arrival don’t return.
ESTIMATED DAYS ON MARKET IMPACT — EXTERNAL PRESENTATION
Unprepared driveway
~42 days
After pressure clean
~14 days
REAL JOB
CAPALABA
A three-bedroom brick veneer on Moreton Bay Road had a wide exposed aggregate driveway that had gone nearly black from 14 years of algae, tannin staining from a large mango tree, and oil pooling near the garage. The owners had lived there the entire time and stopped seeing it.
Full driveway pressure clean, carport floor, front path, side access to rear yard, and the entertaining slab under the pergola — $460 total. The concrete came back almost white. The agent called to say a buyer submitted an offer before the first open home based on the listing photos alone. The street presence in the photos was that different.
Sold prior to first open home. Agent attributed the photo impact directly to the driveway transformation. Price achieved: $34,000 above the agent’s lower range estimate.
REAL JOB
SPRINGWOOD
A long-term rental on Compton Road had a concrete driveway with a severe algae problem along the shaded northern side and a visible oil stain the shape of a large car across the centre bay. The property management company asked us to prepare it for sale.
Pre-treatment, high-pressure clean, oil degreaser, path and steps — $320. Photography the following morning. The before-and-after was stark enough the agent used it as the opening image pair in the property campaign social media.
Property received 3 offers in the first week. Sold 19 days after listing — same suburb average at the time was 38 days.
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PROBLEM 02 — INTERNAL / EXTERNAL
Mould Before Open Homes — How to Kill It, Treat It, and Make Sure It Doesn’t Come Back Before Settlement
DIRECT ANSWER
Mould before an open home cannot be surface-wiped and painted over — it will return within weeks. The correct treatment is: identify and address the moisture source, clean all affected surfaces with a fungicidal solution, apply anti-mould primer before repainting walls and ceilings, and treat grout lines in bathrooms with a fungicidal wash followed by recolouring or regrouting. In Brisbane’s climate — high humidity, poor sub-floor ventilation in older homes — mould is extremely common and extremely visible to buyers.
❌ THE PROBLEM
Black mould on bathroom ceilings
Pink mould in shower grout and silicone
Dark patches on south-facing bedroom walls
Mildew smell in wardrobes and hallways
Mould on external render under eaves
Green algae on north-facing walls
✓ THE FIX
Fungicidal wash on all affected surfaces
Anti-mould primer before any repaint
Grout recolour or full regrout in bathrooms
Silicone removal and replacement
External soft wash on render and walls
Ventilation improvement if source identified
Why painting over mould without treatment is the worst thing a seller can do
In Brisbane’s property market, savvy buyers and building inspectors will spot repainted mould within seconds. Fresh paint over mould bubbles, discolours, and often reveals itself in the humidity within 2–4 weeks — right in the middle of the campaign or between exchange and settlement. A building inspector who notes “evidence of moisture and possible mould concealment” in a pre-purchase report is the fastest way to lose a buyer or face a price renegotiation. The correct fix takes the same amount of time. It just needs to be done in the right order.
1
Identify the moisture source
Leaking roof, blocked gutter, inadequate sub-floor ventilation, condensation from poor bathroom exhaust — source must be fixed first or mould returns.
2
Fungicidal wash of all affected surfaces
Kills the mould spore at the surface level before any painting or finishing is applied. Applied with dwell time — not just wiped. Ceilings, walls, grout, and silicone treated separately.
3
Anti-mould primer coat
Specialist primer with fungicidal properties applied before topcoat. Creates a barrier that prevents regrowth even in humid conditions. Standard primer does not provide this protection.
4
Repaint in correct sheen level
Bathrooms and wet areas painted in semi-gloss to minimise moisture absorption. Ceilings in flat or low-sheen mould-resistant ceiling paint.
5
Grout recolour or regrout, silicone replace
Pink and black mould in grout cannot be fully removed by cleaning alone. Recolouring seals the surface. Badly affected grout is raked and regrouted. Old silicone removed and replaced.
$800
Typical bathroom mould treatment and repaint
3×
Return in buyer confidence
2 days
Typical treatment to repaint completion
REAL JOB
MOOROOKA
A post-war low-set on Beaudesert Road had significant mould on the main bathroom ceiling, pink grout throughout the original tiled bathroom, and a mildew smell in the main bedroom’s built-in wardrobe caused by a blocked sub-floor vent on the southern wall.
Fungicidal wash on ceiling and walls, anti-mould primer, fresh ceiling repaint. Grout recolour in bathroom and laundry. Sub-floor vent cleared. Silicone replaced in shower recess. Total: $1,100. Three weeks later the building inspector’s pre-purchase report noted “bathrooms in excellent condition, no evidence of moisture issues.”
Buyer proceeded unconditionally after building inspection. No price renegotiation. Property sold $22,000 above the lower price range estimate.
REAL JOB
TARRAGINDI
A south-facing Queenslander on Warwick Road had a heavy mould problem on the external render under the verandah — the kind of sustained black-green growth that only occurs when gutters overflow repeatedly. The internal main bedroom wall, being south-facing, also had patches of mould behind the bed that the sellers hadn’t noticed.
External soft wash and fungicidal treatment on the rendered sections. Gutter cleared and the overflow point resealed by our handyman. Internal bedroom walls: fungicidal wash, anti-mould primer, full repaint. Total: $1,380. The external wall went from black-streaked to near-original render colour.
Agent reported buyers at the open home commented specifically on how fresh and well-maintained the home felt inside and out. Sold at auction — $38,000 above reserve.
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PROBLEM 03 — EXTERNAL
Overgrown Garden Scaring Buyers Away — How the Right Cleanup Can Add Tens of Thousands
DIRECT ANSWER
An overgrown garden signals neglect, hidden maintenance costs, and uncertain property boundaries to buyers — all of which reduce emotional connection and offer price. A professional garden cleanup in Brisbane costs $400–$1,500 depending on size and condition. The return is consistently one of the highest in pre-sale preparation because buyers at open homes walk the yard and make instant judgements about outdoor living potential. A tidy, mulched, well-edged garden activates that potential. An overgrown jungle kills it.
❌ WHAT BUYERS SEE
Lawn over-long, patchy, or completely dead
Garden beds full of weeds and debris
Trees overhanging roof or blocking light
Under-deck areas used as dumping ground
Overgrown shrubs blocking windows and paths
Retaining walls cracked or leaning
✓ THE FIX
Lawn mowed, edged, and blown clean
Garden beds weeded and fresh mulch applied
Trees lopped, canopy lifted off the roof
Under-deck and sub-floor cleared, rubbish removed
Shrubs pruned back from windows and paths
Skip bin for all green waste and junk
What does an overgrown garden actually cost a Brisbane seller?
The honest answer is between $15,000 and $40,000 depending on suburb. A buyer who walks into a beautiful home and then steps into an overgrown jungle doesn’t separate the two experiences — they absorb the property as a whole. Outdoor living in Brisbane’s climate is one of the most valuable lifestyle features a property can offer. A buyer who cannot visualise themselves using the outdoor space will offer less or move on entirely.
In suburbs like Kenmore, Chapel Hill, and Fig Tree Pocket where block sizes are generous and outdoor living is central to the lifestyle proposition, an overgrown yard can be the single biggest drag on sale price. In high-density inner suburbs like West End, Highgate Hill, and Spring Hill where yard space is limited, the few metres of garden space available need to look intentional, tidy, and usable.
$650
Average garden cleanup, Brisbane standard block
$20k
Typical buyer discount for neglected yard, inner suburbs
1 day
On-site time for most garden cleanups
REAL JOB
KENMORE
A four-bedroom low-set home on Brookfield Road had a large block with a backyard that hadn’t been properly maintained in three years. Couch grass had overtaken the back lawn, a large poinciana had branches overhanging the Colorbond roof, the garden beds along the boundary fence were completely buried in weeds, and the space under the elevated deck had become a repository for old pool equipment, timber offcuts, and general junk accumulated since the mid-2000s.
Lawn mow and edge, garden bed weed and mulch, poinciana crown lift (branches away from roof), under-deck full clearance and rubbish removal including one skip bin, and a light tidy of the pool surrounds. Two-day job, four crew. Total: $1,280.
Agent’s feedback after the first open home: “I had buyers staying in the backyard the whole time.” Property sold $41,000 above the lower price estimate. The outdoor living area was specifically noted in buyer feedback as the deciding factor.
REAL JOB
WYNNUM WEST
A corner block on Tingalpa Creek Road had a substantial nature strip and side garden that the elderly previous owner had not been able to maintain. Weeds over a metre tall on the nature strip, a dead bottlebrush, two large overgrown lilly pilly hedges blocking the fence line, and a back yard that had gone fully to weeds. The agents were worried the block looked smaller than it was.
Nature strip mow and tidy, bottlebrush removal, lilly pilly hard prune and shape, back yard mow, weed spray and edge, fresh mulch in front beds. $890 total. The block looked enormous in the photos — corners and side boundaries clearly visible, substantial grass area in the back.
Three offers in 9 days. Sold $29,000 above the agent’s midpoint. The agent specifically noted the block size “read much better” in photography after the cleanup.
“I’ve seen buyers walk through a beautiful home and then step into the backyard and immediately say ‘too much work’. A $700 garden tidy is the cheapest decision a seller can make. It unlocks the entire outdoor living proposition.” — Steve West, Presale Services
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PROBLEM 04 — INTERNAL
Home Smell Problems Before Selling — Pets, Cooking, Damp, and the Smells That Kill Offers
DIRECT ANSWER
Bad smells are the single fastest way to lose a buyer at an open home. Pet odour, cooking smells embedded in soft furnishings, damp or mildew from poor ventilation, and general “lived-in” staleness all trigger an immediate emotional rejection in buyers — even when everything else looks great. The fix is not air freshener or candles. It is a professional deep clean, treatment of the odour source, carpet steam clean or replacement, and proper airing before every inspection. Most Brisbane smell problems can be resolved in 1–3 days for $500–$1,800.
❌ SMELL SOURCES
Dog and cat urine soaked into carpet underlay
Cooking oil embedded in rangehood and tiles
Damp sub-floor causing musty hallway smell
Cigarette smoke in walls, ceilings, curtains
Garbage and bin odour near kitchen
Old drain smell from infrequently used bathrooms
✓ ODOUR TREATMENT PLAN
Full internal deep clean — all surfaces, behind appliances
Carpet steam clean with deodoriser treatment
Carpet replacement where urine has penetrated underlay
Rangehood, oven and tiles degreased professionally
Sub-floor inspection and ventilation if damp
Home aired — windows open 30 min before every open
Why air freshener and candles make it worse at open homes
Every experienced buyer knows what lavender air freshener covering pet smell means. Masking odours with synthetic fragrance is one of the most counterproductive things a seller can do — it signals that there is something being hidden and triggers suspicion, not comfort. Buyers who smell heavy fragrance at an open home start looking harder for the problem, not relaxing into the experience.
The only effective approach is source elimination. For pet households, this means professional carpet steam cleaning with enzyme-based odour treatment — standard steam cleaning alone does not break down uric acid crystals in the carpet fibre. In severe cases, carpet and underlay need to be replaced. For cooking smells, a professional degrease of the kitchen including behind appliances, the rangehood filters, and the tile splashback is required.
$650
Deep clean + carpet steam, 3-bed Brisbane home
90 sec
Time for buyer to register a bad smell and disengage
$25k
Typical discount buyers attach to visibly “lived-in” smell
REAL JOB
SUNNYBANK
A four-bedroom low-set home on McCullough Avenue had housed three large dogs for seven years. The carpet in the living room and two bedrooms was visibly stained and the urine smell was noticeable from the front door. The owners had gone nose-blind to it entirely — they were genuinely surprised when we raised it.
Living room and two bedroom carpets replaced with new budget-grade carpet (owner’s preference over premium). Remaining bedrooms and hallway steam cleaned with enzyme treatment. Full internal deep clean including skirting boards, door frames, and under-furniture. Sub-floor inspection — vents were partially blocked, contributing to the trapped smell. Vents cleared. Total: $2,100.
Agent held the first open home three weeks later. Fourteen groups attended. The feedback sheets had zero negative smell comments. An offer was accepted at the second open home — $18,000 above the reserve set before preparation.
REAL JOB
EIGHT MILE PLAINS
A long-term rental on Newnham Road had a severe cooking smell embedded in the kitchen area — years of heavy Asian cooking had saturated the rangehood, the tile grout behind the stove, and the upper kitchen cabinet doors with grease and cooking vapour. The smell was identifiable from the hallway.
Professional kitchen degrease: rangehood filters replaced, internal rangehood cavity cleaned, tile grout cleaned with alkaline degreaser, cabinet doors cleaned and deodorised, full deep clean of oven, walls behind stove, and kitchen exhaust vent. Total: $480. Combined with full property deep clean: $890.
First open home: 11 groups. Three offers within five days of listing. Sold above asking price. Agent noted multiple buyer feedback forms commented on how “clean and fresh” the property felt.
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PROBLEM 05 — INTERNAL
Nicotine Stains Before Selling — The Full Treatment Plan That Actually Works
DIRECT ANSWER
Nicotine stains are one of the most complex pre-sale problems in Brisbane. The tar and nicotine residue penetrates paint, drywall, and plaster — and it bleeds through standard paint if not treated correctly. The full fix requires: wash-down of all surfaces with a sugar soap or TSP solution, application of a nicotine-blocking stain primer on all walls and ceilings, fresh topcoat in neutral, carpet steam clean or replacement, and removal or professional cleaning of all curtains and soft furnishings. Budget $5,000–$9,000 for a standard four-bedroom Brisbane home that has been smoked in heavily.
❌ WHAT BUYERS ENCOUNTER
Yellow-brown ceiling and wall staining
Heavy tobacco smell throughout the home
Stained curtains and soft furnishings
Yellow-tinged windows and blinds
Stained carpet — colour change near furniture
Smell embedded in built-in wardrobes
✓ THE CORRECT TREATMENT
Full wash-down all walls and ceilings — sugar soap
Nicotine-blocking shellac or oil-based stain primer
Full repaint — walls, ceilings, skirts, doors
Carpet steam with enzyme treatment or replacement
Curtains removed and professionally cleaned or replaced
Wardrobe interiors cleaned and aired
Why nicotine bleeds through regular paint — and what blocks it
Nicotine residue is oil-soluble, not water-soluble. Standard water-based primer and paint cannot seal it. Within weeks of painting with standard primer, yellow-brown staining bleeds back through the fresh topcoat. This is particularly common in Queensland where older homes with VJ walls and plaster ceilings have absorbed decades of smoke into the timber and gypsum.
The only products that reliably seal nicotine bleed are shellac-based primers (Zinsser BIN is the industry standard) or heavy-duty oil-based stain-blocking primers. These are applied to all surfaces before any topcoat. The cost of primer is slightly higher — but the alternative is repainting twice, which costs far more. Painters who aren’t experienced with nicotine properties sometimes skip this step and produce a result that fails within weeks of the sale.
“We had a job in Sunnybank Hills where the previous painter had done one coat of standard primer and two topcoats. Three weeks later the ceiling was yellow again. We stripped it, washed down properly, applied Zinsser, and repainted. That’s the only way to do it right.” — Steve West, Presale Services
$6,500
Average nicotine full treatment, 4-bed Brisbane home
$30k
Typical buyer discount on untreated nicotine home
4 days
Typical treatment to ready for photography
REAL JOB
WOODRIDGE
A three-bedroom fibro home on Kingston Road had been smoked in heavily for over 20 years. The ceilings were a deep yellow-brown, the original curtains were stained, and the carpet in the living area had a visible colour gradient where a lounge chair had sat for years. The smell was immediate and heavy from the front door.
Full wash-down with sugar soap, Zinsser BIN shellac primer on all walls and ceilings, two topcoats throughout in warm white. Carpet replaced in living room and main bedroom. Curtains removed and disposed of, replaced with simple voile panels from Spotlight. Deep clean throughout. Total: $7,200.
The home had previously been appraised by the agent at $480,000 in as-is condition. Post-preparation it sold at auction for $524,000 — a $44,000 uplift on a $7,200 investment.
REAL JOB
SUNNYBANK HILLS
A four-bedroom brick home on Gowan Road had been lived in by a smoking couple for 18 years. The internal walls were manageable — one coat of Zinsser and two topcoats. The real problem was the enclosed sunroom at the back, which had been used as a full-time smoking room and had absorbed years of concentrated nicotine into the double-brick walls and timber ceiling lining.
The sunroom required three coats of shellac primer before the stain bleed stopped. Two topcoats. The sunroom transformation alone took two days. Full property treatment including carpets and deep clean: $8,400. The sunroom went from an unusable liability to a functional second living area.
Agent had planned to market the property with the sunroom described as a “workshop” to manage buyer expectations. Post-treatment it was marketed as a second living area. Sold $37,000 above the agent’s pre-preparation estimate.
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PROBLEM 06 — FULL PROPERTY
Deceased Estate Presentation Guide Brisbane — What to Do, In What Order, and How to Get It Done When the Family Is Interstate
DIRECT ANSWER
A deceased estate in Brisbane almost always needs the full preparation package: rubbish and furniture removal, deep clean, full internal repaint, garden cleanup, external house wash, carpet clean or replacement, and any required repairs. The challenge for families is that they are grieving, often interstate or overseas, and have no local trade relationships. Presale Services manages the entire process as a single point of contact — the family makes one call, approves the quote, and receives a photography-ready property in 10–15 days. No contractor coordination required.
A deceased estate presents differently to a standard sale preparation. The property is usually dated — décor, fixtures, and fittings that reflect a different era. There are often decades of accumulated possessions. Garden maintenance has typically lapsed. The family is emotionally exhausted, frequently not local, and overwhelmed by the practical logistics on top of their grief.
The worst thing an executor or family member can do is attempt to coordinate the preparation themselves without local trade relationships. Waiting three weeks for a painter who doesn’t show, then restarting with another quote, while managing the emotional weight of clearing a parent’s home from Brisbane or interstate — this is how estates sit on the market for months, listed in below-par condition, and sell for tens of thousands less than they should.
The correct deceased estate preparation sequence
1
Walk-through assessment and full quote
Steve visits the property, documents all required work, and provides a single quote covering all trades. Photos sent to family. No obligation. Usually within 1–2 days of contact.
2
Full rubbish, furniture, and personal effects removal
Everything the family doesn’t want kept is removed. Skip bins, truck runs, charity donation drops where appropriate. Sub-floor, garages, sheds, and outbuildings all cleared. This step comes first — trades cannot work around a fully furnished estate.
3
Garden cleanup and external works
Lawn, garden beds, pruning, green waste removal. External house wash and driveway pressure clean. Gutter clean. Any external handyman repairs.
4
Internal deep clean
Full deep clean of the emptied property — kitchen, bathrooms, built-ins, sub-floor access points, ceiling fans, all surfaces. Odour treatment where required. This step before painting — always.
5
Painting, repairs, and flooring
Full internal repaint in warm neutral. Handyman repairs — doors, handles, cracked tiles, loose fittings. Carpet clean or replacement. Flooring assessed: many estates benefit from removing old carpet to reveal original timber underneath.
6
Final detail and photography
Final check of all surfaces, windows cleaned inside and out, garden blown and edges retrimmed, home aired. Agent notified. Property ready for photographer.
12
Average days from assessment to photography-ready
1
Phone number for the family to call
$40k+
Typical sale uplift vs unprepared deceased estate
REAL JOB
WYNNUM
A 1960s home on Clare Street had been the family home for over 50 years. The owner passed away and the three adult children were based in Sydney, Canberra, and New Zealand. The real estate agent referred them directly to Presale Services.
Full rubbish and furniture clearance (two truck loads, one skip bin for garden waste), full garden cleanup, external house wash, gutter clean, driveway pressure clean, internal deep clean, full repaint throughout in warm white, carpet replacement in two bedrooms, kitchen deep clean and deodoriser, bathroom regrout and silicone replace. Completed in 11 days. The family flew in to a home that looked nothing like the one they had packed up three weeks earlier.
First open home had 22 groups through. Sold unconditionally at the third open home. Final price: $73,000 above the estate’s expectations based on an earlier as-is appraisal.
REAL JOB
NUNDAH
A post-war home on Bradbury Street had been lived in by the same owner since the 1970s. The property had original carpet throughout, original kitchen fittings, and walls that had been painted many times without proper preparation — layers of paint had created a textured surface in every room. Heavy smoker. Garden completely overgrown — the back fence was invisible behind a decade of untended growth.
Rubbish removal, garden back-to-boundary cleanup, house wash, gutter clean, full internal strip-and-repaint with Zinsser on all surfaces due to nicotine, carpet removed throughout (original timber floors revealed — exceptional condition), timber floors polished and sealed, bathroom regrout, kitchen cleaned and deodorised. Full job: $11,200. The timber floors alone transformed the property’s character and market positioning.
Agent repositioned the marketing from “renovator’s opportunity” to “character home with original hardwood floors”. Sold $62,000 above the pre-preparation appraisal estimate. A $11,200 investment that returned more than five times its cost.
“Families dealing with deceased estates don’t need to manage seven different contractors. They need one person who knows what needs to happen, handles everything, and sends them photos when it’s done. That’s what we do.” — Steve West, Presale Services
DECEASED ESTATE — PREPARED VS UNPREPARED DAYS ON MARKET
Unprepared estate
~68 days
Fully prepared
~18 days
People Also Ask
Q
How long does it take to pressure clean a driveway in Brisbane?
Most Brisbane driveways take 2–4 hours on-site depending on size, surface condition, and whether pre-treatment is required for deep algae or oil staining. The driveway is dry and usable within a few hours of completion. Photography is best done the following day once the surface has fully dried and the clean colour is fully visible.
Q
Can you sell a house with mould in Brisbane?
Technically yes — but mould that is visible at inspection must be disclosed in Queensland under the seller’s duty to disclose known defects. More practically, visible mould triggers building inspection conditions, price renegotiations, and buyer withdrawals. Treating mould before listing costs $800–$1,500 for most Brisbane properties and eliminates the issue entirely. It is almost always the right commercial decision.
Q
How do you get rid of pet smell in a house before selling?
Pet smell — particularly dog and cat urine — requires enzyme-based treatment, not standard steam cleaning or air freshener. The enzyme solution breaks down uric acid crystals embedded in carpet fibre and underlay. If urine has penetrated the underlay, the carpet and underlay must be replaced — no treatment will fully remove the odour otherwise. Combined with a full internal deep clean and proper airing, most pet odour properties can be presented odour-neutral for photography and open homes.
Q
How much does it cost to fix nicotine stains before selling in Brisbane?
A standard three-bedroom Brisbane home with moderate nicotine staining typically costs $4,500–$6,500 to treat correctly — full wash-down, Zinsser BIN shellac primer on all surfaces, two topcoats, and carpet steam clean. A heavily affected four-bedroom home with an enclosed smoking room can reach $8,000–$10,000. The return on this investment is almost always strongly positive — nicotine homes without treatment are typically discounted $25,000–$40,000 by buyers before they even make an offer.
Q
Who manages a deceased estate property preparation in Brisbane?
Presale Services manages deceased estate preparation end-to-end across Greater Brisbane. Steve West visits the property, quotes all required work, and coordinates all trades — rubbish removal, cleaning, gardening, painting, handyman, carpets, and external washing — as a single contact. This is particularly valuable for families who are interstate or overseas and cannot be on-site to manage multiple contractors. Call Steve directly on 0413 065 815.
Q
Does an overgrown garden affect a Brisbane property’s sale price?
Yes — significantly. Brisbane buyers place enormous value on outdoor living, and an overgrown yard prevents buyers from visualising how they would use the space. In suburbs with larger blocks — Kenmore, Carindale, Pullenvale, Fig Tree Pocket — an overgrown yard can reduce effective buyer interest by 30–40% at open homes. A professional garden cleanup costing $500–$1,500 typically returns 10–20 times its cost in buyer engagement and offer strength.
Q
How soon before selling should you fix a slippery driveway?
At least 48 hours before photography — the driveway needs to be dry and the full colour contrast visible in photos. Ideally one week before the first open home so that any regrowth that occurs in the days after cleaning has been addressed. In Brisbane’s humid climate, algae can begin to return within 4–6 weeks of cleaning, so very early preparation on this item needs to be timed accordingly.
Got a Problem Property? One Call Fixes It.
Driveways, mould, gardens, smells, nicotine, deceased estates — Steve West has solved every one of these problems across Greater Brisbane for over 11 years. One number. Everything coordinated.
Call Steve — 0413 065 815
presaleservices.com.au · Greater Brisbane · Bayside · Logan · Ipswich · Northern Gold Coast
Originally published at presaleservices.com.au