Your home is not just a place to live but an investment lined with the equity you might need to upgrade or even retire. So it pays to do some renovations but if you are on a budget the consider some more budget ways of improving your home. One way is adding pergolas or perhaps just updating patios to give your home extra space to enjoy.

These types of investment add property value to your home as well as personal value as you and your family can enjoy them. Remember, if it ever comes time to sell, adding things you enjoy means that potential buyers will see the value there as well. It is also not just about adding to your home but maintaining what you already have.

Improving Your Outdoor Area

Improving your outdoor area is a really simple way of increasing your house value. If you are looking to sell people look for an established garden as well as a good outdoor area ready to entertain guests in. If you do the work and create a well maintained garden then this will add some value to your home instantly.

It is a good idea (if you don’t have a green thumb) to use easy to maintain plants that will look good all year round. It is no good having annuals that you have to replace every year unless they are used to complement other plants. You might also want to install a watering system even under your patio so that you can more easily water your plants.

Bringing the Outside In

Opening up the back of your home onto your outdoor area can create a great sense of space without a huge cost. Consider installing sliding doors or even trendy bi-folds so you can walk straight out onto your decking or have your house expanded when you are entertaining. It is also helpful to create views from your windows using planter boxes and well positioned larger plants in the garden.

This will not only add value to your house but make it a more pleasant place to live in. You might also want to make a little herb garden in your kitchen to provide fresh ingredients as well. Remember not to keep the outside out if you can incorporate it more into your home.

A Lick of Paint

Never forget that a simple coat of paint can work wonders for your home and freshen up the most drab house. This is also applicable for flooring, tiling and any cornices and edging you have in the house. If they look boring to you take the opportunity to brighten your house up as well as introduce a complete colour scheme for your home.

It’s the Little Things that Count

The most important point to remember is that it is the little details that count the most. Make sure your doors match the house and even new taps can brighten up a home. If you notice any slight damage to a wall then fix it, especially if you are looking at improving the house so you can sell it.

The great Australian dream has always been considered owning your own home and personalising it. It seems that we may have the idea of a quarter acre block with a three bedroom house in the back of our minds but those days are past. Now, a great Aussie home is what you make it but there are still some common factors affecting what we purchase and how we upgrade our accommodation.

The Australian home is getting smaller in the city areas but the family home has continued to be popular in other areas. The key to a great Aussie home is in how liveable it is and how good it is for entertaining. As a very sociable nation having patios and pergolas to entertain under is extremely important.

Your Outdoor Area

Your outdoor area should be a source of pride for a great Aussie home and whether you have a big lawn or just a few pot plants it has to a place to enjoy. It is here that you will spend your summers escaping the heat under your pergola or on your veranda with a cold drink. Consider where Australia would be without all of these great outdoor areas around our homes.

Even if you do not have a big backyard like older Australian homes you will usually have at least a balcony. An outdoor area lets you have a classic Australian BBQ with friends or to just sit around and gossip and chat. Even a courtyard is enough to have you living the great Australian dream.

Somewhere to Escape

The Australian home is a place of refuge, a place to escape to when the world is getting you down. You can come inside after a hard days work and should be able to switch off. This is why an Aussie home needs to be comfortable with at least one lounge (preferably 2 or more!) and of course a great living room.

A Place for the Television

The living room is the usual place Australians like to keep ‘one’ of their television sets. In fact, many Australians own multiple TVs and it is not uncommon for a family to have one in each room. Such a sport loving nation needs to have the cricket, footy or golf on in every room of the house!

Australian homes are changing a little though as the use of computers and other technology starts to creep in. We are seeing Australian internet with multiple computers in family households as we get our entertainment more and more from Youtube than television. We won’t see the television disappear but we will see it become more interactive (and possibly 3D!) in the years to come.

Let the Breeze In

A breezy Australian house suits a relaxed Australia lifestyle down to the bone. The classic Australian home used to have a big hallway running down the middle so that the summer breeze could blow right through the house and keep it cool. Australian’s have now fallen in love with air-conditioning but there is nothing like nice fresh summer air coming in through the windows!

Your home is a big investment and it is not enough to just keep it in good order. You really need to look at ways to improve it if you want it to be enjoyable in the future or if you want to sell it later on. Any improvements you make to your home will increase its value and also make it a lot more pleasurable to live in.

So where do you start when trying to decide how to improve your home? It is best to make a list by going around your home and marking down anything that annoys you or you think could be improved. This could be something simple and easy to fix such as a lack of pergolas or patios to provide shade outside.

Updating Your Outdoor Area

Your outdoor area may not be used as much in winter right now but this does not have to be the case. Having some good cover outside and an outdoor heater can give an entertainment area all year round. Try to make your outdoor area flow on from your house.

This can be achieved by having a patio connected to your home with large sliding or by-fold doors. This gives your home a sense of space and makes your backyard inviting. If you have a fabulous garden you will also want to have a great view of it when you are inside.

Renovating the Kitchen

They say the kitchen is one of the most important rooms of the house. This is probably because we all have to eat and will spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Combining your updates outdoors to include an outdoor kitchen will add a huge amount of value to your home.

This means next time you are entertaining you can cook outside with the guests instead of being separated from the social activity. If you are looking to sell in the future try and make your kitchen upgrades a neutral as possible. Remember, your tastes will not usually match those of the buyers so your investment may have been wasted.

Changing the Flooring

Flooring is one of the easiest ways to improve the house and habits in flooring are changing dramtaically. Before, we all used to have carpet but to keep things cleaner more of us are moving to floorboards and tiles. This makes sense in Australia where most of the year is hot and this type of flooring is much cooler than carpeting.

Refreshing the Paint

A simple paint job is a great way to have your house smelling new and looking wonderful. Be sure to research your paint properly as you will need different types for indoors, outdoors as well as wet areas such as bathrooms. You may also want to consult with some colour charts to use a repainting as a way of implementing a standard colour theme throughout the house.

Any type of home upgrades should be looked at carefully. If you are thinking about doing DIY make sure you are confident and not making any structural changes to your home. If you do it yourself and do it wrong you will still have to employ a tradesmen to fix it so do it right the first time.

There’s nothing quite as rewarding as constructing or designing something from scratch that you know will benefit your family. For generations, people have tested out the DIY waters, endeavouring on projects to improve the lives of those around them, whether it’s a small project like a new door for the bedroom or something substantially larger like a pergola , the thrill of doing it yourself is unparalleled. If you’re looking for something to keep yourself (or your other half) occupied, here are a few suggestions of structural DIY projects that can benefit your home. After all, you know what they say about idle hands…

Treehouse for the Kids

Show us a kid that doesn’t love a treehouse and we’ll be mighty surprised. There’s something about the magic of a special little hideout just for the kids that evokes a story-book sense of wonder and adventure. If you’re planning on building a treehouse for the kids, your primary consideration obviously needs to be safety. For this reason, we don’t recommend designing it yourself (unless you’re an engineer) but there are several plans available online and through your local hardware store that you can follow in order to create a sturdy structure. Other things to consider are height, accessibility, the age of your children and whether you’re going to be ambitious and create an entire house or stick to a more basic platform-style. Whatever the end result, your kids will be thrilled to bits that they have a new place to play, and we’re guessing you’ll feel pretty chuffed as well!

Garden Shed

If you have a big backyard, one of the most useful additions you can make to your home is a garden shed. Not only will it provide shelter for bikes, tools and garden equipment, but it will help make your backyard tidy and streamlined, without all of the extra clutter lying around! Depending on how you’ll use your shed, there are several options for how you can build it. You can use a plan and purchase the materials individually, or you can purchase a ready-designed model that requires you to assemble and erect it. Make an honest assessment of your abilities before you start out, it can often be a lot simpler and cheaper to buy a package deal and build it from that rather than to source and build it from scratch.

Veranda

Of course, once you’ve knocked the shed and the treehouse off your list, all that remains to be conquered is the mighty veranda . There’s nothing better than the space and entertainment value of a good veranda, and with so many styles to choose from you can really impress your friends (and your family!) We recommend consulting a veranda or pergola company to discuss design and materials, at which point you can decide how much you want to ‘DIY’ and how much you want to leave in their hands. Once you have the design and the materials delivered you can invite a few friends over who owe you a favour and get started erecting your brand new addition.

Adding value to your home doesn’t always need to involve changing the existing structure of the house. You can also increase your property value by installing an additionalstructure that is both useful and aesthetically pleasing. If you have some extra space on your block of land, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy the benefits of a pergola , veranda, patio or carport. Here. we outline the benefits of each…

Carports

A carport is a highly useful addition to any home, especially if you don’t have a garage. Not only is a carport a safer and more secure option for storing your vehicle, building one could have long-term benefits in terms of insurance premiums. Auto insurance takes into account where your vehicle will be parked, among other things, and the more protected it is while parked, the lower the premiums should be. A lockable, solid carport can provide you, and your insurer, with peace of mind.

Patios

A patio is a beautiful addition to a home, and adds a touch of charm and class to any backyard. The best part about a patio is that you can choose to install it anywhere on your property, whether it’s by the pool, up in the back corner of your yard or right there by the house itself. Depending on what you want, you can be as lavish or as subtle as you want when it comes to patio size and design. A lot of people like to integrate their patios with their gardens as well, encouraging the growth of roses and other creepers. A patio can be versatile as well, serving as a barbecue area, an extra dining room or just a romantic little retreat for enjoying those warm summer nights.

Pergolas

A pergola is becoming a more and more common feature in the Australian backyard, both because of its sturdy nature and versatility. A pergola can not only provide shelter from all types of weather, it can act as a large barbecue area, a play area for the kids where they’re safe from the sun’s harmful rays or an extra entertaining space featuring anything from a dartboard and pool table to a water feature or pond.

Verandas

Verandas are not only versatile and functional, but they add a homely and charming feel to any property. Whether you choose a wrap-around country style veranda or a more contemporary option, your home and your family will benefit from the options for enjoyment that it provides.

When considering ways to increase your property value, it pays to think about what you can add to your home, rather than what you can change about the existing structure. Often this is a more affordable option, and one that yields far more impressive results.

Buying a home is one of the biggest investments many of us will make, but something that a lot of people neglect to realise is that the investment continues throughout your ownership as well. In order to maintain your investment and increase your home’s value there are several steps you can take, from the more minor maintenance issues such as painting and landscaping to some more significant value-adds such as renovations, pergolas or extensions. From the minor to the major, we’ve put together a list of options for increasing your home’s value. Enjoy.

Minor Changes

It doesn’t have to be a large-scale change that adds value to your home. Part of protecting your investment concerns maintenance, and making sure that the little things don’t build up and turn into big things later on down the track! In terms of small actions you can take, having carpets regularly steam-cleaned, ensuring guttering is all functional and in good repair and keeping plumbing in check should be regular commitments around the house. Minor repairs such as holes in gyprock or cabinets that require some work should be dealt with as they present themselves, not left to manifest into bigger problems. By addressing these minor elements when they need to be addressed, you save yourself the hassle of having to attack a to-do list as long as your arm when the time comes to sell.

Medium Changes

Some more middle-of-the-road changes you can make to your home in order to increase its value include replacing windows and doors, updating the back and front yard landscaping and making relatively minor structural enhancements such as a pergola, cabana or garden shed. These additions, while they represent more work than basic maintenance, are worth the investment because of the way they make your home more attractive to investors. A garden shed or entertaining area is an asset in any home, and if you are considering selling, one that could have a real effect on the price you get.

Major Changes

If you’re really looking to update and improve your home’s value, you can’t go past renovating or extending. While either of these options represents a significant cash outlay, a good renovation can add tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to your home’s worth, as can an extension. Likewise, major changes to your curb appeal such as rendering or a veranda can be investments that see wonderful returns.

It’s important to remember to treat your home like the investment that it is. Whether you’re looking to increase the value to make a profit, or simply to enhance the quality of life your family enjoys, always weigh up the benefits with the cost, and you won’t go wrong.

If your home is starting to feel a little bit too small but you cannot afford to move at present, it can feel as though you are stuck for space. But there are solutions that can greatly enhance your home without having to go to all the expense of building an extension.

The other problem with an extension of course is that you may not have enough room to make one practical. If you are in this situation now you might want to think about having a veranda built instead, because if it is done properly and designed with care and attention it can really transform your whole house.

The first step is to take a good look at the outside of your home and think about the amount of space you could give over to a veranda. It doesn’t need to be a perfect square or rectangle either – if you have space along one side of your house as well as at the rear, you could create an L shaped veranda that ‘hugs the house’. This can look stunning when it is finished and the ground is done to your chosen design as well.

The secret of a good veranda is that it almost becomes another room. The roof transforms what was previously just a part of the garden into a sheltered area where you can put a table and chairs for entertaining. You could even use it as an outside office when the weather is nice enough! Just imagine sitting outside with your laptop and enjoying a cool iced tea while you finish typing that report.

It’s important to think about how you would use your verandah before you decide on the final design or size you are going to opt for. For example, if you plan to use it for entertaining you will need to make sure it is big enough to accommodate the table and chairs you have in mind. You might also want to use a sun lounger to relax in the shade, but if the veranda is too small then you won’t be able to use it like you had intended.

Just as with any other room in your house, you can add some decoration to your verandah as well. You could paint the walls of that part of your house a slightly different colour perhaps, or simply add some colour by putting a number of hanging baskets, pots and troughs filled with flowers around the structure itself.

All these things help to mark out the area as being separate from the rest of your house, and even as a separate area when compared to the rest of your garden too.

All in all a veranda is excellent value for money and one of the easiest ways to completely alter the mood and feel of your property. No matter what style house you have, you will be able to find a verandah that will fit right in and look as if it was always meant to be there.

If you are looking to sell your home in the near future and you haven’t currently got a veranda, you might want to think about adding one before your house goes up for sale.

Adding a veranda not only increases the attractiveness of your garden, it also increases its versatility. It provides a shaded spot to enjoy the delights of the summer weather and the garden as a whole, and it can even add the feeling of having another room – albeit outdoors – that the new owners can enjoy.

A veranda has several advantages over the other option of having a conservatory built. Firstly it is much cheaper, which makes it a good bet if you are looking to make improvements to your home without spending too much money.

Secondly it is much quicker and easier to build, yet it still adds that feeling of creating an extra space in your garden in which you can relax and stay out of the sun if necessary. It is also far more versatile than a conservatory; within the basic designs of flat roofed, curved roof and hip end verandas, for example, you can pretty much have any size and shape veranda you like.

All of which means you can really enhance the appearance of both your house and your garden, by choosing the exact size for your needs and desires.

Adding a veranda to your home also adds value in more than one way. Purely from a monetary point of view it makes your home more saleable, and you are far more likely to get the price you want for it when you have a desirable addition such as this to offer to potential buyers.

But it also adds value in that you are making your home more attractive to buyers. We all buy with our hearts as well as our heads, and a well thought out and expertly designed veranda is just the type of feature that can tip the balance and turn an interested home viewer into a determined buyer.

In short, adding a veranda is one of the best ways to make sure you achieve that sale in double quick time. Maybe it’s time to start looking at some brochures?

Installing a deck, patio or veranda is a big project to undertake, and it’s essential that you find a good and reputable contractor to do the job for you, in order to get the results you want.

But how do you find one?

Of course you will want to avoid getting into the situation of hiring someone to do the work, only to have them disappear halfway through. That’s why it’s advisable to seek some help when you are looking for a contractor.

Firstly, ask everyone you know for advice – whether it’s family, friends, colleagues or acquaintances. It could be that someone has recently had some work done themselves, and they can recommend a specific contractor to you. Word of mouth recommendations are always the best way to find someone you know you can trust.

You can also ask everyone you know to ask everyone they know for recommendations as well – once you get a whole network of people involved, you will find someone somewhere will know someone who can help you out.

If you can, try and find more than one possible contractor. If you can do this, get each one to give you a quotation on what needs doing, so that you can consider them carefully before deciding on which contractor to pick. Remember that cost isn’t the only factor to bear in mind; trust your instincts as well, as you will usually find that one particular person will appeal more than the rest.

Time is also a consideration. Do you want the work to be done by a certain date, perhaps because you want to throw a barbecue for the whole family to enjoy? If that’s the case, certain contractors could be ruled out simply because they already have too much work and cannot fit you in until a later date.

In short, don’t jump in to a big project like this by hiring the first contractor you come across. By taking some time to consider all the options open to you, and to get quotes for what you want done, you will end up having a much smoother and more pleasant building process, with much nicer results.