text: Getting thousands of dollars more when you sell your house could be as simple as changing the door-knobs or sprucing up the curtains. Finder.com.au money and real estate expert Michelle Hutchison says there are easy ways to improve the look and feel of your home for prospective buyers - and they need not cost thousands. 'Spending a relatively small amount can go a seriously long way when it comes to the returns you could make on the value of your home,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Scroll down for video . Get into the garden: Tidying the edges, mowing the lawn and trimming the trees will improve the presentation of your home. This beautiful garden at 115 Jersey Road in Woollahra immediately catches the eye. The house on the market and last sold four years ago for $5.5m . Putting in new lights and light fittings can make a home stand out, just like this home for sale in Sandy Bay in Tasmania. It's expected to fetch upwards of $2.5m . Artwork like these paintings at 1 Madeline Street in Hunters Hill and photo collages, along with new curtains, can add plenty to your home's appearance. It went for $4.5m in 2013 and is on the market . This property at 5 Closeburn Avenue in Prahran stands out with its bright lights. New light fittings and a fresh coat of paint are winners, according to money expert Michelle Hutchison . Michelle Hutchison (right) is a money expert from Finder.com.au who insists that de-cluttering and reworking the wardrobes to look as presentable as those featured on The Block (left) will add cash to your sale . In most parts, the Australian property market remains at record high levels, and the experts say you can profit even more handsomely from a bit of elbow-grease. Ms Hutchison said going to the local hardware store and buying a few tins of paint can make a world of difference in just a few hours. Change the door handles . Paint the walls . Give kitchen cupboards new colour . Clean out the wardrobes . De-clutter the garage . Put in new carpet . Fix up the garden . Put in new curtains . Change the light fittings . Put up photo collages and paintings . 'Presenting your home with a fresh coat of paint, new carpet or even a good tidy can potentially add many thousands of dollars to your home's value,' she said. 'Get tidy and organised, and fix those things that have been broken forever. 'Get your kids involved to occupy them as well as save money by doing it yourself. 'It might be cheaper than going away for the weekend and the best part is that any improvements will almost guarantee you'll add significant value to your home.' Changing the door handles is her first tip. 'Replacing tired, grubby and dated door handles to shiny, matching new ones throughout your home can transform your doors and hallways,' Ms Hutchison said. 'New kitchen cupboard door handles can also give your kitchen a whole new fresh look . 'For as little as $5 and no more than $20 each from your local hardware store, they are inexpensive and an easy do-it-yourself project.' She said that a coat of paint is underestimated as a sell point but the fresh, brighter appearance of a house is very important ahead of a sale. 'Painting a light, fresh neutral colour on your walls can make your whole home much cleaner and brand new. 'If you have wooden kitchen cupboard doors you could also paint them which would give your kitchen a face lift. 'And don't forget to spring clean your cupboards and any areas that are cluttered such as a garage or study.' The doors and handles stand out in this part of 11A Molesworth Street, North Adelaide. Getting rid of marks on doors and frames and even changing door-knobs are encouraged by real estate assessors . A beautiful garden is a must like this which adorns this Woollahra property at 115 Jersey Road . Michelle Hutchison tells vendors to de-clutter clothes storage areas, lay new carpet and put images on the wall like you see at 1 Madeline Street, Hunters HIll . 'Tidying up and organising your storage spaces will always add value to any home, sell old clothes and shoes' she told DMA to make look wardrobes look as good as those on The Block . Finder's real estate assessors say buyers are increasingly on the lookout for places which have great storage space and that's an easy fix, even for the most cluttered of homes. 'Tidying up and organising your storage spaces will always add value to any home,' she insisted. 'Sell old clothes and shoes on sites like eBay or Gumtree or have a garage sale and you could make some money to go towards other fixes around your home. 'This gives the impression of having a bigger property, with families looking for as much storage space as possible.' First appearances are everything in real estate and the garden must be tended to. Interesting artwork and photo collages give homes real character. This 8 Cintra Avenue, St Kilda home has gained plenty of attention ahead of auction . New light fittings and carpet make a big difference and are among the ten top tips to add great value to your sale. This room has all those qualities in the 115 Jersey Road, Woollahra home . Lights, camera, action. Fittings and artwork adorn 27 Oban Street at South Yarra . Create wardrobe and storage space like they do on The Block and it will pay dividends say money experts . 'Spending some time in the garden can do wonders to the appeal of your home,' Ms Hutchison revealed. 'The best part is that it doesn't have to cost anything. 'Pruning plants and weeding and make a home look a million dollars. 'Some councils even provide free mulch which you can spread on your garden beds.' Once you're done on the outside, returning to the interior will serve you well. 'You can update any room with new curtains and best of all you don't have to spend thousands of dollars,' she said. 'Retailers like Kmart and Target sell ready-made curtains that even have block-out backing. 'Make sure you measure your window to ensure the curtain will cover it before buying. 'And change light fittings, just another small cost that can make a big difference to any room. 'Most lighting shops will have stock ready to go so there's no time wasted to order the fittings.' Her last tip is to be inventive about what you place on those newly painted walls, suggesting photo collages are a sure-fire winner. 'This is a great idea to add a personal touch to an empty hallway or blank walls,' Ms Hutchison said. 'The idea is to buy different coloured or sized photo frames and arrange them in an asymmetrical pattern.'
target: Money expert says spending a few hours and a bit of cash can add tens of thousands to your property value at sale .
  Among her tips are things simple as changing door handles and curtains .
  Michelle Hutchison says paint the walls and the kitchen cupboards .
  Other tips include: Clear the clutter to make you home appear bigger .