Region Australia New Zealand Indonesia Middle East
  • You are not signed in sign in or register
  • save searches, properties and create email alerts

Sign in with one of your existing
social network accounts:

Facebook Twitter Google
Saved searches

Sign in to save your searches.

Recent searches
    Clear your search history
    Ray White Real Estate
    • Buy Touch to search for properties for sale
    • Rent Touch to search for properties for rent or lease
    • Sell
    • Find an agent
    • Tips & Advice
    • Careers
    • Home loans
    • Search for
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Business
      • Rural
      • Land
      • Projects
      to suit a budget of about
      land size range (m²)
      to suit a budget of about
      Ray White offers more than 60,000 properties for sale each year, with the widest selection of real estate of any group in Australasia.
      Look up a property ID or keyword
    • Search for
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Holiday
      to suit a budget of about (per week)
      floor size range (m²)
      land size range (m²)
      to suit a budget of about (per annum)
      Whether you’re a landlord, tenant or investor we have the right information and advice to meet your needs.
      Look up a property ID or keyword
    • You can find all our corporate contact details on the Ray White Group website.
      With over 1,000 offices across 11 countries, one of our 12,000 specialists are ready to discuss your property needs.

    Summer renos: What’s on your wish list?

    Winter can feel like it goes on forever, particularly in the cooler parts of the country. Thankfully, we’re finally nearing the end of the chilly season. With spring and summer around the corner, now’s the perfect time to start getting your home ready for long days outside in the sun with family and friends.

    Before you start building a deck with your bare hands – have a read of our summer reno wish list and get inspired.

    With summer around the corner, now’s the perfect time to start getting your home ready for long days outside.

    Improve your Indoor-outdoor flow

    When it’s 35 degrees outside and the sun is shining, there’s nothing quite like being able to step straight out of your lounge into a comfortable outdoor living area. To achieve that for yourself, and really enjoy the hot weather, improving your property’s indoor-outdoor flow should be your first priority.

    Installing wide French doors that fully open your home to your outdoor area is a great start. Home Improvement Pages estimate that these could cost at least $1,500 to purchase, and even more to install. However, they could be what’s needed to get you using your outdoor area more often.

    Alternatively you could install a gas strut window and create a servery outside of your kitchen (these windows open straight up like a canteen and are cheaper than the bi-folding option). Install a small bench as well and you’ll open your kitchen up, making outdoor dining easier and more convenient come summer time.

    For hardwood timber decking you’ll pay around $320/sqm, and more for decking with roofing or stairs.

    Soak up the sun on your deck

    If your outdoor area is a little unruly and uninviting, it could stop you from really enjoying it this summer. The best way to tame it and increase your useable space, could be to install decking, however, unless you install it yourself this may be an expensive undertaking.

    Home Improvement Pages estimates that for hardwood timber decking you’ll pay around $320/sqm, and more for decking with roofing or stairs. If that cost puts you off keep in mind that adding well designed decking could double your living space and increase the value of your home. More importantly it’ll help you enjoy a better, more relaxing summer!

    If possible, try and use finishes on your deck that are similar to those used inside, as this will help improve the indoor-outdoor flow of your living areas.

    Build a fire pit

    With well built seating surrounding it, your fireplace could become the centre of long nights outdoors .

    If you’re not keen on doing extensive renovations for this summer, something simple like a firepit could be the key to adding interest to your backyard. When you install yours, check local fire codes first, and ensure that you use only experienced and registered builders. Make sure that it’s far enough away from your property and any bush, to avoid fires or accidents.

    With well built seating surrounding it, your fireplace could become the centre of long nights outdoors with family and friends – adding that wow factor to your garden.

    If you’re ready to take your garden to the next level, remember that the right renovations could improve more than just your summer. They could also increase your home’s value considerably, if they’re done right. To get the finance you need to do that, get in touch with a local mortgage broker that you trust, and get started.

    You Might Also Like

    • How accurate are online property valuations?

    • Which Australian cities have higher house prices in winter?

    • 3 must-knows for New Zealand first home buyers

    Categories

    • Our Family

      Meet just some of the people who make up our global network.

    • Market News

      Latest real estate updates

    • Advice & Tips

      We have the Know_How

    • Inspiration

      Trends and creative advice

    • Finance

      The latest financial news for real estate

    • White Paper

      The latest from Brian White

    Tweets Follow @RayWhiteGroup

    Tweets by @RayWhiteGroup Tweet to @RayWhiteGroup

    Instagram

    Site

    • Home
    • Contact
    • About Us
    • Privacy
    • Legal
    • Terms of Use

    Stay in Touch

    • News
    • Complaints
    • Commercial eMagazine
    • White Paper

    Useful Tools

    • Loan Repayment Calculator
    • How Much Can I Borrow?
    • Find a Mortgage Broker
    • Find an Agent or Office

    Connect

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • YouTube
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram
    • © 2018 Ray White
    • Site Map
    • Australia
    • New Zealand
    • Melbourne
    • Sydney
    • Perth
    • Brisbane
    • Hobart
    • Adelaide
    • Gold Coast
    • Cairns
    • Canberra