It might seem like a no brainer, but if you’re going to spend any money on home updates or renovations, it’s important you make sure that expense will result in capital improvement.
It’s becoming increasingly likely that there will be rebates for batteries in the near future, so installing a 5kw (or more) solar power system could be the biggest value add to your property – whether you’re planning to sell your home or not.
Energy costs will continue to rise so it’s going to come down to people power and our willingness to adopt renewable technology. You can have a 5kw solar system supplied and installed for under $5000 in most Australian capital cities.
Down the track, if you were to add batteries to this it would take a family of three with normal power consumption off the power grid for good.
The cost of landscaping or adding a veggie garden will largely depend on what you want to do, but $10,000 will be plenty of budget to get you going. Getting your hands dirty and giving yourself the ability to grow some food staples in your garden will save you money at the checkout in the long run, and also improve your connection with your food source.
When you proudly show off your tomatoes or zucchini to family and friends at the dinner table it will also be a good conversation starter – just ask any budding gardener.
Updating your kitchen benchtops doesn’t have to cost the earth and is well worth the effort. Dated laminate benches can really detract from what might otherwise be a functional kitchen space.
Most hardware stores stock benchtop repair and re-surfacing kits as off-the-shelf items, which is a cost-effective alternative to replacing the entire benchtop. These kits are hardwearing and you’ll also get the satisfaction of showing off your handy work to visitors.
Given these kits are less than $250, why not give the doors and drawers a lick of paint while you’re there, too? The same goes for the bathroom vanity if you’re feeling really adventurous.
Much like grid power, construction costs are continuing to rise so it should be no surprise that the once humble bathroom renovation might not be as cheap as you’d hope.
For a cost-effective alternative, why not consider using a hard-wearing tile paint (available from all good hardware stores) on any dated tiles to give your laundry, bathroom or ensuite a refresh? The paints are usually applied as a two-coat system and you need to follow the directions to ensure the system binds correctly.
This quick fix adds value and will pull the attention away from any dated 80s-look bathroom tiles.
Re-lining the bathtub is quite a popular tactic to update and refresh its look.
Once your white bath is stained, sometimes no amount of elbow grease can bring it back to life. Bath tub re-lines are simple and affordable; for under $1000 your bathtub can be looking whiter than a fresh set of veneers.
Saving every drop of water becomes even more important when you factor in the number of households Australia-wide.
If we assume there are 8 million homes in Australia, then if every home had a minimum of 5000L of water storage, consider the amount of rain water that could be harvested at any one time and kept in our catchments. Remember, one small deed multiplied by millions of people is where the real impact is seen.
You’ll also save on the costs of water use in the long run.
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