Majella Galvin: Should I sell while the garden looks great or wait til renovations are finished?

A detailed look at the importance of selling when the time is right

Majella Galvin: "Buyers mentally deduct the cost, disruption, and risk of completing unfinished works themselves."

Hi Majella, I have a detached bungalow on an acre which I was renovating and planning to put on the market in April. However, delays happened and the tradespeople are way behind. I don’t even have a finish date yet, but it will likely be October. The outside looks OK, and the garden is in full bloom, but the inside needs a lot of work. We are doing a complete refit — new wiring, bathrooms, kitchen, tiles, etc. While I know it will be lovely when finished, I am worried if we wait til October the garden won’t look as good and we’ll have missed the summer market. I can’t afford to hold onto it until next summer. So am I better off selling now as is, or finishing the work and waiting until October? Tom, East Cork

Hi Tom, Firstly, I completely understand why you are feeling torn. Renovating a property while trying to time the market can become incredibly stressful, particularly when delays begin to creep in. What often starts as a straightforward project with a clear timeline can quickly become uncertain once tradespeople fall behind, materials are delayed, or costs begin to rise.

While you may have missed the April window, the good news is this decision is not simply about whether the garden looks better in summer than autumn. The far more important question is: what type of buyer are you trying to attract, and what version of the property is most likely to achieve the strongest result?

The very first thing I would advise you to do is speak to your estate agent and get their honest opinion on both the likely finished value and the marketability of the property in its current condition. A good agent who knows your local market should be able to advise whether the refurbishment is adding meaningful value, what type of buyer the home is likely to attract, and whether waiting until completion is financially worthwhile.

Get professional photos taken

I would also strongly suggest arranging professional external photos now while the garden and grounds look their absolute best. This is something many sellers overlook. If the garden is currently in full bloom and the exterior presents well, capture that now. Those photos can still be used later in the year if you launch in October.

Another advantage of engaging with your agent now is that they can begin quietly preparing the market in advance. Experienced agents are constantly speaking to buyers whose requirements they already know. If your property is likely to appeal to downsizers, families relocating, or buyers seeking a turnkey bungalow on a larger site, your agent can start matching it against their database and quietly alerting suitable buyers that a property fitting their criteria is likely to come to market in October. This can be extremely valuable.

From what you describe, this is not a light cosmetic refresh. You are carrying out a substantial refurbishment involving rewiring and wider modernisation works. In effect, you are repositioning the property into a completely different segment of the market. That distinction is extremely important.

Bungalow appeal

A detached bungalow on an acre already carries strong appeal in today’s market. Single-storey living attracts a broad range of buyers including downsizers, families, returning emigrants, and purchasers seeking long-term flexibility. A larger site also adds lifestyle appeal, particularly for those wanting privacy, gardening space, or potential for home offices, workshops, or future extensions subject to planning permission.

However, buyer expectations have changed significantly in recent years. While there is still demand for properties requiring work, many buyers are now cautious about taking on major renovations themselves. Construction costs remain high, reliable tradespeople can be difficult to secure, and the reality of managing a refurbishment can feel overwhelming to buyers already stretching financially to purchase a home.

As a result, turnkey and fully modernised homes tend to attract stronger interest and often achieve significantly higher prices than properties requiring substantial upgrading. Buyers are increasingly willing to pay a premium for certainty, convenience and immediate move-in condition.

This is why completing the works can dramatically widen your pool of potential buyers.

If you launch the property now ‘as is’, buyers would not simply assess it based on appearance. They would mentally deduct the disruption, cost, and risk of completing the unfinished works themselves. In most cases, they will overestimate those costs rather than underestimate them. For example, buyers may assume:

• The renovation budget could increase
• There may be hidden issues
• Trades could take months to complete
• Additional upgrades will be required
• Living through the works would be disruptive

Buyer confidence

Even if much of the difficult work is done, unfinished properties create uncertainty, and uncertainty tends to reduce buyer confidence.

By contrast, once the property is completed, buyers can emotionally connect with it. They see a finished kitchen rather than imagining one. They experience the warmth, layout and presentation immediately rather than calculating future expense. Emotion plays a major role in property decisions, and finished homes almost always photograph, view, and sell better than renovation projects.

You also mentioned concern about “missing the summer market”. This is something many sellers worry about, but in reality, the property market is now far more active year-round than is often assumed.

Condition and presentation usually outweigh seasonality: a beautifully renovated bungalow launched in October will generally attract stronger interest than a partially completed property launched in June.

Your concern about the garden is understandable, particularly if it currently looks its best. However, gardens can still present very well in autumn with some preparation. Mature trees changing colour, tidy lawns, fresh gravel, seasonal planting, and clean outdoor areas can all create strong kerb appeal. Buyers do not expect an October listing to look like mid-summer; they expect it to be well maintained and presented.

Get market ready

The bigger risk, in my opinion, would be bringing the property to market before it is truly ready. Partially completed renovations can create complications beyond appearance and buyers may question if the works have been carried out correctly, if budgets ran over, or if there are underlying issues with the property, etc.

Even where none of these concerns are justified, unfinished work naturally invites hesitation.

That said, there is another important factor: your finances and stress levels. You mentioned you cannot afford to hold the property until next summer. That is entirely understandable. Renovations are expensive, and ongoing costs such as mortgages, utilities, and insurance can quickly add pressure. The key question therefore becomes whether you can realistically complete the project by October without compromising quality or financial stability.

If the answer is yes, then in most cases I would lean towards finishing the refurbishment and bringing a completed product to market in autumn.

However, if delays continue, costs escalate or the project begins causing financial strain, then selling before full completion may become the more sensible and lower-risk option. Sometimes the pursuit of a perfect finish can become an endless moving target.

In summary, your decision should not be driven purely by the calendar or the garden. The real consideration is which version of the property will generate greatest buyer confidence and achieve the strongest overall result.

Finish the home properly, present it well, maintain the garden as best you can into autumn, and focus on delivering a turnkey property buyers can immediately connect with. That is usually what achieves the best outcome. The SCSI has published a couple of consumer guides full of useful tips and which are well worth a read. They include A Clear Guide to Selling a Home and Speed up your Property Sale.

• Majella Galvin is chair of the Membership and Public Affairs Committee of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland. She is a chartered surveyor, estate agent and registered valuer at DNG Galvin auctioneers Bandon.