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.