You know the saying, ‘fake it till you make it’. Well this can apply to our homes too!
If your property has seen better days but you only have a very limited budget, you will be happy to read the following tips to ‘fake’ a home renovation on a shoestring budget. These tips apply to those looking to maximise their sales price as well those who have bought a seriously dated home or anyone who simply wants to refresh their existing home. Best of all, none of these tips involve knocking down walls or spending a lot of money.
- A fresh coat of paint
Painting the walls may seem an obvious solution to lifting the look and feel of your home. But have you also considered painting cupboards, doors or even respraying a dated bathroom? A great paint job can do wonders to bring your property into the modern era and make it look and feel brand new. For surfaces other than walls, it’s best to seek advice from a professional painter, as some surfaces require different primers and treatments.
- Replace tapware
It may not seem like much, but you will be astounded to see the difference in a room simply by replacing dated taps in the kitchen and bathroom with more modern options. Popular choices for tapware in 2020 are matte black and brushed brass.
- Update old handles
Just like the tapware, replacing old handles on doors, cupboards and drawers with more modern styles will lift the room a lot more than you think. For less than $100 you could buy a set of beautiful new handles for your kitchen and install them yourself with nothing more than a tape measure, screwdriver and around an hour of your time.
- Assess your window treatments
Did you know you can make low ceilings appear higher simply by raising the curtain rods and allowing your curtains to fall from close to the ceiling rather than the top of the window? Another tip when it comes to window treatments is to assess your blinds, if you have them, and replace broken or old-fashioned blinds with new more modern blinds. If you’re on a tight budget, your local hardware store would have a range of inexpensive DIY ready-to-hang blinds that would do the job nicely.
- Replace tired old benchtops in the kitchen and bathroom
If you don’t have the budget for a new kitchen or bathroom, there are some clever ways to fake it. Imagine how amazing your dated kitchen and bathrooms would look if you replaced the tapware, handles and the benchtops! Benchtops can be a huge selling point for a home. Opt for quality stone over cheap imitations, which can be prone to staining. Or consider timber, which is very much on trend in benchtops right now and has a warm timeless appeal.
- Brighten up the laundry & improve its functionality with clever storage solutions
A trip to Bunnings or IKEA will help you find modern, affordable DIY storage solutions that are not only practical but look great too.
- Let there be light
Nothing looks more depressing and uninviting than a home that lacks good lighting. Assess the quality of the lights in each room and take a trip to your local lighting store for some modern alternatives. Consider:
- A feature pendant light over the dining table,
- LED strip lights over benches, and
- Directional lighting in the bathroom.
As you can see, refreshing your home doesn’t have to be an expensive exercise to be effective. You will be amazed what a difference a few simple, affordable tricks will make.
If you are thinking about selling and would like some help and examples of how to present your home, have a look at our Property Presentation Service details on our website.