Five simple ways to update your home in the new year
13 January 2020
By portermathewsblog
via domain.com.au
The summer break is a perfect time to tackle those neglected DIY tasks. Photo: iStock
There’s no time like the summer break to get around to all those tasks you’ve been meaning to do. Without the busyness of work and general life, focusing on some of those neglected areas of the home means you’ll start the year fresh, updated and accomplished.
It’s key to decide which home DIY projects you’ll invest your time and money into. Are there any that have really been on your mind? What will add value to your home?
Between beach trips and pool-side relaxation, here are some ideas for home DIY that are easy enough to complete over your summer break and won’t break the bank.
Freshen up your interior painting
Anyone can work some magic with the right colours and a paintbrush. With warm weather on the agenda, your coats will dry fairly fast, making it an easy summer fix.
If you’ve got wallpaper to remove, holes or dints to patch, make sure you do that before you start on the painting.
Typically, prep and painting take anywhere from three to six hours per room, depending on the size and direction to the sun.
It doesn’t take long to give the walls a fresh coat. Photo: iStock
Planting and landscaping
Who doesn’t enjoy a sunny afternoon in the garden or stroll through the nursery choosing new flowers? Your garden refresh could be as simple as replacing furniture or as complex as constructing an entertainment area.
For the budget-conscious, planting cuttings from friends and family is a great way to get your garden started and add in some new species.
While it can be difficult to estimate the time frame of a landscaping job, small jobs such as replacing furniture or planting could all be knocked over in a day. For larger tasks such as laying pavers or grass, allow a few days.
Who doesn’t love an afternoon in the garden? Photo: iStock
Re-tiling kitchen splashback
Make sure to weigh up your experience here. Nobody wants to end up with an uneven, less than perfect splashback in their kitchen.
Another thing to pay attention to is the type of tiles you are going to use before you dive straight in. Some tiles are harder to both lay and align.
If you’re unsure but keen to give it a go yourself, YouTube is a great place to gather info, get tips and watch how the professionals do it.
Before you start, make sure you consider the knock-on effect, so it doesn’t turn into a mountain of a job. For example, if your tiles sit behind your benchtops, it will become a much more complicated task. If the colour is quite polarising, will it mean eventually replacing all the tiles throughout the home?
Curtains are an easy way to transform a room. Photo: Stocksy
Updating the blinds
Blinds have the power to transform the whole room, adding colour, light or texture with minimal effort or costs involved. If you’ve already got tracks in place, then it’s just a case of replacing the curtains, which can be done in half a day.
When it comes to choosing your curtains and the hooks, make sure to seek advice from staff in-store. The different styles of hooks can be confusing, but with the right advice, you’ll be set for an easy DIY task.
Lighting changes
Just like curtains, lighting also has the power to change a room entirely. Lighting can be a statement piece, add ambience and is an economical way of sprucing up the home. Be sure to call on a licensed electrician for any installation that needs to be done.
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