Limewash, oak and the art of the quiet refresh

The most valuable work we do before a sale is rarely the most dramatic. Buyers do not pay a premium for new kitchens they would have chosen differently. They pay for calm rooms, honest materials and the feeling that a house has been looked after.

Where the money goes

On a typical Riviera listing, our preparation budget runs between 0.5% and 1% of the expected price. Most of it goes into limewash or mineral paint in warm whites, refinishing original oak rather than replacing it, replacing tired light fittings and editing furniture until each room has one clear purpose.

We remove before we add. Most homes need fewer things, not newer things.

What it typically adds

Across our last 40 prepared homes, the median sale landed 4.2% above the price we would have recommended without preparation, and 11 days faster. That is not a promise, but it is a consistent pattern, and it is why Clara walks every house before we agree a price.