Guest Post by Hubert Dwight

Brace yourselves, Spring is here!

Now that the winter coats, hats and boots are packed away, it’s time to spruce up the interiors of your home as well.

Spring marks new beginnings, and why not make full use of it to make a change in not just what you wear but how your house is decorated to?

Here are 8 Wallet-Friendly Tricks To Spruce Up Your Interiors This Spring.

A fresh new vibe doesn’t have to leave a hole in your pocket!

1. Soothe Your Senses

Spring is not just a colourful season – it is a fragrant one too.

Why not bring that crisp air and fragrance into your home with diffusers, scented candles and incense?

Scents have been proven to have a profound impact on the mood and can instantly calm you down after a stressful day at work.

Diffusers and candles are a very inexpensive way to bring the glorious scents of spring into your humble abode.

2. Flowers Aren’t Just For Valentine’s Day

One of the signs that Spring has arrived are when you see the once barren trees now start to grow in full bloom.

Purchasing fresh flowers online and adorning your home with it is a fantastic way of bringing the birth of spring into your very own home.

Aside from floral arrangements around your house looking absolutely stunning, they too bring a fresh Spring aroma into your home.

You don’t have to wait for your partner or a secret admirer to buy you flowers – jump online, get your own and start decorating!

3. Beautify Your Boudoir

Bright, fresh and crisp new bed linens can do wonders for your your personal sanctuary.

Who doesn’t enjoy going home and tucking into an amazingly comfortable and crisp bed for a good night of rest?

It’s time to tuck away your thick and heavy winter duvets and replace them with crisp linens and colourful coverlets.

Bring spring into your bedroom with floral designed sheets, or light colours such as pastel yellows and greens.

Don’t forget to include some accent pillows for added style and comfort.

4. Add A Splash Of Colour

There is no better way to breathe new life into a room than to completely revamp its color scheme – starting from the walls to your furniture covering and decors.

Statement walls are a very popular way to bring some fresh colour into a room without having to break the bank with an entire new paint job.

Painting one wall in your dining room in a sunny yellow or cream shade is a  simple DIY task that you and your family can do over the weekend.

Changing the colour of your tablecloths, cushions and throws can also bring an airy spring feel into your living area.

5. Simple Artwork Is The Way To Go

Another great way of sprucing up your interiors is to hang up fresh, bright and modern artwork on your bare walls.

Not only do they create a sense of structure in your home, they are also visually appealing and can complement the decor and furniture in your home.

Awesome places to purchase inexpensive art work would be at thrift stores, markets and op shops – it doesn’t have to be expensive to bring some wow factor into your home.

6. Goodbye Dull Drapes!

It’s time to switch out those dull and dark drapes for something bright, fresh and airy.

Choosing light coloured curtains allows for more sunlight to enter your home, and you will be surprised at the brightening power of pale curtains.

You can even go one step further and get tastefully floral printed curtains (not the type your granny owns) to really kick the feeling of spring back into your home.

7. Don’t Forget The Dining Table 

The dining table is often a space that we forget can be decorated and matched to the surrounding decor in the home.

For a fresh spring feel, adorn your table with Batik inspired place mats and napkins, light coloured crockery and some beautiful flowers in a vase as a centrepiece.

Flameless candles are also a great, safe and fresh way to add some elegance to your spring themed table.

8. The Magic Of Metallic

Metallic accents and mixed metal decorations have been turning heads recently, and is one of the hottest trends for the Spring season.

Copper, Bronze or Silver accessories in the bathroom, on the walls or even on your table top can bring elements of warm metallic allure to your home – small accents that make a big impression.

You can find many of these metallic decor at thrift stores or even at inexpensive stores such as K-Mart these days.

 

Sprucing up your home interior for Spring does not have to cost a fortune, and with a few nifty tricks and simple know-hows, you’ll be enjoying a bright, clean and fresh living space for months to come.

Guest post from Hubert Dwight

So you’re thinking about renovating your current kitchen.

Maybe it’s for lifestyle reasons, or maybe it’s because your old kitchen is slightly falling apart.

Whatever the reason for remodelling, a new kitchen is an investment that will bring you happiness from years to come.

Remodelling the social hub of your home is a big decision to make, and there are a few key mistakes that you can avoid to ensure your renovation process is as effective and efficient as it can be.

1. Not having fun

When remodelling your kitchen, it’s important to make sure you have fun with it.

Use pops of colour, a focal point and pieces of art.

Little details like these are what will make your kitchen feel like home.

Stick to classic styles, but don’t stick to boring rules.

As well as this, remember that this should be a fun process!

Although it will absolutely take some elbow grease, it will also be a truly satisfying undertaking that you should revel in.

2. Skimping on cabinet storage

Don’t self sabotage your kitchen by not giving yourself enough space.

It can seem like a good idea to skimp on storage to keep costs down.

However, these days, there is a plethora of storage solutions that can really help maximise your kitchen.

Pantries and super cabinets are great options that will optimise any sized kitchen.

3. Choosing appliances last

When doing a full renovation of your kitchen, make sure you choose your appliances first.

It’s much more logical, and easier, to choose things like cabinets and countertops once you’ve already decided on your refrigerator and dishwasher.

Nowadays it is definitely viable to select a range of appliances that are in the same colour or design to give your kitchen a central theme.

4. Not thinking about it as an investment

A total kitchen makeover will come at an expense – and sometimes it can be hard to keep that cost down.

Therefore, it’s crucial that you think about your lifestyle and your cooking preferences, so you can plan your kitchen accordingly.

After all, remodelling your kitchen is an investment and will improve your life!

5. Forgetting your budget

As with any financially-based endeavour, your budget should be your gospel.

Coming up with a realistic budget for your renovation is essential.

Decide what features of your kitchen are the most important, and allocate your finances accordingly.

Keep a copy on you at all times, so you don’t make any rash decisions and regret it later!

6. Going it alone

Even if you are experienced in the art of DIY, it’s vital that you consult a kitchen design expert before undertaking a job such as a full renovation.

An experienced professional, such as the staff at ESI Lifestyle, will be able to offer tips, tricks and general advice regarding your kitchen hopes and dreams.

7. Forgetting your workflow

How do you prefer to cook?

Do you use the stovetop more, or perhaps the oven?

Remember your kitchen’s busiest areas will usually be the sink, the stove and the refrigerator.

Make sure these areas are spaced far enough away from each other so as not to overcrowd any one particular area.

Don’t over think the remodelling of your kitchen.

With planning, a good budget, and appropriate ideas of how you want your kitchen to match your lifestyle, you’re already halfway there.

 

Keep in mind these 7 common mistakes when you’re remodelling your kitchen to avoid further complications down the track.

Guest Post from Russ Egan of www.russegan.com.au

Learn from My Mistakes

I purchased my first property when I was 24 years old. I did huge amounts of DIY renovations and was able to increase the value of that property by 17%.

This enabled me to purchase my second property at 25 years old. This property made absolutely zero in terms of market growth but did teach me a lot about property economics.

I scrimped and saved and purchased my third property at 26 years old, leading the way to a successful real estate portfolio.

Along this path I made a lot of mistakes – all of which taught me very important lessons.

Hopefully I will be able to share two of these mistakes with you so that you can avoid them all completely.

Hiring Tradesmen

As a practical kind of person I decided for my first renovation that I wanted to do everything myself.

After spending all of my free evenings and weekends on gardening, paving, cleaning, and demolition I finally arrived at painting.

It took me two days of sanding, preparation, cutting in, rolling, and waiting to dry just to paint the master bedroom.

After that I went after the professionals and hired a painter – who completed the rest of the house in half the time, and at a much better quality.

The most valuable lesson out of this experience was the different in quality between an enthusiastic DIY’er and a professional tradesman.

Yes, it can be much cheaper to complete the job yourself but at the end of the renovation if there is a distinct lack of quality then the outcome in terms of market value and profit may be at risk.

Investigate The Whole Market Not Just The Property

When looking to purchase my second property I did not do sufficient investigation into the market.

I saw the yearly growth values looked good and checked locally for shops, schools, etc.

I also wanted the property to be close enough that I could conduct any repairs or renovations myself if required, which significantly limited my options.

Unfortunately for me there has been an enormous amount of construction of new developments nearby.

I figured that these were far enough away that they wouldn’t have a significant impact on my new investment, but I was very wrong.

The impact on values of supply and demand cannot be ignored, and a lot more investigation and analysis should be conducted if you want to be successful as an investor.

Real estate is a great investment tool and it is remarkable fun as well, but it can be very complicated with a lot to learn. Thankfully there is a lot of information available to help you avoid making the same mistakes that others have already made.

 

Russ Egan is an enthusiastic property investor. Born in country Queensland and an engineer by profession he has been successful in building wealth through real estate investment, cosmetic renovations, and small scale developments.