Last Updated on January 27, 2026 by Andrew Mckiggan
Figuring out which home improvements actually add value before selling — and which ones don’t — is one of the biggest financial risks for Gawler homeowners in 2026. While a full renovation might look great on Instagram, over-capitalising on a kitchen or bathroom is often the fastest way to shrink your final walk-away profit.
I saw this exact scenario play out just last week.
I walked into a property in Evanston Park, and the owner was apologising before we even got down the hallway.
“I’m sorry about the kitchen,” she said. “I know it’s 15 years old. We were going to rip it out and put in stone benchtops before we called you, but we ran out of time.”
I looked at the kitchen.
It was neat.
The cupboards were straight.
The oven worked.
It was perfectly functional.
“Don’t touch it,” I told her.
She looked at me like I was speaking a different language. She had spent the last three weeks stressing about tile choices and cabinet handles, assuming that without a shiny new kitchen, the house wouldn’t sell.
The Reality TV Trap
Why Instagram kitchens don’t set real-world prices
We all watch The Block. We see the drama, the styling, and the massive auction results. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that to sell a home in Gawler, you need to deliver a reveal-ready masterpiece.
But here’s the part reality TV doesn’t show you:
In real-world sales, buyers rarely pay you dollar-for-dollar for your renovation.
Across Gawler and surrounding suburbs, if you spend $30,000 on a new kitchen, it rarely translates into a $30,000 higher sale price. Often, it adds closer to $15,000 — sometimes less.
That means you’ve effectively paid $15,000 for:
- Three months of stress
- Living in a construction zone
- And hoping buyers value it the same way you do
That’s not an investment. That’s a gamble.
“Clean and Working” Beats “Brand New”
Buyers discount risk more than age
In the current market, buyers are looking for certainty, not perfection.
If a kitchen is clean, functional, and presentable, buyers can move in and live with it. They may plan an update in five years, but they won’t slash today’s offer because it isn’t the latest style.
What does spook buyers is risk.
Half-finished DIY jobs.
Peeling laminate.
Bathrooms that look like a leak waiting to happen.
When buyers see those, they don’t just deduct the cost of repairs — they also deduct for the hassle factor, uncertainty, and worst-case assumptions.
That’s where prices really fall.
The “Shine” Work That Actually Pays Off
Instead of full rip-outs, the smartest sellers in Gawler East and Hewett focus on low-risk presentation improvements — what I call the “shine” work:
- Replacing dated cabinet handles (≈ $200)
- Painting walls a clean, modern white (≈ $1,000)
- Professional cleaning and decluttering
- Leaving older tiles alone if they’re in good condition
These changes don’t try to impress buyers with luxury. They remove doubt — and that’s far more powerful when it comes to offers.
So Where Do You Draw the Line?
This is the question every seller eventually asks:
Does this bathroom actually need a renovation — or am I about to throw money away?
Guesswork is where over-capitalising happens.
That’s why I use a simple framework with clients called the 10% Rule. It’s not about whether a renovation looks good — it’s about whether the numbers still work once buyer psychology, risk perception, and market conditions are factored in.
It helps identify when a renovation budget is sensible — and when it’s likely to cost more than it returns.
We’ve put together a detailed breakdown of which upgrades tend to make money, which ones break even, and which ones commonly lose money in the current market.
👉 Read the full guide: Do All Home Improvements Add Value? (The ROI Matrix)
The Bottom Line
Don’t swing the sledgehammer until you’ve done the maths.
Most sellers don’t lose money because their home isn’t renovated enough — they lose money because they renovate without understanding how buyers actually value those changes.
If you’re standing in your home right now wondering what to fix and what to leave, a short conversation can often save tens of thousands before a hammer ever comes out.
I’d much rather help you keep $20,000 in your pocket than see it disappear into a renovation the buyer won’t pay for.
