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Make your kitchen dreams a reality with Dream Doors

<p>If you’re dreaming of a kitchen makeover, <a href="https://www.dreamdoors.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dream Doors</a> is here to turn that dream into a stunning reality. This innovative brand has made waves in the kitchen renovation scene, offering a range of solutions that fit every homeowner’s style and budget. Whether you want a quick facelift or a full renovation, Dream Doors has got you covered.</p> <h2><strong>Versatile kitchen solutions</strong></h2> <p>One of the best things about Dream Doors is their flexibility. They offer both cost-effective kitchen facelifts and full renovations, making it easy for you to choose what works best for your home. Their signature kitchen facelift service is perfect for those who want to refresh their space without breaking the bank. By replacing doors, handles, benchtops and splashbacks – while keeping the existing structure intact – Dream Doors can give your kitchen a brand-new look at a fraction of the cost and time of a complete overhaul.</p> <p>If you’re looking for something more extensive, their full kitchen renovations are tailored just for you. Their expert team can design and create a custom kitchen that fits your needs, whether you want to stick with your current layout or start fresh.</p> <h2><strong>The Dream Doors difference</strong></h2> <p><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-51680" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2024/10/dream-doors-kitchens-home-banner_1280.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="487" /> </strong></p> <p><strong>Expert Consultation</strong></p> <p>Dream Doors knows that every kitchen is unique, which is why they offer personalised consultations with their specialist Kitchen Designers. You’ll get a free design consultation where you can share your ideas and get valuable insights on how to make your dream kitchen a reality. Their friendly experts will work closely with you to understand your vision, helping you explore different design options that suit your style and budget. With their guidance, planning your kitchen transformation becomes an exciting journey!</p> <p><strong>Quality and efficiency</strong></p> <p>Dream Doors is all about delivering high-quality results without the hassle. Their simple four-step process makes everything easy:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Free Design Consultation</strong>: Collaborate with a Kitchen Designer to create your perfect plan.</li> <li><strong>Site Measure</strong>: Get precise measurements for a flawless fit.</li> <li><strong>Fabrication</strong>: Custom-made elements using top-notch materials.</li> <li><strong>Installation</strong>: Professional installation that’s on time and within budget.</li> </ol> <p><strong>Inspiring transformations</strong></p> <p>Want some inspiration? Check out Dream Doors’ impressive <a href="https://www.dreamdoors.co.nz/before-and-afters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">before-and-after gallery</a>! Their transformations speak volumes about their expertise and creativity. These real-life examples show just how amazing your kitchen can look after a makeover.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-51681" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2024/10/Dream_Doors_Stock_Image_00050_1280.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><strong>Affordable luxury</strong></p> <p>Dream Doors understands that renovating your kitchen can be a big investment. That’s why they offer flexible financing options, including interest-free finance for up to 24 months (subject to approval). This means you can enjoy your gorgeous new kitchen now while spreading the cost out over time.</p> <p><strong>National recognition</strong></p> <p>Dream Doors has made quite an impression in the media, too. Their work has been featured on national TV shows like <em>Selling in the City</em> on BINGE & Foxtel on Demand. This recognition highlights just how fantastic their kitchen transformations really are.</p> <p><strong>Join the Dream Doors family</strong></p> <p>If you’re an entrepreneur looking to dive into the home improvement industry, Dream Doors also offers <a href="https://www.dreamdoors.co.nz/franchising/franchise-opportunities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exciting franchise opportunities</a>. As a franchise owner, you’ll benefit from their proven business model and established brand recognition, giving you the support you need to build a successful venture in your local area.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-51683" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2024/10/Dream_Doors_Stock_Image_00062_1280.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><strong>Start your Kitchen Journey today!</strong></p> <p>Whether you’re eyeing a quick facelift or dreaming of a full renovation, Dream Doors is ready to help make it happen. Their mix of innovative solutions and expert advice ensures that every project is tailored just for you.</p> <p>Ready to take the first step? Get in touch for an obligation-free quote! The friendly team at Dream Doors is excited to guide you through the process, helping you explore all the possibilities for your dream kitchen.</p> <p>With Dream Doors by your side, you’re not just renovating; you’re reimagining the heart of your home. So why wait? Contact Dream Doors today and start your journey toward a kitchen you’ll love.</p> <p>To find out exactly how Dream Doors can help you re-imagine the most important room in your home, <a href="https://www.dreamdoors.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visit their website here</a>, or download the entire <a href="https://www.dreamdoors.co.nz/assets/downloads/product-brochure-v9.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dream Doors brochure here</a>.</p> <p><em>Images: Dream Doors</em></p> <p><em>This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Dream Doors</em></p>

Home & Garden

9 easy ways to transform your bathroom without renovating

<p class="first-para">Mouldy grout and dated tiles are just some of the not-so-redeeming features of a tired bathroom, but regular renovations are an expensive and unsustainable option, so how do we fancy-up the bathroom without ripping out the tiles? We spoke to some experts to find out.</p> <p><strong>1. Spring clean</strong></p> <p>“The first step would always be to declutter your bathroom and give it a thorough clean – the tiles, any dust and water marks,” says Leah Peretz of renovation experts Just in Place.</p> <p>Interior designer Suzanne Gorman suggests attempting a DIY re-grout or re-seal on the tiles for a fresher look, but warns: “It is a lengthy process and the dust from removing the existing grout can be major.”</p> <p><strong>2. Between the lines</strong></p> <p>If your bathroom has the traditional sand-based white grout, Gorman recommends changing things up a bit.</p> <p>“There are a vast range of grout colours available on the market,” she says. “The grout colour and finish really does make or break the overall feel of your bathroom. For a subtle, contemporary look we choose grout that blends with the tile colour. If you feel game you can try a contrasting or even coloured grout.”</p> <p><strong>3. Spray it</strong></p> <p>Just because you can’t afford to rip the tiles out doesn’t mean you’re stuck with the brown and tan floral forever.</p> <p>Mary McManus of Lavender Hills Interiors suggests spray-painting outdated tiles. “Old, stained or old-fashioned patterned tiles can be spray-painted fresh bright white to look almost new.”</p> <p><strong>4. Tapping into trends</strong></p> <p>The aesthetic impact of a new toilet is greater than you’d imagine. Architect Ben Johnson of Benedict Design says replacing tapware and sanitary fixtures makes a huge impact on the look and functionality of the bathroom.</p> <p>“The options have exploded in recent years and you can get anything from matte black to gold,” says Johnson. “If you’re replacing your toilet, go for a back-to-wall model as this will keep lines clean and make mopping easy.”</p> <p><strong>5. Exhausted fans</strong></p> <p>If you feel your exhaust fan isn’t at its best, give your electrician a call and have it replaced with a higher powered unit. They don’t cost too much and will prevent unwanted mould build-up and condensation.</p> <p>“An old exhaust fan not doing its job properly can have a huge negative impact on all your finishes in the bathroom,” says Gorman. “Paint, mirrors, tiles and shower screens age dramatically without proper ventilation.” </p> <p><strong>6. The sky’s the limit</strong></p> <p>Go one step further with real ventilation via a skylight – a worthwhile investment, according to Johnson. “Getting natural light into a bathroom will have many benefits, from lifting your spirits in the morning to keeping mould at bay.”</p> <p>Aesthetically, it can also highlight a particular area such as the basin or shower. “If you can, build it with an open shaft that will improve the sense of space by giving additional height and breaking up the ceiling.”</p> <p><strong>7. You’re so vain</strong></p> <p>Peretz suggests upcycling an old piece of furniture with a lick of paint then sitting a basin on top for a unique vanity. You can replace a run-of-the-mill shaving mirror with a glamorous vintage one or opt for a contemporary black statement mirror.</p> <p>Tip: If you just want to replace your shaving mirror with a smarter version, Gorman says a larger mirror will hide any evidence of previous wall fixings. Alternatively, ask your local glazier to make up a replacement.</p> <p><strong>8. In the details</strong></p> <p>From framing your children’s art to displaying your towels on a ladder, all our experts agree that small touches can make a big difference.</p> <p>“Bring in some texture and colour with thick ribbed bath mats and fluffy towels,” says McManus.</p> <p>And fluffy towels are even better when they’ve come straight from a heated towel rail. “Most towel rails come as a plug-in,” says Johnson, “which helps if you’re not planning on cutting into your walls or replacing tiles. A warm towel on a winter morning is a wonderful thing.”</p> <p><strong>9. Go green</strong></p> <p>“A living plant will bring colour and texture into your bathroom,” says Peretz. “A ficus or a palm in the corner can be a beautiful statement if you have enough space. Orchids and bamboos like the humidity.”</p> <p>McManus suggests placing some blue-and-white ginger jars and an orchid on the vanity for that final touch.</p> <p><em>Written by Joanne Gambale. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.domain.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span>Domain.com.au.</span></strong></a></em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

House with "free" rent listed with major catch

<p>A dilapidated house has been leased for free, offering prospective tenants 12 months of free housing. </p> <p>However, the three bedroom house in south-west Sydney must undergo a full renovation before anyone can move in. </p> <p>Originally posted on Domain, the house has been deemed "currently uninhabitable", with the listing quickly going viral before being taken down. </p> <p>The listing read, “3 bedroom family home perfect for the growing family, nestled in a quiet yet convenient location being close to all the wonderful amenities such as transport, parks, schools, shops in need of a renovation.”</p> <p>Hidden deep within the listing was the information that the house is not currently fit for anyone to live in, with the tenants being expected to front the cost of the entire renovation. </p> <p>“Property is currently uninhabitable - work is required before moving in. The landlord does not have the funds to renovate the property,” the listing said.</p> <p>The listing agent described it as an opportunity for a “savvy minded person or persons with trade knowledge and experience”.</p> <p>The successful tenant will be required to pay for the “full renovation at their own expense”, and in return will receive a three-year lease at the property with the first year coming with no charge. </p> <p>However, they will then need to pay for the second and third years of their lease, with the rent "negotiable" at $650 a week. </p> <p>The listing quickly went viral, with commenters calling out the landlord's "audacity" to ask such a task of a renter that only receives one year of free housing for all their hard work. </p> <p>“Next they will tell you to build a house which you can then rent back,” one person said.</p> <p>“Wow. Just when you thought the audacity was at its most audacious,” another person commented.</p> <p>On Reddit, commentators also pointed out the new tenant would need to spend thousands on the renovation, making the one year of free rent basically worthless. </p> <p>"What a steal. Instead of paying $33,800 a year (the $650 they want after the first year) you get to spend 100-200k+," someone said.</p> <p>"If the landlord is tight on money and doesn't have the funds to renovate, they should just sell the place," another commented.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Domain</em></p>

Real Estate

8 bite-sized renovations you can do on the weekend

<p>We’re all time poor but that doesn’t mean you have to develop renovation inertia. By chunking down the big tasks you need to do around your home into bite-sized, weekend-worthy nibbles you can power through a number of renovation items piece by manageable piece.</p> <p><strong>1. Replace your handles</strong></p> <p>Upgrading your old, tired <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/why-reddit-is-losing-it-over-doorknobs-20160323-gnpe5q/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">door handles</a></strong></span> is as simple as measuring the distance between the holes and searching online or in store to find a straight replace. Unscrew the old ones, hanging onto the existing screws, as otherwise you may have to cut the ones supplied with the new handles to size, and screw the new ones in place. Simple.</p> <p><strong>2. Changing cupboard fronts</strong></p> <p>A wonderful visual upgrade, you need to check that your kitchen has standard-sized cupboards for this to be an easy weekend upgrade. Standard cupboard and drawer sizes will have plenty of options in stores and online. You’ll need to check the location of hinges, the height and width of fronts and the condition of your carcasses but by unscrewing and replacing cupboards you can transform your kitchen or bathroom cabinets completely. You’ll find some <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/cabinet-fever-on-the-rise-20120706-21kkk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interesting colour, texture and pattern options</a></span></strong> The only impediment is your creativity.</p> <p><strong>3. Paint your doors</strong></p> <p>While painting your whole home might be a bit more than you can manage in one sitting, a nice bite-sized job is to apply a couple of coats of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/for-the-love-of-the-coloured-front-door-20151127-gl5boi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coloured paint to your existing internal and external doors</a></strong></span>. Sure, you might not get through them all in one weekend but you can chip away at this task after work or in the mornings and add amazing contrast and interest to your interior scheme. Remember to use an enamel paint for doors and timber work.</p> <p><strong>4. Replace your shower head and toilet seats</strong></p> <p>One of the things I do routinely when moving into a new property is replace the shower head with a new one. Most replacement shower heads come with thread tape and you don’t need to be a plumber to do this straight replace as it doesn’t interrupt the fitting connection. If you can manage that the toilet seat replacement is a cinch.</p> <p><strong>5. Regrouting tiles</strong></p> <p>Scrape out any old or worn grout and replace with a new colour or a replacement of the existing. A word to the wise – don’t grout floors in white as they will be mid grey in no time.</p> <p><strong>6. Replace bathroom accessories</strong></p> <p>Another quick trip to the hardware store or bathroom supplier and you can <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/budget-bathroom-makeovers-can-make-big-difference-20150703-gi12es/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">give your bathroom a facelift</a></strong></span> to complement that lovely new shower head.</p> <p><strong>7. Fill gaps and scrapes</strong></p> <p>There are different fillers for different tasks. A quick-dry, all-purpose one like Selley’s Rapid Filler is great for scratches and scrapes on walls or filling in bumps in timber work before painting. Fill gaps between skirtings, cornices and walls with no more gaps. Use a two-part filler like builders bog for areas that need a more hard-wearing but still sandable solution.</p> <p><strong>8. Remove redundant “features” and install new ones</strong></p> <p>Pulling out old, dated or worn shelving and storage cabinets can free up wall space and liberate your rooms from a tired look. Installing wall hung units or floating shelves can give you an opportunity to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/advice/moving-house-how-to-let-it-go-declutter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clear your home of clutter</a></strong></span> or create a place for you to best display your favourite items.</p> <p><em>Images and extract from HomeSpace and Easy Luxury by Darren Palmer (Murdoch Books, RRP $39.95 each), with photography by Felix Forest. </em></p> <p><em>Written by Darren Palmer. First appeared on <a href="http://www.domain.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Domain.com.au.</span></strong></a></em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

5 DIY ideas for your home that are easier than you think

<p dir="ltr">If you want to spruce up your home without breaking the bank, check out these home upgrades you can achieve all by yourself. </p> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>1. Feature wall</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If you’re looking for a pop of colour or have a wall in need of some TLC, try a feature wall. You can do this with paint, but if you want a wall that looks like it’s been renovated by professionals, try covering it with plywood panels. Arrange the plywood panels however you like on your wall and secure them with a nail gun, paint over the top of it and transform your room!</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>2. Wall storage</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Invest in some wooden hooks to hang items on. Use items such as scarves, indoor plants, hats and bags for decoration and paint the hooks for a pop of colour.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>3. Gallery wall</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Dedicate a wall for paintings. It’s a good idea to pick artworks that are similar and will complement each other. Choose the same frame style so they all match, and line them up on the wall. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>4. Style your bathroom </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">It is possible to transform your bathroom even if you’re less than handy! Think of a colour scheme and get matching towels, soaps, and mats. You can also make other simple changes by matching towel rails, door knobs and taps to bring the room together.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>5. Paint your door</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Totally transform your home with a new coat of paint on your front door. Bright colours make for a great feature and a stylish new front door will leave a lasting impression on guests. Use water-based gloss or semi-gloss paint for easy cleaning and durability. Paint your door in its frame or lay it on the floor and remember to remove knobs and hinges. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e786212c-7fff-16bc-7555-aad9d69e7a7d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

Renovating your home could ruin your relationship… but it doesn’t have to

<p>Many <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-home-renovations-1.5856136">Canadians have turned to home renovations</a> to find space — both literally and metaphorically — after a year of working, learning, exercising and doing just about everything else from home. As we head into spring and summer, the most popular seasons for home improvement, it’s important for couples to set ground rules before breaking ground.</p> <p>While more living space, a dedicated home office or upgraded kitchen might ease the strain the pandemic has put on homes and families, the renovation process, which <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/life-after-50/201811/renovation-and-couples-conflict">tests relationships at the best of times</a>, could put more stress on partnerships already cracking under the weight of the past year.</p> <p>Contractors and architects say the recent surge in renovation work has them fielding up to five times as many calls per day than they were pre-pandemic. And according to a recent <a href="https://abacusdata.ca/home-renovations-covid-19/">Abacus Data survey</a>, 44 per cent of Canadian households have done or are planning to do renovations this year. Most say they are doing the work so they can feel more relaxed in their homes.</p> <p>At the same time, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/couples-counselling-covid19-1.5557110">phones are also ringing at couples counselling and family law offices</a> as more seek professional help to either preserve or dissolve their relationships.</p> <p>“Couples are experiencing a whole variety of stresses — childcare, household management, personal challenges, strains in the relationship — and the temperature has gone up during the pandemic,” says <a href="https://tribecatherapy.com/">New York City therapist Matt Lundquist</a>. He believes that while the stresses of the pandemic may not be the cause of marriage problems, they are revealing cracks that were already there. </p> <h2>Relationship cracks on full display</h2> <p>Renovations can widen relationship cracks as couples find themselves navigating financial stresses, extended disruptions and making thousands of decisions — from how much they can afford to spend to lower a basement to selecting drawer pulls for new kitchen cabinets. </p> <p>The process can amplify conflicting approaches to <a href="https://doi.org/10.9790/1684-1305064448">decision-making, unhealthy communication habits and latent tensions in relationships</a>.</p> <p>These strains are on display on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/relationship_advice/">Reddit’s r/relationship_advice</a>where desperate users seek advice for resolving renovation conflicts with their partners.</p> <p>From “I’m an <a href="https://www.16personalities.com/intp-personality">INTP</a>, he’s an <a href="https://www.16personalities.com/entj-personality">ENTJ</a>, we’re renovating and fighting so badly I fear our relationship will never recover” to “renovation taking way longer than expected, BF taking it personally when I try to speed the process along. We’re at a breaking point” and “renovation frustration with me (29f) and him (31m) — is this understandable or abuse?”</p> <p>Gloria Apostolu, principal architect at <a href="https://www.postarchitecture.com/">Post Architecture</a> in Toronto, pauses for a moment when asked how couples handle the demands of making so many decisions during a renovation. “Every client has their Achilles heel,” she says. “And it’s never where or what I expected.”</p> <h2>Different breaking points</h2> <p>Some of Apostolu’s clients can’t make sense of tiles. Others balk at the price of a front door or are overwhelmed by having to settle on a faucet type for the main-floor powder room all before the contractor even arrives to tear the place apart. </p> <p>Making high-stakes decisions as a couple, Lundquist explains, requires advanced skills, such as weighing pros and cons, gauging the level of acceptable risk and being decisive under pressure, or “pulling the trigger” in contractor parlance. It also requires what he calls relationality — listening and curiosity, taking turns, empathy and working to understand your partner’s point of view, even if you don’t see its logic or agree with it.</p> <p>“It tremendously taxes our skills not to react when our partner says something we disagree with, or isn’t what we expected,” says Lundquist. What really feeds a relationship, he adds, is trying to be curious about where your partner is coming from and resisting the temptation to shut them down or make a counter-argument before fully understanding their point of view.</p> <p>On the other hand, he often encounters partners who, in trying to keep the peace, are <a href="https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mental-health/let-go-resentment">not assertive enough about what they want, which can lead to lingering dissatisfaction and resentment</a>. </p> <p>The last thing a relationship needs, Lundquist jokes, is a big, expensive, fixed piece of resentment that a couple is forced to stare at as they sit next to each other on the couch every evening.</p> <h2>Honesty and a smooth renovation</h2> <p>Apostolou echoes the need for openness as a foundation for a smooth renovation. </p> <p>She suggests devising a system at the start for resolving the inevitable conflicts that will arise. This could mean taking turns, or giving veto rights to the person who is most dedicated to that part of the home. For example, the person who does most of the cooking gets the final say on kitchen details. </p> <p>She advises it is most important to work it all out in drawings before you get started. “Don’t rush the design process. You don’t want to be making decisions that are more costly than they would have been if they were planned out in advance.” </p> <p>Apostolu’s no-surprises approach has garnered <a href="https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/post-architecture-inc-pfvwus-pf%7E847407266">effusive five-star reviews</a> from clients on home design and improvement website Houzz.</p> <p>One is from Stephanie Nickson, a financial services consultant, and her partner David Raniga, who now runs his massage therapy practice in the light-filled basement of their recently renovated home in Toronto’s Wychwood neighbourhood. </p> <p>Raniga jokes that the hardest part of the process was dealing with his wife’s inability to make decisions. But because they remained open to each other’s needs throughout the process and stuck with the vision and budget they set at the beginning, they say they actually miss the process now that it is over. And they are almost giddy with the result. </p> <p>“I literally say I love this house every day. We were so lucky,” Nickson says.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/renovating-your-home-could-ruin-your-relationship-but-it-doesnt-have-to-157942" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

How to increase the value of your home in one weekend

<p>Increasing the value of your property pre-sale doesn’t have to require a team of professionals.</p> <p>Just one weekend dedicated to cleaning, refreshing, tidying and upgrading can put you in great stead for sales success.</p> <p>We asked the experts to reveal the best value-adding DIY projects to suit a short time frame and shoestring budget.</p> <p><strong>1. Refresh an old paint job</strong></p> <p>There is no easier way to boost a property’s value than a new paint job, which can range from a one-room refresh, to an extensive repaint of the entire home.</p> <p>For homeowners low on budget and time, focus on painting the main living areas with Dulux’s Wash&Wear to disguise mismatched old paint, cracks and imperfections.</p> <p>“It’s great for interiors, especially in the matt finish. Even if the colours don’t entirely match, you can get away with it,” says Andrea Lucena-Orr, colour planning and communications manager at Dulux Australia.</p> <p>In terms of colour, white remains popular for appealing to a broad base of buyers.</p> <p>If painting an older property, opt for warmer whites such as Dulux Natural White or Antique White U.S.A ® Contemporary homes are more suited to cooler whites, with a grey or beige base, such as Dulux Lexicon ® or White on White.</p> <p><strong>2. Create a feature wall</strong></p> <p>Painting a feature wall can be a valuable method for creating a point of difference on a minimal timeframe. This might be a dark single shade in the main bedroom or a bold dual-colour wall.</p> <p>“Feature walls, nooks and colour-blocking with tape are all ways to add interest,” says Lucena-Orr.</p> <p>When selecting colours for a feature wall, look for shades that will complement the room’s existing furniture and décor items.</p> <p>“Try using colours to highlight an artwork, a piece of furniture, or tie into the bed linen,” Lucena-Orr says.</p> <p><strong>3. Tidy the exterior</strong></p> <p>If there is one area of the home you should focus on before a sale, it’s the exterior.</p> <p>While some homes will benefit from an entire façade repaint, updating this area can be achieved in a few quick jobs.</p> <p>Start by removing any cobwebs, cleaning the walls and filling in visible cracks. For added aesthetic appeal, paint some pots and place them near the front door, or spray paint a bench seat for the front porch.</p> <p>Painting the front door a colour such as cobalt or teal blue is another powerful tool for creating colour memories and attracting interest.</p> <p>“A teal door will help buyers remember the house. Even if buyers don’t like it, it’s quick and easy for them to change,” Lucena-Orr says.</p> <p><strong>4. Install storage shelves</strong></p> <p>Installing open shelves in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry and study is a simple way to integrate more storage into a property, which never goes unappreciated.</p> <p>“Installing hooks, rails or racks to your doors will spruce things up without being too dramatic or involve any structural changes,” says Bunnings category manager – decorator, Sharyn Petrzela.</p> <p>“Pull-out baskets and base-mount slide-out baskets are also a great way to add storage and can be installed in a day.”</p> <p><strong>5. Outsource odd jobs</strong></p> <p>Selling a home is stressful and time consuming. If budget allows, don’t be afraid to outsource tasks where you can.</p> <p>Websites such as Airtasker make it affordable to hire individuals for even the smallest household jobs, from removing weeds, to assembling furniture, collecting hard rubbish and hanging pictures.</p> <p>You might just want someone to focus on cleaning those detailed areas of the home such as the skirting boards, architraves, light fittings and door handles.</p> <p><strong>6. Add the finishing touches</strong></p> <p>If you can’t afford a professional property stylist to decorate your home pre-sale, try these expert tips.</p> <p>“As a stylist, I think having decorative items (vases, candle holders and similar) that have a colour theme and style that is carried through the house gives a sense of flow that makes a house feel like a whole, instead of a series of different rooms,” says Sophie Kost, director and lead designer of My Beautiful Abode.</p> <p>Even small updates like replacing the feather inserts in your couch cushions can have a big impact on the feeling of a home.</p> <p>Remember to declutter surfaces and remove personal possessions in this process, as this allows buyers to better imagine themselves in the space.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

Aussie mum's thrifty Kmart renovation hack

<p>Home décor on a budget has become the latest phenomenon this past year, with creative women showing off their inspiring rooms that look a lot more expensive than they actually are.</p> <p>The most recent is a mother who has stunned thousands after completely transforming her home for less than $20,000.</p> <p>Stay-at-home mum Rebecca Townsend proudly shares photos of her creations through her Instagram account and says that except for the fireplace and air conditioning system, everything else is the result of her and her husband’s hard work.</p> <p>She managed to find affordable duplicates of designer pieces in order to create a “slice of heaven” on a budget.</p> <p>“With help from family and a lot of hard work, we’ve managed to not have one trade come through the house, we’re pretty proud of that,” she told the <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6251367/Mother-transforms-home-using-Kmart-versions-designer-decor.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a>.</em></p> <p>“We repurposed and recycled things to save on costs so we can splash out on big ticket items such as the mirror splash back and heater.”</p> <p>The kitchen was torn down, including the surrounding four walls, only a few days after they moved into their new home.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BblAO_EjBSR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BblAO_EjBSR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rebecca Townsend (@champagne_dreaming_on_budget)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Certain clock designs can put shoppers back hundreds of dollars, but thanks to Ms Townsend's savvy skills, she managed to find a replica for $19, which features a wooden backing to give a more rustic appearance.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl9Bh_7nLbQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl9Bh_7nLbQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Early morning cuddles in bed with Mr.2 ..and every.single.teddy he owns 🤦‍♀️ I’ve got a corner of the mattress, but I wouldn’t have it any other way 🤷‍♀️✨🌟 Enjoy your day instafam 😚 . . . Tap for sources🌟✨ . . . #earlymorninghangs #styling #loungeroominspo #howihome #myfabhome #mydomaine #apartmenttherapy #homeinspo #interior123 #plantmom #planteriordesign #plantsofinstagram #itsajungleinhere #crazyplantlady #rustic #interiormilk #styleitdark #industrialdesign #mybohotribe #chickswithplants #myhomevibe #boholocs #bohemian #thehecticeclectic #kmartstyling #styleonadime #showmeyourstyled #hyggehome #actualinstagramhomes #cornerofmyhome</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" href="https://www.instagram.com/champagne_dreaming_on_budget/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rebecca Townsend</a> (@champagne_dreaming_on_budget) on Aug 1, 2018 at 3:44pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>To further cut down on costs, Ms Townsend purchased many items second-hand, which resulted in huge savings.</p> <p>In the past, the mother-of-one shared her and her husband’s work after they decorated their bathroom using items from Kmart, ALDI and eBay, totalling to $800.</p> <p>“You don’t need to spend a lot these days to get the designer look, you just need to be savvy, wait for the specials and shop around,” she said.</p> <p>“The bathroom is the only room we didn’t rip apart the moment we moved in, we just cleverly designed it on a budget with items mostly from Kmart to make it more designer.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn2gJjiHpMS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn2gJjiHpMS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YES, I’m back! Well, I’m back ..yes, I’m BACK IN BLACK!!! . . . Black is the new black guysss and I’m all over it like a bee on a flower 🐝 (there’s a spring reference for you there 😉) . . . The bathroom is the only room in the house we didn’t completely gut the moment we walked in the door from getting the keys, we’ve just cleverly decorated it to make it ✨POP✨on a very tight budget of $800! This completely decked the room out from top to bottom including swapping all the hardware out for the more modern black look, you just need to be savvy and look for the bargains (don’t be afraid to be stingy 😜) and get your hands dirty with some #diy the money you save on the little things allows you to splash out on the bigger ticket items! . . . ✨I’ll go into more detail in my stories 🙏 ✨ . . . #diystories #blackonblack #backinblack #bathroomdecor #bathroom #bathroominspo #bathroomremodel #luxuryinteriorsonabudget #cornerofmyhome #newinteriorsontheblock #actualinstagramhomes #apartmenttherapy #interior123 #interior_design #designsponge #interiormilk #howihome #homeinspo #industrialdesign #kmartstyling #kmartaus #styleitdark #styleonadime #deliciousdarkdecor #interiorboom #myhomevibe #myhometrend #dailydecordetail #livefabulousandfearless</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" href="https://www.instagram.com/champagne_dreaming_on_budget/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rebecca Townsend</a> (@champagne_dreaming_on_budget) on Sep 17, 2018 at 8:00pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Ms Townsend hopes that her décor-on-a-budget will help inspire other people to step out of their comfort zone.</p> <p>Her and her husband worked together on this home project during the time their baby was on home oxygen and was in and out of hospital.</p> <p>“After our son was born at 23 weeks gestation and spent 125 days in hospital, we bought this house when he was only seven months old and on home oxygen, but it didn’t deter us from creating a wonderful home for him to grow up and into,” she said.</p> <p>“Whatever challenges you may face, don’t put renovating off if it will provide you with happiness, if we can do it on a budget through all our ups and downs, you can too.”</p>

Home Hints & Tips

“I live in a tent”: Horror renovations see woman living in home with no roof

<p dir="ltr">A woman and her son have been left living in a “tent” home filled with mould, exposed wiring and holes after renovation plans went horribly wrong.</p> <p dir="ltr">In February 2020, Jill Harris hired Extension Factory to extend and add a second storey to her Melbourne home.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two years later, she says she has been left living in poor conditions after numerous problems plagued the construction work.</p> <p dir="ltr">With tarps replacing the roof overhead, Ms Harris said the home is flooded by “waterfalls that leak through the light fittings” when it rains and that the only thing her home was good for was Halloween.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I call this the tent. I live in the tent because there is no roof over my room or my son‘s room,” she told <em>A Current Affair</em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-753fe61a-7fff-bc70-a1b0-3fb26a2702bf"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I have good days where I try to be positive and I have the lowest of lows.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/aca-house-damage.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Exposed wiring, holes, and a lack of a watertight roof have been just some of the issues Jill Harris has faced while living in her unfinished home. Images: A Current Affair</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Harris said the builders first built the storey out of square, forcing them to knock it all down and start again.</p> <p dir="ltr">“(It) just went completely wrong from there. They built it 160mm out of square, which we didn't find out till 12 months later,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Work was eventually stopped by surveyor Steve Maloney after the builders allegedly continued work without the permission of the inspector.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Maloney said work needed to stop because of the “owner(s) and their builders' compliances with the building legislation”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since then, Ms Harris has turned her unfinished home into a warning against the company, adorning the front with signs reading that the company is “destroying our lives”, “doesn’t care” and that “a contract with them means nothing”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-98e35689-7fff-0363-0578-8796f43ec3b1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ts (sic) cheaper for the “Extension Factory” to put this in the hands than it is to honour my contract with them and finish my home. Tens of thousands of dollars of mistakes, so they gave up and use lawyers to protect them!” another sign reads.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/extension-factory1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>After no resolution was reached to finish her home, Jill Harris let out her frustration against Extension Factory through signs displayed in front of her home. Image: A Current Affair</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Gerry Hoggard, the owner of Extension Factory, conceded that there had been issues with the property and said he could appreciate Ms Harris being upset.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It certainly was an error, it was built out of square, we accepted responsibility and took it down,” Mr Hoggard said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know what she’s living through.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t like it (my name) being treated that way, but I can appreciate she‘s upset about what’s transpired.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Although he claimed that Ms Harris was advised to vacate the property at the start of the build, her brother Ashley, a former Extension Factory employee, said it wasn’t going to happen.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s not the sort of job that you would leave anyone occupying the premises,” Mr Hoggard said.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, Ms Harris said she wasn’t told that she would need to vacate her property.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A Current Affair </em>reported that it alerted the Victorian Building Authority to Ms Harris’ situation, prompting the organisation to release a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The Victorian Building Authority takes complaints against building and plumbing practitioners extremely seriously,” it read, adding that the building authority carries out thousands of inspections to ensure work is compliant.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When it doesn't, we use the powers available to us to hold practitioners accountable."</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0ed70c5a-7fff-44b9-bdcc-0831adfcf2d3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: A Current Affair</em></p>

Real Estate

Guide to getting approval for renovations

<p>Home renovations can be fun, exciting and even life changing, but before you get carried away with the romance of it, it’s important to be aware of the red tape.</p> <p>We’re going to take a look at some of the essential legal boxes you need to tix when renovating. While doing so may seem like a bit of a nuisance during the renovation process, it will ensure that you don’t waste your money (and risk your safety).</p> <p><strong>Council approval</strong></p> <p>Depending on where you live, the nature of your lodgings and the type of renovations you have planned, you may require some form of council approval.</p> <p>Your best bet here is to contact your local council ahead of time and check what your requirements are. You may need a planning permit if your renovation requires building alterations and you may need a surveyor to confirm the plans meet regulations.</p> <p><strong>Meeting requirements</strong></p> <p>If you’re taking a gung-ho approach to the renovations and planning to manage the project yourself, rather than hiring a registered builder, you’ll need to make sure you obtain the correct building permits and ensure the work is up to required standards. </p> <p><strong>Hiring licensed tradespeople</strong></p> <p>It’s generally recommended that you only used licensed building practitioners and tradespeople. Builders, architects and engineers must meet certain obligations to maintain their accreditation, which ensure their work and your home are protected.</p> <p>Make sure you ask for references, check for a current license and insurance policy and even consider a simple contract describing the work and any warranty.</p> <p><strong>Additional hazards you may have to deal with</strong></p> <ul> <li>Termites can be a big problem and undo months of hard work on renovations and building projects. If you’re concerned about termites affecting your project, it’s advisable to contact your local council and find out if your area has a documented termite problem. From here they can advise you on how best to protect your renovations from infestation.</li> <li>Many homes may contain asbestos building products, and if you think yours does you’re obliged to get a check from a reputable assessor. If they find asbestos, make sure you hire a licensed removalist to ensure you get rid of it safely.</li> </ul> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

Historical home renovators share kitchen tips and tricks

<p dir="ltr">A US couple who have renovated several historic homes have made a splash on social media, with nearly two million people following their process of restoring old residences.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the number of people tuning in to see Adam and Jessica Miller’s renovating ventures grew to a fever pitch because of their latest and much more personal project: renovating Jessica’s childhood home, that also happens to be 115-years-old.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c459232f-7fff-c21b-ac91-91b8f26f1d73"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">After buying the home from Jessica’s parents, the Millers were eager to preserve the home for future generations, including their four sons, but taking on the 1906 home hasn’t been easy.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJWgfz2pfPH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJWgfz2pfPH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Adam Ramsey Miller (@oldhouseadam)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“When Adam and I decided to purchase my family home from my parents, the main concern was to keep all the original woodwork on the outside intact,” Jessica told <em><a href="https://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/kitchen-renovation-tips-tiktokkers-historic-home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Realtor.com</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">After replacing the significant amount of water-damaged columns, the couple spent nine months restoring the outside of the home before turning their attention to the kitchen.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since breathing new life into the space all while maintaining its character, the couple have shared some tips and tricks for those planning on renovating their own ageing kitchen.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Make your renovation suit you</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">No matter the extent of renovations you’re planning for your kitchen, any changes you make to this frequently-used space should prioritise function - which can differ person to person based on your lifestyle.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Be very aware of what you need out of the kitchen in terms of function. Let it work for your family and lifestyle,” Jessica said.</p> <p dir="ltr">In their home, she said they chose two different countertops - nonporous, spill-friendly quartz and heat-resistant soapstone - to make their kitchen feel “like it was all found in the house and opened up to reveal a grand kitchen space”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Avoid blindly following trends</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Though it may be tempting to follow the latest trends, the Millers suggest leaning into the concept of designing a space that suited and highlighted the beauty of their historic home.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Once we leaned into this concept, it opened up a whole new world free of restraints,” Jessica said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We were inspired by Old-World European functionality mixed in with the vibe and history of the home.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4d199794-7fff-e927-a425-a5b2858f7fcb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">If you do want to incorporate certain trends, such as a large island or natural wood finishes, you still can in a way that stays true to the look and feel of your home.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPhGEdwpClH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPhGEdwpClH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Adam Ramsey Miller (@oldhouseadam)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Work with what you have</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Old homes come with plenty of quirks which make them unique, and adjusting the existing layout rather than ripping down walls and cabinets can help maintain the home’s unique character.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Don’t assume that you need to start down to the studs,” said Jessica. “Most of the time you can use the existing layout and cabinets.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Since Jessica’s parents renovated the kitchen 11 years ago, Jessica said they didn’t feel the need to tear out cabinets, opting instead to tweak the “vibe” of the space.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We also kept the range hood but adjusted the colour from cream to a warm white to change with the overall vibe. The kitchen layout was solid, so we didn’t have to adjust anything there,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Expect costly surprises</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Renovations can be a costly undertaking for any house, and rehabbing an older home is no exception - and can even come with surprise costs.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Millers can attest to that fact, and suggest saving a buffer of at least 10 percent of your expected costs just in case.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We ran into more water damage in the island than we expected based on a small leak from the sink. This led to a complete island rebuild and new plumbing from the sink into the house,” Jessica said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Since we worked with a local plumber, we only had to increase our plumbing budget by a couple hundred dollars.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I would say keep a solid 10% set aside for any unforeseeable expenses.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-83c8bb77-7fff-036c-5675-89751765d5d7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @oldhouseadam (Instagram)</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

Five ways to reduce waste (and save money) on your home renovation

<p>On average, renovating a home generates <a href="https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/%28ASCE%290733-9364%281996%29122%3A1%2855%29">far more waste</a> than building a new one from scratch. </p> <p>This waste goes straight to landfill, damaging the environment. It also hurts your budget: first you have to pay for demolition, then the new materials, and then disposal of leftover building products.</p> <p>By keeping waste in mind from the start and following some simple guidelines, you can reduce the waste created by your home renovation.</p> <h2>1. It starts with the design</h2> <p>Waste is often treated as inevitable, factored into a building budget with no serious attempt to reduce it.</p> <p>By raising the issue early with your architect, designer or builder, they can make decisions at the design stage that reduce waste later. Often the designers and architects don’t see their decisions contributing to waste – or rather, they don’t really think about it. </p> <p>During my research on reducing construction waste, I asked one architect what he thought happens to the waste generated. He laughed with a glint in his eyes and said, “I think it disappears into pixie dust!” </p> <p>One simple early decision that dramatically reduces waste is designing with material sizes in mind. If you have a ceiling height that does not match the plasterboard sheet, you end up with a tiny little strip that has to be cut out of a full sheet. In the case of bricks, not matching the ceiling height is even more wasteful. </p> <p>Obviously not all materials will work together at their standard sizes (and you need to fit your renovation to the existing house). But sensitive design can make intelligent trade-offs, reducing overall waste. </p> <p>When I asked architects why they don’t design zero-waste buildings more often, they said clients don’t ask for it. Make it part of your brief, and ask the architect how they can save money by using the materials efficiently.</p> <h2>2. Get your builder involved early</h2> <p>If you’re using an architect for your renovation, it’s common to have very little collaboration between them and the builder. Any errors or issues are usually spotted after construction has begun, requiring expensive and wasteful rework. </p> <p>Instead, ask your architect and builder to collaborate on a waste management plan. Such integrated approaches have worked well in <a href="https://www.pwc.com.au/legal/assets/collaborative-contracting-mar18.pdf">Australia and the United States</a>. </p> <p>This means clients, engineers and builders are collaborating, rather than taking adversarial roles. For such contracts to work, it’s important to involve all parties early in the project, and to encourage cooperation.</p> <p>The briefing stage is an opportunity for architects, quantity surveyors and builders to work together to identify a waste minimisation target.</p> <h2>3. Whatever you do, don’t change your mind</h2> <p>One the biggest contributions to waste on sites is late design changes. Client-led design changes are identified in all literature as having far-reaching implications on waste. </p> <p>These are mostly due to owners changing their mind once something is built. Reworking any part of a building due to design changes can account for as much as <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283714629_Impacts_Of_Design_Changes_on_Construction_Project_Performance_Insights_From_A_Literature_Review">50% of the cost overrun</a>, as well as causing delays and generating waste.</p> <p>The early work with your design and construction team outlined in the first steps gives you the chance to make sure you’re committed to your original design. Skimping in the planning stage can end up costing you far more in the long run. </p> <h2>4. Deconstruction, not demolition</h2> <p>Ask your builder not to demolish the building, but to deconstruct it. Deconstruction means taking a building apart and recovering materials for recycling and reuse. This provides opportunities for sorting materials on site. </p> <p>Salvaged materials can be resold to the community or reused in the renovations. It greatly reduces the tip fees which are usually higher for mixed waste (typical from demolition process) and lower for sorted waste. </p> <p>Of course this takes more time and has an additional cost. Therefore you do have to balance the cost of deconstruction against the savings.</p> <p>Denmark, which recycles <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/studies/deliverables/CDW_Denmark_Factsheet_Final.pdf">86% of its construction waste</a>, has made it mandatory for all government buildings to undergo selective demolition and sorting of construction waste. A good place to start in Australia is your state environment department, which may have <a href="https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/-/media/epa/corporate-site/resources/managewaste/100080-house-deconstruction.pdf?la=en&hash=CD70BEEF7EC72CEBC3641F46F1DBE19862DAED1D">guidelines</a> on what is involved.</p> <h2>5. Choose materials carefully</h2> <p>Good-quality materials last longer, reducing maintenance later. Choosing manufacturers that use minimal packaging also reduces waste (be careful here to check the difference between “minimal” and “inadequate” packaging, as the latter can mean your <a href="http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/30123/7/Saheed%20Thesis_Final%20Copy.pdf">material breaks</a>).</p> <p>Reusing materials from your renovation may also be an option (you will need to discuss this with architect and builder at the beginning of the project). Finally, using materials with recycled content is a great option, and boosts our recycling industry. </p> <p>In March 2017 the <a href="https://hia.com.au/-/media/HIA-Website/Files/Media-Centre/Media-Releases/2017/national/Home-Renovations-Australias-Next-Building-Boom.ashx">Housing Industry Association</a> released data suggesting the Australian residential building industry will increasingly become more dependent on renovation work rather than new construction,</p> <p>If you’re renovating your home, making efficiency and low waste a priority helps cut costs and reduce landfill.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-ways-to-reduce-waste-and-save-money-on-your-home-renovation-103942" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

Home & Garden

What adds value to your house? How to decide between renovating and selling

<p>The government’s <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/coronavirus/homebuilder">HomeBuilder</a> scheme allows <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/news/homebuilder-renovations-where-are-most-owner-occupied-dwellings-below-15-million">certain</a> home owners to apply for a tax-free grant of A$25,000 if they are spending between $150,000 and $750,000 renovating a home or building a new home. Eligibility criteria are strict.</p> <p>The scheme has boosted renovation talk in some circles (although, as CoreLogic has <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/news/vacuum-effect-and-its-implications-homebuilder-scheme">pointed</a> out, it may merely bring forward works that were already planned).</p> <p>Here are some questions to ask yourself when trying to decide between renovating and moving – and how to add value to your existing home.</p> <h2>What adds value to a house?</h2> <p>Property market observers <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/advice/how-to-make-your-home-stand-out-when-selling-932031/">advise</a> updating or renewing bathrooms or kitchens – even small fixes such as replacing a cracked or dated splashback, replacing a bath or adding skylights can go a long way.</p> <p>Think about easy repairs that create an invaluable good first impression – a fixed-up fence, a new carpet or resurfaced flooring or even good old decluttering.</p> <p>But remember you’ll only qualify for HomeBuilder if you plan to spend at least $150,000 on an owner-occupied home worth no more than A$1.5 million (CoreLogic has <a href="https://www.corelogic.com.au/news/homebuilder-renovations-where-are-most-owner-occupied-dwellings-below-15-million">listed</a> which suburbs have the most owner-occupied properties under A$1.5 million).</p> <h2>Factors to consider if you’re thinking of renovating</h2> <p>How long till you retire? How secure is your employment? Thinking carefully about your earning potential between now and retirement will help you understand how what you can borrow and afford. If you are planning to stay, you will get the benefit and enjoyment of the renovations. </p> <p>Do you need to stay close to school or work? If that’s a consideration, renovating may be worth more to you than buying further out.</p> <p>Look closely at what your property is worth (there are plenty of online calculators) and keep track of how much similar local properties with one extra bedroom or bathroom sell for. That will give you a sense of the value-add to your home equity that a renovation might represent. </p> <p>Be honest with yourself about the total cost of renovation. There are myriad expenses not always initially apparent. These may include:</p> <ul> <li>planning fees (the cost of getting a development assessed by council)</li> <li>the cost of architectural drawings</li> <li>consultants’ fees for environmental impact statements or arborists’ reports</li> <li>extra costs due to a heritage listing</li> <li>renting, if it’s not possible to live at home during renovation</li> <li>the cost of protecting underground public assets such as water or sewerage pipes</li> <li>extra costs caused by poor access or other limitations.</li> </ul> <p>Consider the possible long-term savings of retrofitting your home to be more energy-efficient. Proper insulation, secondary glazing, draught excluders and solar PV energy are expensive upfront but will save on long term running costs. It’s likely, as energy costs increase, homes that are at least partially off grid will be more attractive and valuable over time. </p> <p>And remember that for some, even with help from HomeBuilder, renovation won’t stack up economically.</p> <p>Some older people may eschew home renovation to put money aside to help children get a foot on the property ladder. </p> <p>Others may decide potentially expensive renovation is worth it to hold onto a family home to which children return as they get older. It might sound sentimental but the idea of Christmas in the family homestead is worth it, for some. </p> <h2>Tax considerations</h2> <p>Find out what tax breaks, if any, you might be eligible for if you renovate to divide the family home into a smaller space (if you’re keen to downsize, or enhance the accessibility of your home, for example) and adding a self-contained granny flat. </p> <p>However, if the granny flat is leased out, this section of the home would be considered income-producing. Your “main residence” is generally <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Capital-gains-tax/Your-home-and-other-real-estate/Your-main-residence/">exempt</a> from capital gains tax when it comes time to sell, but you may not qualify entirely for this exemption if a section of the property is income-producing.</p> <p>You may also consider remodelling the family home into a duplex and, depending on council planning laws, convert the title into dual occupancy. However, these suggestions may complicate eligibility for the HomeBuilder grant (which seems to exclude property investors, although there’s no mention of partly converting the main place into a dual occupancy). </p> <p>The best option here is to seek advice from a tax specialist.</p> <h2>Factors to consider if you’re thinking of selling up and buying elsewhere</h2> <p>Use a <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/home-loans/stamp-duty-calculator">stamp-duty calculator</a> and <a href="https://www.localagentfinder.com.au/selling-costs-calculator">cost-of-selling calculator</a> to get a rough idea of those costs.</p> <p>How important is proximity to work? Particularly if the coronavirus pandemic has opened your (or your employer’s) eyes to working remotely, would you consider a move to a more remote area where you can afford a bigger house?</p> <p>Chat with a range of real estate agents and get into the habit of reading market media coverage. Have a sense of what houses sell for that featured your desired attributes (such as more bedrooms or off-street parking). </p> <p>As a chartered building surveyor, I’d advise would-be downsizers to be cautious when buying a brand new high-rise apartment, due to risks of potentially costly defects that might become apparent over time. </p> <p>And remember, even if you do sell and buy a new place, very few are able to find the perfect home. You may decide to make renovations anyway.</p> <p>There are no easy answers. It comes down to your individual circumstances, your attitude to risk and ensuring you have a good grasp of the relative costs of each option. </p> <p>Talk to a financial adviser, tax accountant, real estate agents, builders, architects and others who have been through each process about what they’d do differently next time.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-adds-value-to-your-house-how-to-decide-between-renovating-and-selling-140627" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

4 easy ways to rejuvenate your laundry

<p dir="ltr">The laundry is one of the hardest working rooms in the house. </p> <p dir="ltr">From washing clothes to being a stacked out storage space, it's easy to overlook making the laundry look nice as well as being functional. </p> <p dir="ltr">There are a few simple ways to breathe new life into your laundry room that won’t break the bank, and will keep the space working at maximum capacity. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Give it a colour refresh</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">When it comes to refreshing a small space, your colour choices can go one of two ways: using the same colours as the rest of your home for continuity, or use the opportunity to be creative. </p> <p dir="ltr">A citrus colour can instantly brighten a space, while green or blue makes sense for a wet room. </p> <p dir="ltr">To liven things up even more, you can always put vinyl wallpaper or fun prints on the walls as well. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Streamline your laundry routine</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">When refreshing your laundry, it's best to think of a way to enhance the functionality of the space by simplifying the clothes-washing process. </p> <p dir="ltr">An extended benchtop, a hanging rod for drying and a heated towel rail are just some inclusions that can boost how the room functions efficiently. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Let in the light</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">A dark laundry is not a fun place to be, so consider bringing in new lighting options to brighten the space. </p> <p dir="ltr">A statement pendant can add a decorative touch, while lighting strips under cabinets illuminate your workspace. </p> <p dir="ltr">Alternatively, harness the power of natural light by installing a skylight in the ceiling or swapping out a solid timber door for one with a window in it.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Maximise storage options</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Get the most out of your cupboard and shelves in your laundry with clever solutions to declutter the space. </p> <p dir="ltr">Wall hooks for dog leads, tubs for kids’ sports uniforms, bins for dog food, labelled canisters for pegs and laundry powder and a rack system for brooms and brushes can all help to boost functionality, minimise clutter and capitalise on space. </p> <p dir="ltr">Now everything has its own place to help the room stay clean and tidy. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

Mother slammed after renovating her council house

<p dir="ltr">A Scottish mother-of-four has been slammed online for showing off her newly-renovated council home that she has spent eight years slowly making over. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sharing videos on TikTok as @abitofme123, the woman initially took to social media to share the DIY makeover she finally completed during the pandemic on the house that's been her home for 17 years.</p> <p dir="ltr">While many applauded the mother’s hard work, her videos were also flooded with comments from people accusing her of taking up space in council housing that should go to the less fortunate. </p> <p dir="ltr">"If you can afford to do all that, do you really need a council house? There are people living in poor conditions waiting for one of these homes," one user wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">The mother replied to the comment with a video of her home, with the caption, "Why would I give up everything I've worked for?"</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ca7jHLGFnEi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ca7jHLGFnEi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by @diaryofmy_home_life</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">"I think what they are saying is how did you get a council house if you have all this money to decorate it?" another TikTok user wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman responded saying, "Yes I work, they're not given to people on low incomes, anyone can apply. I had this 17 years ago when I was 18 with a baby and nowhere to live.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"Everything was done on a budget, sale items, discounts and over the space of the last 3 years," she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I understand people are waiting for council homes but we love ours, I can't give it up," she added.<span id="docs-internal-guid-140580ed-7fff-5ce0-48db-cad2f9f01e33"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">After sharing a video of the transformation to her backyard, one shocked user called the renovation “actually disgusting”. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Nice to see our taxes pay for your lower rent so you can make the garden look like a show room!!" one user remarked.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZeuJzLIqGI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZeuJzLIqGI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by @diaryofmy_home_life</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Another dubbed her "council Karen" and others made comments such as "get a job," "load of crap" and "paid for it using benefits".</p> <p dir="ltr">Many of the comments questioned why the mother wouldn’t buy her council house, with the woman going on to explain that they'd been offered the right to buy a few years ago but hadn't been able to afford it and instead, secured lifetime tenancy.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the divisive comments, the woman’s videos have helped to shine a light on the realities of eligibility for council housing in the UK.</p> <p dir="ltr">Responding to the slew of negative comments, the woman simply said, "All the council owns is the bricks and mortar, everything else is my home. Please stop judging.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok @abitofme123</em></p>

Real Estate

When was the last time you took a bath?

<p dir="ltr">When was the last time you had a bath? Does your home even have a bath tub?</p> <p dir="ltr">If you haven’t used it in a while, it’s actually quite interesting to ask whether your bathroom really needs it. </p> <p dir="ltr">Baths are perfect for parents with young children, to help them shower. </p> <p dir="ltr">Whether you’re thinking of moving house, it is possible that the potential new owners would prefer a bath. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, not every bathroom can have a bathtub because there is just not enough room.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bathtubs are also more prevalent in houses with three or more bedrooms.</p> <p dir="ltr">If you’re looking to sell, keep in mind that a bathtub itself does not exactly affect the value of the house, but is a preferred feature if the space is there. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

Easy ways to update your kitchen

<p dir="ltr">The kitchen is the heart of a home. Given how much time we spend there, each and every day, it needs to be functional and feel a little bit special.</p> <p dir="ltr">While a full kitchen renovation can be costly and time-consuming, there are lots of simple ways to update a tired kitchen that don’t require getting out a sledgehammer or taking out a second mortgage. We’re talking freshly painted cabinet doors, some new light fittings or door handles and hardworking storage.</p> <h3 dir="ltr">1. Paint everything</h3> <p dir="ltr">Paint can be such an amazing tool for changing the look and feel of a room. When it comes to kitchens, the cabinets, walls, trims, splashback, even floors can be painted — the trick is to select the right finish. Consider a high-wearing enamel paint for the trims, an easy-clean semi-gloss for the cabinet doors and a low-sheen paint for walls.</p> <p dir="ltr">Don’t forget to do your prep work, too. A light sand and scrub followed by a coat of primer will ensure an even finish and a longer lasting result.</p> <h3 dir="ltr">2. Makeover your pantry</h3> <p dir="ltr">Keep your pantry contents easily accessible using a range of storage options. Decant dry goods into clear, labelled containers and group like items together, such as grains, spices, condiments and so on. Baskets are good for loose items like potatoes and onions, while tubs will keep kids’ snacks in order. Use racks and brackets on the back of the door to hold spices, paper towel, aprons, dustpans and brooms.</p> <h3 dir="ltr">3. Replace handles and fixtures</h3> <p dir="ltr">This quick and easy trick will instantly refresh and elevate the look of your kitchen. Simply unscrew your existing kitchen doorknobs and drawer pulls and replace with something to suit your new aesthetic. Installing a new sink, tapware or statement pendant will require a little more skill, but the results will be equally effective.</p> <h3 dir="ltr">4. Update your appliances</h3> <p dir="ltr">If your kitchen is getting on in years, chances are your appliances aren’t functioning as well as they could. Upgrading to a newer model with multiple functions will be life-changing. The same goes for small appliances like toasters, kettles and mixers. </p> <h3 dir="ltr">5. Create a signature nook</h3> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a0bee2e2-7fff-02ef-11de-2033b9f3e822"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Many kitchens have a tricky corner that doesn’t really serve a purpose, so why not utilise this space for a specific need? For example, turning a corner of the benchtop into a dedicated display area for baked goods. Take this idea and tailor it to you.</p>

Home Hints & Tips

How to decorate the perfect guest bedroom

<p dir="ltr">When renovating your home, or just updating your style in your key living areas, it's easy to overlook a spare bedroom that doesn’t get much use. </p> <p dir="ltr">Instead of just using it for functionality with a basic bed or desk for guests to use, see a spare bedroom as an opportunity to step out of your styling comfort zone and try some new looks. </p> <p dir="ltr">Think of the task as a challenge to create a warm and welcoming space that could be enjoyed by anyone. </p> <p dir="ltr">Following these handy tips will ensure a restful space for anyone visiting your home. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Maximise on space</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">When planning the layout of your guest bedroom, capitalising on the space you have is key. </p> <p dir="ltr">A double or queen bed with a fold out single or sofa couch can be a good balance in a bedroom that isn’t as big as a master suite. </p> <p dir="ltr">If you have a nook in your guest room, consider a single bed or desk, or other furniture that can serve more than one purpose to make the space comfortable and functional. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Create a cosy environment </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The bed is truly the pièce de résistance of any bedroom, so don’t skimp on the quality. </p> <p dir="ltr">Picking a comfortable and supportive mattress is the first thing that should be considered, before deciding on a timeless colour scheme and adding all the comfy trimmings such as throw rugs and cushions. </p> <p dir="ltr">You want your guests to feel like your heart and soul has been injected into making their temporary home as comfortable as possible. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Think about storage</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">While the main priority of a spare bedroom is to make it comfortable for guests, think about how you can maximise storage while it's not being occupied. </p> <p dir="ltr">Think underbed storage or a chic and stylish chest of drawers that can double as decoration. </p> <p dir="ltr">When the spare room is being used, having somewhere for guests to unpack their belongings can go a long way. </p> <p dir="ltr">Instead of expecting your visitors to live out of a suitcase, they would appreciate an empty section of a wardrobe or an unused bench top to store their belongings. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Bedside tables and lighting are a must</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">When decorating your spare room, a bedside table and a lamp are must-haves. </p> <p dir="ltr">This seemingly simple addition will make all the difference to your guests, with functionality in mind while also adding to the style of the room. </p> <p dir="ltr">Think about adding practical trinkets to a bedside table as well, such as candles, notepad and pen or a tray for jewellery.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Add easy-to-forget essentials</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">It's not uncommon for travellers to arrive at their destination and realise they have forgotten essentials such as toothpaste, body wash or hair products. </p> <p dir="ltr">Adding these products to a spare bedroom will take the hassle out of forgetting these important essentials, while also adding another element of thoughtfulness for your guests.</p> <p dir="ltr">Consider adding travel-sized products for guests to take with them if they choose, as these are much easier to replace for the next guest – for such a small gesture they leave amazing impression. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

5 easy ways to rejuvenate your kitchen

<p dir="ltr">With the kitchen often deemed the “heart of the home”, it’s important it has some special qualities, as well as being fully functional. </p> <p dir="ltr">While fully renovating a kitchen can take a lot of time and money, there are smaller ways to spruce up your space without breaking the bank, or putting in weeks of work. </p> <p dir="ltr">These five simple ideas can help breathe new life into your kitchen, while also flexing your DIY skills. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>A fresh coat of paint makes all the difference</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Paint can be an amazing tool to help change the look and feel of a room in an instant. </p> <p dir="ltr">When it comes to kitchens, everything including the cabinets, walls, stove splashbacks and even floors can be painted. </p> <p dir="ltr">The trick is to find the right finish, selecting a timeless colour and not to skimp on the prep work. You’ll be surprised how fresh your space feels after a simple coat of paint. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>It’s time to organise your pantry</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Keeping your pantry clean, clear and accessible is the best way to help make your kitchen all the more functional. </p> <p dir="ltr">Think clear acrylic boxes, baskets, and labels to help keep all your ingredients organised. </p> <p dir="ltr">This will help you see what ingredients you have at a glance, and make mealtimes so much easier. </p> <p dir="ltr">You can also use racks and brackets on the inside of doors to hold paper towels, aprons, dustpans and brooms.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Update handles and fixtures for a timeless look</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Changing old and worn fixtures can help to instantly lift the feeling of your kitchen at a very low cost. </p> <p dir="ltr">Simply unscrewing your existing handles and replacing them with updated door knobs and drawer pulls that match your new aesthetic will make the world of difference. </p> <p dir="ltr">While going the extra mile to install a new sink, tapware or statement pendant lighting may require a bit more skill, the results will be invaluable. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Time to go shopping for new appliances</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If the foundations of your kitchen could use updating, chances are your appliances could too. </p> <p dir="ltr">Upgrading to a newer model will help elevate your cooking game, while also freshening up the look of your kitchen.</p> <p dir="ltr">Same goes for small appliances, such as kettles and toasters, which can be replaced for a reasonable cost. </p> <p dir="ltr">Consider getting a matching set in an attractive colour that doubles as a charming accessory. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Create a dedicated space</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">It’s always a good idea to have one nook of your kitchen that is dedicated to what you love, both for functionality and aesthetics. </p> <p dir="ltr">This could be a tricky corner that is difficult to utilise space in, or an extra worktop you’ve added to your space.</p> <p dir="ltr">Whether it's a bar area stocked with your favourite drinks, herb garden for fresh produce, or a breakfast corner to make mornings easy, the choices are endless. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

Refurbished Big Ben unveiled after five-year renovation

<p dir="ltr">What is most likely the world’s most famous clocktower is now visible after five years hidden behind scaffolding during a renovation, and it’s an amazing sight.</p> <p dir="ltr">Renovations on the tower started five years ago, when it was announced it would be undergoing a £79.7 million reconstruction. The reconstruction included taking apart more than 1000 pieces of the clock face and removing them via a lift shaft in order to clean and repair them; that includes wheels, pinions, bell-hammers and bearings of the clock face.</p> <p dir="ltr">In addition, the clock hands have been restored to their original blue after having previously been painted black to try and mask the dirt from pollution. Most noticeably, the exterior has been repainted a bright and glistening gold, and the overall effect is outstanding.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Maybe it’s been worth the wait? <a href="https://t.co/a1EpBcuMcb">pic.twitter.com/a1EpBcuMcb</a></p> — David Belle (@davidbelle_) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidbelle_/status/1481013484993368069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The Cumbria Clock Company has overseen the refurbishment, working tirelessly in their workshop to clean and repair all of the necessary components. This renovation was the first time the clock mechanism had been removed from its home in the Elizabeth Tower (the structure’s actual name, ‘Big Ben’ is just the bell inside).</p> <p dir="ltr">Cumbria Clock Company director and co-founder Keith Scobie-Youngs wrote on the Parliament website, “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work on the best-known clock in the world. We transplanted the heart of the UK up to Cumbria. We were able to assemble the time side, the heartbeat, and put that on test in our workshop, so for two years, we had that heartbeat ticking away in our test room, which was incredibly satisfying.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It became part of the family and its departure has been like a child leaving home. The beauty of a clock like this is that you as a clockmaker become part of its history and want to leave it in a better place than you found it, so the next clockmaker can appreciate it. We were privileged to become part of the story of Big Ben; everyone at the company feels that attachment to the story.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Work on the tower is not yet finished, however, and is expected to wrap up by British summer, a year later than planned, during the pandemic. While the tower was undergoing its renovation, Ben’s famous bongs only rang out on a select few special occasions, such as New Years and Armistice Day.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</em></p>

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5 easy ways to rejuvenate your kitchen

Refurbished Big Ben unveiled after five-year renovation