Five easy and inexpensive ways to make over your home

Isabelle Lane| The New Daily| 23 June 2018

https://thenewdaily.com.au/money/property/2018/06/23/guide-easy-inexpensive-home-makeovers/

If your home’s looking drab and uninspired don’t despair. With stylish homewares and furnishings increasingly available at affordable prices, it’s easier than ever to give your home an inexpensive yet impactful makeover.

The New Daily asked two interior design experts for their top do-it-yourself budget home makeover tips. Here’s their verdict.

Rugs and throws 

Rugs can add warmth, comfort, softness, texture and definition to unify a space, Queensland University of Technology interior design lecturer Natalie Wright says.

“They can unite different and disparate pieces of furniture and also change the feel of a room by covering an existing dated floor finish,” she says.

Throws have a similar effect. Draped over chairs and couches have a similar effect, throws in a variety of patterns and colours can help create a cosy and comfortable vibe.

Lighting 

Lighting is an important item that is very often overlooked as an organising element and creator of ambience for space, Ms Wright says.

“Once you have decided where you want the focus of the room to be, carefully consider the type and colour of lighting and functional requirements, and use decorative lighting pieces to highlight specific furniture items or materials and distract the eye from the less desirable features of a room,” she says.

Table and floor lamps are a great way to change the mood of a space with ease, Fremantle-based Arcadia Design Studio director Amy McDonnell says.

“Look for warm light sources or ones that can be dimmed. You can purchase great designer lighting quite affordably through online stores,” she says.

Greenery

From ‘living buildings‘ to indoor ‘it’ plants including fiddle-leaf figs and monsteras, allowing nature into the home has never been more on trend.

“Greenery is also a great way of transforming an interior. There are lots
of beautiful indoor plants available and an ever growing selection of pots and stands that you can collect and curate,” Ms McDonnell says.

“Grouping pots together can help to activate empty corners of the home; working with different heights makes for a more dynamic composition.”

A fresh coat of paint   

A fresh coat of paint has the power to dramatically transform a space with minimal cost and just a little bit of effort.

“Paint really is your best friend when the budget is tight,” Ms McDonnell says.

Whether you go for a statement colour or a classic neutral, a refresh of the walls can have a huge impact.

“In my opinion it’s hard to go wrong with crisp white walls in any room of the house; this allows you to layer lots of different elements and furnishings into the space over time,” she says.

De-clutter and create space     

Space is a precious commodity in most homes, and innovative ways of creating more of it can be crucial to the success of a home makeover.

“Size matters – we all crave more space in our homes, to escape and rewind from the busyness of our daily lives,” Ms Wright says.

“When renovating for future resale or just to add comfort and value, consider how the property could be made to feel more spacious.”

De-cluttering with clever use of storage cabinets and room screens can make a home feel more spacious,” Ms Lane says.

RBA CASH RATE UNCHANGED

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has decided to keep the cash rate at 1.5 per cent for the 25th consecutive month of RBA announcements

MORE TIGHTENING TO INTEREST ONLY LOAN

Earlier this year, the regulator announced new curbs to interest-only lending. Regulator’s focus on tightening of credit regulations on interest-only loans is a welcome change as it has encouraged more responsible lending by banks and other institutions to not place customers under undue stress and thus end up paying more on their home loans, particularly if their loan is an owner-occupied loan.

HOW TO NEGOTIATE IN A SOFTER HOUSING MARKET

Whatever the state of the market, every negotiation is based on the same premise – vendors want to receive the highest possible price while buyers want to pay as little as possible. Both, however, need to give careful thought to how they approach a negotiation when the market is in decline.

TIPS FOR VENDOR’S :

Be realistic ,Take offers seriously AND Be ready to act.

TIPS FOR BUYER’S :

Do your research – be clear about a realistic market price.

Let the agent know if you’re interested in a property

Call now on 1300 30 6767 or enquire through the form.