Napper Street,
South Coogee
We partnered with James Hardie to test, on a real home, which preparation can impact the final price, and how much first impressions really count. Here's what we found in South Coogee, and what it cost.
4
3
336m² · House
Two independent agents, no conferring and they agreed. This home is worth around low $3m today, and $3.5m-$3.7m with the right preparation and campaign.
INDEPENDENT APPRAISALS
Two agents. Two verdicts. Both published unedited.
There's no honest valuation without a plan to get there - so we published both agents' full strategy, not just their number.
Alexander Radoczy
Sales Executive
Agent's appraisal
I've sold a lot of homes in this area this year and over the years, and values are definitely increasing, simply because of the lack of property available to buyers.
The valuation on your house right now, before doing the facade and any other prep recommendations, I'd see sitting anywhere between $3.2 and $3.5 million.
If the preparation is done and the facade is renovated, I think it can achieve in the vicinity of $3.6 million, up to $3.7 million. That's where I'd position it.
Preparation to maximise
What we're finding in this market is that getting the property preparation right from the get-go is definitely increasing the end result.
For a home like yours in South Coogee, that means clearing the clutter, removing the large personal items, and doing real work on the garden and the outdoor areas, because that's what showcases the family-oriented lifestyle on this coastline.
With a new facade implemented on top of that, that's how we increase the value as far as we can take it.
Then it's the photography, the right photos, showcasing the natural light, and furniture that says: this is an ideal family home on the beach.
Sale method & marketing strategy
I'd recommend an auction, a four-week campaign, two inspections a week, and we'd get buyers through privately as well.
That gives buyers ample time, but also a deadline and a sense of urgency to work towards. That's how you get a strong result.
Buyer profile
Definitely your family buyer - upsizers looking for more space, and a lot of them coming from the surrounding suburbs. I'm finding buyers getting priced out of Randwick, Clovelly, Coogee and Bronte, and moving into South Coogee and Maroubra. That's where a lot of the enquiry is coming from at the moment.
Timing
Our timing recommendation this year looks a little different to what a lot of other agents would tell you. We'd recommend avoiding that spring rush everyone raves about, and focusing on the shoulder months instead.
If we can have the house ready, I'd be working towards an auction campaign start at the end of July - four weeks on market, in front of buyers while stock is still short, rather than competing with everything that lands in spring.
Insights
This market is genuinely different to what we've seen before. Where a property used to attract five to seven buyers actively competing, right now we're mainly finding two or three.
That changes everything. You can't just put it out there and hope, we have to sit down as a team, work out the best approach, and guide those few buyers correctly through to purchase.
Get the right buyers and the right process in place, and this is definitely a home that will sell well, based on its location, its configuration, its land size and its aspect.
Marnie Seinor
Sales Agent
Agent's appraisal
The average home in this area sits around the $3 million mark, and that's roughly where this one lands as it stands today.
With a makeover - the facade, the gardens, the styling, the painting, getting it presenting properly - I'd be positioning it between $3.3 and $3.6 million, as per my written proposal.
Coogee is tightly held. Buyers look here for years and homes simply never come available. So when one does come up and it presents beautifully, that's where you get the emotional price.
Preparation to maximise
First impressions are extremely important. It's the small things, the gardens, the styling, the painting, the facade, so that when people walk through that door they can see there's absolutely nothing they need to spend money on. That adds real value to the home.
I would also recommend styling the study downstairs as a fourth bedroom, as this will increase the pool of buyers.
Especially in today's economic market, buyers don't want to walk in and feel they have to spend another cent. They want to walk in, enjoy the home, and enjoy the coastal lifestyle it has to offer.
And first impressions start before anyone arrives, the photography and the video matter just as much, because that's where a buyer meets the home first.
Sale method & marketing strategy
The best sale method for this home would be an auction campaign. That's down to supply, the number of homes coming up is down, and demand in South Coogee is always strong.
Leading into an auction, it's really important to follow a process. On the day of photography, we bring our hot buyers list through. Then we build the social media reels and the marketing around it, we build the campaign before we go live.
That gives the property two weeks of off-market opportunity before we move into the auction campaign itself. By the time it goes live, the interest is already there.
Buyer profile
The target market is families, high-wealth, double-income families.
They're coming from locally, but they're also coming from the surrounding beaches, Bondi, Bronte, Tamarama.
And don't forget the International French School. We have international families moving into this area because of it, so there's a real opportunity to tap into the international family market as well as the local one.
South Coogee is a residential pocket within walking distance of the beach and surrounded by incredible schools. That's what draws them.
Timing
Timing works around the owners. Every seller's circumstances are different, and our job is to work to their plans, not the other way around.
Insights
Coogee is tightly held. People look here for years and homes simply never come available, demand is strong and supply is short.
I've been in real estate for over thirty years, and I grew up in this area. My kids went to school here. I live where I work. That hyper-local knowledge is how you connect with the buyers who will actually buy the home.
Get the presentation right, get the process right, and the price will follow. That's when you get the emotional price.
Fine Print: The appraisals, valuation estimates and recommendations shown here are the independent professional opinions of the individual licensed real estate agents named, given in their own capacity. They are not the opinions, advice, recommendations or endorsement of James Hardie™, which is a paid promotional partner of this experiment only. Estimates are indicative only, are not formal valuations, and are not a guarantee or promise of any sale price or price increase. Property values depend on many factors and can go down as well as up.
Every recommendation you've just heard has been priced. No guesswork, nothing hidden - the full picture.
SEE YOUR VERSION
This was South Coogee. What's your home worth?
Selling is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make, and most people only get one shot at it. Most owners never see what their home could really be worth until an agent's standing in their lounge room. We'll build your number privately, before anyone's involved.
Inside your free SellSmart account:
Your AI Home Maximisation report - what to do, what it costs, and what it returns.
Your digital twin - see your home before and after.
Two independent agent appraisals, by video - remain anonymous until you're ready.
Itemised costs from real local trades - 3 quotes in 24 - 48 hrs.
FULL TRANSPARENCY
The cost - itemised, nothing hidden
Every dollar, every trade, every day. This is what it actually costs to transform a facade.
| CATEGORY | DETAILS | COST |
|---|---|---|
| James Hardie | James Hardie Linea™ 180 Weatherboards (4200mm Every board, screw and tube of sealant on that facade – excluding labour | $9,800 |
| Hardie™ Install | Based on a straightforward installation, they have allowed for: 2 Carpenters across 7 days and a weeks hire of scaffolding | $16,200 |
| Painting | Full interior repaint, multi-coat on walls, ceilings and all woodwork | $12,000 – $18,000 |
| Staging | Full house styling | $7,000 – $9,000 |
| Gardening | A general tidy up of gardens and mulch to garden beds, pressure cleaning | $3,000 – $4,000 |
| TOTAL | | $48,000 – $57,000 |
Two independent agents, no conferring and they agreed.
This home is worth around low $3m today, and $3.5m-$3.7m with the right preparation and campaign.
Every cost except the cladding materials and install is a range, because we took multiple quotes from real local trades, not one fixed price. The range is the spread between them. The cladding figure is the itemised bill of materials at trade pricing, materials only. These are the numbers for this home - yours will differ.
THE METHOD
Selling for more, made simple.
Three free tools to see your real numbers before you sell - get clarity before you commit.
The real cost of selling
Fees, marketing, styling, legals - your true net before you decide a thing.
What your home’s worth
Anonymous appraisals from independent local agents. No details shared.
What’s possible for your home
Your digital twin and maximisation report - see the uplift before you lift a finger.
THE EXPERIMENT
Other reveals in this series
10 properties. 10 facade upgrades. 20 independent agent appraisals. All published.
