Monique Elario - Total Realty Kaikoura

11/09/2026

If selling's even crossed your mind, try this tonight, it takes about two minutes.👍

Walk outside. Properly outside, down the path. Then walk back in your own front door like you've never seen the place before, like you're a total stranger walking in for the first time.

And just notice what you notice. Not what you know is there, what actually catches your eye. Maybe it's the paint looking a bit tired. Maybe it's shoes everywhere by the door, or the entrance feels dark, or the garden's gotten away on you a bit without you really clocking it.

Because here's the thing: you can't really see your own home anymore. You know it's "just the shoe pile." You stopped smelling whatever your house smells like years ago. But someone walking in for the first time doesn't have any of that, they just see it, straight away.

And honestly, most of what you'd notice doing this costs nothing to fix. It's not about a big reno. It's just about seeing your own place the way someone else actually would.

Try it tonight. And if you want a second pair of eyes on it, just drop me a message, happy to come have a look and tell you what I'd notice too.

Monique, Total Realty Kaikōura

Licensed REAA 2008

10/09/2026

Not every renovation adds value, and some can actually make your home harder to sell.

A few I’d be careful with: 👇

• Removing a bedroom to create a bigger wardrobe, ensuite or living area

• Converting the garage and losing useful parking or storage

• Doing work that should have been consented, but wasn’t

• Spending heavily on a luxury kitchen or bathroom that’s well above the value of the home

• Poor DIY work that buyers may need to fix later

• Removing character features buyers actually love

• Spending big on things like pools, spas or elaborate landscaping that may not give you the same return

👍 The biggest thing to remember is this:

Just because you spend $40,000 on your home doesn’t mean you’ve added $40,000 to its value.

Before doing a major renovation because you’re thinking of selling, it’s worth getting some advice first. Sometimes a clean-up, fresh paint, small repairs and good presentation will do far more for your sale than a full renovation.

Monique — Total Realty Kaikōura

Licensed REAA 2008

10/09/2026

I've lived here three and a half years and I still do number six. Six dead giveaways you've just moved to Kaikōura.

1.You still stop for the seals 🦭

2.You check if it's a whale 🐋

3.You're still impressed by the name 🦞

4.You mention the earthquake unprompted 🛣

5.You've actually looked up at the sky at night 🌌

6. You pull over on Beach Road for the mountains🏔

What'd I miss? Tell me your own giveaway in the comments.

08/09/2026

5 things I wouldn't automatically replace before selling: the kitchen, the bathroom, the carpet, the curtains, the landscaping.

Not because they never need doing, but because it depends on the home, the buyer, and the price bracket. A clean, tidy version of what you've got often does more than a full reno.

The real question isn't "does this need updating" — it's "will the buyer for THIS home actually notice?" Worth a chat before you spend anything.

Monique — Total Realty Kaikōura

Licensed REAA 2008

08/09/2026

08/09/2026

"Made us feel well treated." 🧡

Getting a great result matters, but so does how the whole thing feels along the way. That line is the one I care about the most.

Thank you Alan and Chris. Lovely to work with you, and lovely to have Tracey alongside me on this one.

05/09/2026

Open home today.

Set back off the road, above the bay — with an outlook that runs from the mountains to the sea.

Quiet, private, and two and a half hours from Christchurch.

Auction Friday 18 September, 1pm. Phone bidding is available, and the information pack is ready to send.

34B Churchill Street, Kaikōura
Monique Elario 021 978 755
Tracey Petersen 027 2205990

04/09/2026

SOLD | 38 Hastings Street

So happy for my wonderful vendors as they begin their next chapter, and a big welcome to the new owners—I know you're going to love Kaikōura. ❤️

Licensed REAA 2008

04/09/2026

Everyone assumes buyers want a new kitchen. In my experience, that's usually not true.

When someone decides to sell, the instinct is almost always the same: paint, carpet, maybe finally do the kitchen or bathroom. It feels like the responsible thing to do. But "feels responsible" and "actually pays off" aren't quite the same question.

Here's how I see it: a full renovation often solves a problem for YOU; you get to enjoy the new kitchen if it doesn't sell straight away. A buyer's usually looking at it differently; they've never lived in it, they might have completely different taste, and odds are they'll change a few things to suit themselves eventually anyway. What I've found buyers actually respond to is often simpler: does it present well, does it feel cared for, does the obvious stuff work. Usually a cheaper bar to clear than a full reno.

So before spending anything, I reckon the better question isn't "does this need updating?" Honestly, almost anything could use updating if you look hard enough. It's "will the buyer for THIS home actually notice or care?" Different answer every time, in my experience, which is exactly why I'd always want to talk it through first rather than guess.

Worth chatting about before you spend a cent, not after.

Licensed REAA 2008