One of the questions we get regularly from homeowners across Bankstown and South-West Sydney is whether rendering their brick home makes financial sense, particularly when they are already planning an exterior repaint. This is not a simple yes or no answer. It depends on your home’s current condition, your goals, and what you are willing to invest.
What Rendering Actually Involves
Rendering means applying a cement or acrylic coat over an existing brick or block wall, creating a smooth or textured surface that is then painted. The process involves: surface preparation of the brick including washing and removal of any loose mortar; application of one or more render coats; a sealer or primer coat once the render has cured; and two topcoats of exterior acrylic paint.
Cost Comparison: Render Then Paint vs Paint Brick
Painting Existing Brick
A professional exterior repaint of a standard double-brick three to four bedroom home in South-West Sydney costs approximately $3,000 to $6,000 depending on home size, access, and prep required. Sources: ServiceSeeking Australia
Full Render and Paint
Rendering a standard three to four bedroom home costs approximately $8,000 to $20,000. Adding paint after rendering adds another $3,000 to $5,000, bringing the total to $11,000 to $25,000. Sources: hipages Australia, Archistar
[ Screenshot: Before and after of a Bankstown or Canterbury brick home after rendering and painting ]
What Rendering Adds in Value
Independent research on presale property improvements consistently shows that rendering an older brick home can significantly improve first impression and buyer interest. One analysis found that significant exterior improvements added between 5 and 10 per cent to the sale price of residential properties in urban NSW. Sources: CoreLogic Australia
A calculation worth running: if your home is worth $900,000 and rendering adds 6 per cent to the sale price, the uplift is $54,000. Against a rendering and painting cost of $18,000, the financial case for rendering before sale is strong.
Reasons Rendering Might Not Be Worth It
- You plan to stay long-term — the aesthetic payoff is clear, but if you are not selling, the return on investment calculation changes
- Your brick is in good condition and relatively modern — newer brick from the 1990s and 2000s often looks better painted directly than rendered
- The home has significant maintenance issues — rendering should not be the first priority if guttering, roofing, or structural issues need addressing first
The Middle Option: Feature Render
Some homeowners opt for partial rendering — applying render to specific sections like a garage door surround, front entrance, or a feature wall — rather than the full facade. This typically costs $2,000 to $6,000 and can refresh the street presence of a home without the full investment.
The Heritage and Planning Angle
For some properties in Bankstown and South-West Sydney, particularly those with heritage overlays, rendering a brick facade may require council consent. Check on the NSW Planning Portal before committing to a rendering project — the process takes five minutes and avoids a potentially significant planning issue.
Final Thoughts
Rendering is a meaningful investment that makes sense in the right circumstances — particularly for presale, for homes with dated brickwork, and for homeowners with a long-term view on property value.
Our house rendering team can provide a realistic assessment of your specific home before you commit. See our guides on what house rendering costs in Bankstown and how rendering transforms older brick homes in Sydney.
