GIVE THE PATH A BATH!

As renovators, we all aim for our newly renovated properties to sparkle and shine in every way possible when your reno’s complete. Any professional renovator will tell you that when it comes to selling, presentation is everything.

One of the most overlooked areas that renovators tend to forget is the front footpath. Believe it or not, this area can take a real battering during a renovation project particularly if concrete is involved or you’re cement rendering a brick fence to the front of your property. All too often I see these beautiful, newly renovated properties come onto the market for sale but the front footpath still bears the scars of the construction process. Construction residue, cement splats, paint overspray and a myriad of other strange substances can leave the foot path looking a little worse for wear. And guess what the first thing is that potential buyers are going to see when walking up to inspect your property? Enough said.

Never fear, getting the front footpath looking as good as the rest of your property is not that hard. Its time to call in the DIY plastic surgeon:

1. Hire a high pressure water cleaner or buy your own for about $300.00. A hire pressure water cleaner should get most, if not everything that’s stuck or imprinted off your footpath really quickly. Forget the old garden hose, it just doesn’t cut it. You need the hire pressure force behind you to remove things that won’t budge with an ordinary hose. And a word of advice for first time users, don’t underestimate the force behind these machines. If you’re not careful, the first pull of the trigger can have you dancing round your front lawn with a hose in the air. Light entertainment and a free comedy show for your neighbours I’m sure!

1. Once you’ve given your path its bath (via the high pressure clean) and waited overnight for it to thoroughly dry, what you’re likely to end up with is a clean path but a discoloured one. Problem? Don’t worry, us renovators eat problems for breakfast. Grab yourself a 4 litre can of paving paint in the same colour as the original footpath, buy a paint roller on an extension rod, roll up your sleeves and get to it. Simply roll a very thin layer of paving paint over the whole path and within next to no time, you’ll have the problem sorted.   It should take you less than 30 minutes to do with literally no skill level required. The key is to be very frugal with the paint. Less is more.

For less than $50.00 you’ll have a great looking path that fits with the polished presentation in the rest of your property. You only get 1 chance to make a great first impression with a potential buyer. Present your property the right way, from head to toe, regardless of how insignificant you think that area may be.