---

via reiwa.com.au

Are you looking to jazz up your home but don’t have the available funds? Maybe you are planning to sell, or just want to give it a facelift?

Either way you don’t need to spend an arm or a leg, you just need a little bit of inspiration.

Here are five ways you can give your home the ultimate make-over without breaking the bank.

1. Clean out/de-clutter your home

Start by a good old clean out – this you can do for free. Living in a messy, cluttered house will have you feeling anxious and itching for a change of atmosphere, plus it won’t make a good first impression on visitors.

rid of junk you don’t need, wash the walls, doorways and clean all the dust and cob-webs! This will have an immediate effect on the oxygen circulation of the house – breathing in fresh air is the start to feeling good in your home.

2. Paint the walls

Whether you want to change the colour all together or just want to lift the look,the most effective way to rejuvenate your home is to apply a fresh coat of paint.

Light to neutral colours gives you more flexibility with furniture and décor, and creates the illusion of space. Plus, painting your home is relatively cheap, unless you want to seek a professional painter to do the job.

While you have the paint out, it is also a good idea to re-paint the doors, door frames, skirtings and ceilings in simple white, to freshen up the aesthetic of your house.

For some inspo, find out how to select the right paint colour for your home.

3. Re-decorate

It is ridiculously affordable to decorate your home these days, you just need to trigger your creative side.

Adding plants and some pottery to your home is a great way to set the mood and can be very affordable and easily maintained with a little bit of TLC. Adding a splash of greenery to your space is not only aesthetically appealing, but pot plants also help purify the air, just make sure you buy plants suitable for indoors.

Candles, incense and infusers also have dual purpose when it comes to décor. They look good, and smell good, once again adding that infused delicious aroma to your home.

When it comes to the bedroom and living rooms, pillows, throws and new linen is something that will always catch the eye. What better feeling is there than purchasing fresh new bedding? Try and coordinate this with whatever colour you paint the walls or keep the same colours but you can mix up the styles.

Remember, simple can sometimes mean more, so try keep all decorations minimal but effective.

4. Rearrange furniture

If you already love your furniture but still feel sick of it, a simple re-organise of the couches, TVs beds, tables etc can make you feel like you’re in a whole new house.

Making different uses out of the things you already have in your home will save you money. You think you might be sick of an item, but put it somewhere else and you might fall in love with it all over again.

5. Update light fittings

Lighting is the key to making any home stand out, and you would be surprised what a simple swap of the light fittings will do.

If you’re on a budget consider going for one or two designer light fittings in the main living areas, then cheaper ones for the other rooms.

While we are on the topic of lighting, you can also replace the light switch covers which won’t cost you a lot at all. Swap out those old fashioned, plain switch covers for silver, stainless steel or modern white covers.

---

Jennifer Duke via domain.com.au

Housing was a hot button topic for the 2017/2018 federal budget, so it’s no surprise there were a raft of changes for real estate.

The new measures have impacted on a variety of housing rules from first-home buyers’ savings strategies to what investors can claim at tax-time.

Here are the five big announcements to know about.

More supply is just one part of the housing push with a raft of initiatives rolled out in the 2017/2018 federal budget. Photo: Pat Scala

1) Foreigners can only buy up to 50 per cent of a development

Under the new budget rules, developers will no longer be able to sell every property in their new development to overseas buyers.

Instead, a maximum of half the development can be sold to foreign buyers with the rest to be sold locally. The budget documents note this is to provide a “clear message” that new housing stock is expected to increase supply for Australian buyers.

Before this change developers required pre-approval to sell properties to foreign buyers but there was no limit on the proportion of sales.

Effect on revenue: No impact

In place from: May 9, 2017

2) First Home Super Saver Scheme

First-home buyers weren’t ignored by the budget with a new First Home Super Saver Scheme announced. The new super saver scheme will allow first-time buyers to put up to $15,000 a year, to a maximum of $30,000 under the scheme, into their superannuation.

These funds can later be withdrawn for a home deposit, including any earnings the deposits made.

This means they will have a tax incentive to save more, and it can be taken advantage of as a couple with each claiming $30,000.

Effect on revenue: Cost of $250 million ($9.4 million funding given to ATO)

In place from: July 1, 2017 (contributions), July 1, 2018 (withdrawals)

3) An ’empty home’ tax on foreign investors

Foreign investors who keep properties vacant for more than six months will be faced with a vacancy tax. This is described as a charge on “underutilised residential property”.

The cost of this tax will be the equivalent of their foreign investment application fee – some several thousand dollars – and will be charged annually.

This change is intended to get more vacant homes onto the rental market.

Effect on revenue: Gain of $16.3 million ($3.7 million funding given to ATO)

In place from: May 9, 2017

4) Stopping investors from claiming travel deductions

Investors who previously had tax deductions for travel expenses related to their investment property will no longer be able to make these claims.

The government has ruled them out, even for those travelling to collect rent, maintain or inspect a premises, saying many have been incorrectly obtaining this deduction. This has included situations for “private travel purposes”.

Effect on revenue: Gain of $540 million

In place from: July 1, 2017

5) Retirees given incentives to downsize

Australians aged over 65 who sell their home of a decade or more will soon be able to put up to $300,000 in sale proceeds into their superannuation.

This incentive to downsize is expected to help free up larger homes for families to move into.

Effect on revenue: Cost of $30 million

In place from: July 1, 2018