{"id":8901,"date":"2016-08-05T15:00:27","date_gmt":"2016-08-05T05:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/realestatetalk.com.au\/?p=8901"},"modified":"2016-08-05T15:00:27","modified_gmt":"2016-08-05T05:00:27","slug":"10-ways-to-give-your-home-a-facelift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/channels.realty.com.au\/realtytalk\/10-ways-to-give-your-home-a-facelift\/","title":{"rendered":"10 ways to give your home a facelift – John McGrath"},"content":{"rendered":"

 
\nIn his column in\u00a0Switzer<\/a>, John McGrath discusses the 10 best ways to\u00a0update\u00a0your home without blowing the budget.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s what he had to say:<\/h4>\n

With so many great renovating and home decorating shows on TV these days, it\u2019s no wonder people get inspired to make over their own homes.\"mcgrath\"<\/a>
\nBut ripping out entire rooms \u2013 which is what we usually see on TV \u2013 is not always required to achieve a great new look.
\nThere are plenty of cheap and easy ways to give your home a facelift without going to the expense of total replacement.
\nYou could literally save thousands of dollars if you just do a little research and have a good walk around your local hardware store.
\nHere is a list of cheap, quick and easy ways to smarten up your home:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Paint<\/h4>\n

Nothing lifts the look and feel of a home better than a fresh coat of paint.
\nPainting a whole house professionally is expensive, so you can save a lot by doing it yourself.\"Big
\nI recommend neutral colours, which allows you plenty of flexibility with furniture colours.
\nTalk to an expert about gloss versus matte and colour selection.<\/strong>
\nA quick way of doing things is to pick a neutral colour for the walls and then paint the doors, door frames, skirtings, architraves and ceilings in simple white.
\nConsider a mould-resistant paint for the bathroom and laundry.
\nIf you have children, look at wash and wear paints so you can wipe off marks more easily.<\/p>\n

2. New window coverings<\/h4>\n

Replace old-style options, like venetian blinds and long curtains, with more modern options like plantation shutters or roman blinds in neutral colours.<\/p>\n

3. Install a skylight<\/h4>\n

If your property is dark, skylights are your best friend.
\nBringing in more natural light will have an immediate and lasting effect on the ambience of your home.<\/p>\n

4. Replace light fittings<\/h4>\n

If you\u2019re on a budget, I\u2019d go for one or two designer light fittings \u2013 such as pendant lights in the main living areas \u2013 and cheaper, simple and uniform fittings in the other rooms.<\/p>\n

5. Replace wall light switch covers<\/h4>\n

This is a really cheap, but effective way of making every room look smarter.
\nMany older style homes have plain white light switch covers.
\nIf they\u2019re looking grubby or old fashioned, consider silver, stainless steel or a more modern white cover.
\nYou\u2019ll pay about $6.50 for a typical single switch silver cover at Bunnings.<\/p>\n

6. Steam clean carpets before considering replacing them<\/h4>\n

Some carpets are so worn out that nothing will save them \u2013 in which case, replace.
\nHowever if your carpets are in good condition, but just a bit grubby with some stains and marks, try professional steam cleaning before you spend thousands of dollars replacing them.7<\/p>\n

7. Replace door, drawer and cupboard handles<\/h4>\n

This very low cost change will have a big impact.
\nTry to find new handles that are similar in length and shape to your current ones, so you can place them over the holes from your previous handles \u2013 no filling required.<\/p>\n

8. Upgrade the garden with simple tricks<\/h4>\n

Bark mulch is a simple, low-cost way of making your garden look stylish and neat.\u00a0\"garden-300x241-300x241\"<\/a>
\nIt will also reduce weeds and the garden will require less watering.
\nIn terms of plants, large gardens can look great with a big range of plant varieties, but small gardens tend to look better with just a few types of plants.
\nAvoid deciduous plants (unless you enjoy raking leaves every weekend!) and instead target cheap evergreen varieties in similar shades of green.<\/p>\n

9. Consider quick kitchen updates<\/h4>\n

Depending on what your kitchen cabinets are made of, you might be able to paint them if they\u2019re still in good condition.
\nSame goes for splashback tiles.
\nOld laminate benchtops can be painted in another colour or even a stone-look laminate paint.
\nAlternatively, contact a kitchen company about refacing (brand new cabinet doors and drawer fronts with a matching veneer placed over existing cabinet boxes) or refinishing (painting\/staining all existing cabinetry).
\nYou\u2019ll be looking at a few thousand dollars to refinish, several thousand to reface, and tens of thousands to replace (unless you go for a simple flat pack kitchen, which is a great replacement option for lower priced properties).<\/p>\n

10. Consider quick bathroom updates<\/h4>\n

Resurfacing your tiles and bathtub is much cheaper than replacement.
\nEven bathrooms in darker colours can be sprayed a brilliant white.\"25924140_l\"
\nAlternatively, you can paint the tiles yourself, but get advice first and make sure you use a primer.
\nIf you want to replace the tiles, consider cheap ceramic tiles with a marble-like pattern or natural stone look.<\/strong>
\nAlso, replace your old shower frame with frameless glass \u2013 it\u2019s far easier to keep clean and the extra expense of glass over a new aluminium frame is worth it!
\nWhen doing any kind of renovations, you need to consider what actually suits your home.
\nI also recommend keeping re-sale in mind, even if you intend to stay put for the foreseeable future.
\nFor example, if you own a modest home at the more affordable end of the price scale, don\u2019t go tiling the bathroom with travertine stone because buyers in your price bracket will not pay more for that.
\nEqually, if you\u2019re renovating a larger home at the middle to higher end of the price scale, don\u2019t use cheap ceramic tiles when your buyers will expect travertine.<\/strong>
\nIf you need help making decisions, contact a local agent.
\nGood agents will be more than willing to give you advice even if you have no plans to sell, so why not leverage their expertise to help you make the right call on your next round of home improvements?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  In his column in\u00a0Switzer, John McGrath discusses the 10 best ways to\u00a0update\u00a0your home without blowing the budget. Here’s what he had to say: With so many great renovating and home decorating shows on TV these days, it\u2019s no wonder people get inspired to make…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176692471,"featured_media":5716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,17,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-story","category-property-investment","category-renovation-topic"],"yoast_head":"\n10 ways to give your home a facelift - John McGrath - Realty Talk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/channels.realty.com.au\/realtytalk\/10-ways-to-give-your-home-a-facelift\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 ways to give your home a facelift - John McGrath - Realty Talk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  In his column in\u00a0Switzer, John McGrath discusses the 10 best ways to\u00a0update\u00a0your home without blowing the budget. 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