Hello fellow renovators! Matt and Ash from @reno_rookies_ here again.
Our third major tip is a fun one; splurge on the good stuff.
There are some things you can’t skimp on and unfortunately they cost a fortune, but they’re worth it. The driveway is the first thing you see as you approach the house, and if its damaged or dated it instantly drags down the façade and undermines all the other hard work you’ve already done. Replace it with something luxe like exposed aggregate or small pebbles, don’t just repaint it, because no matter what colour you use or how professional the finish is, ugly old painted concrete always looks like ugly old painted concrete. In our current house we forked out the chashola for an exposed aggregate drive-way and now that I’ve recovered from the small heart attack I had after reading the quote, I couldn’t be happier. Our entrance looks luxe and complete and will last forever.
(The original dirt driveway and metal farm gates)
(We built our own electric wooden farm gates and added in a footpath with a pedestrian gate. The gates cost us an hour or so in YouTube time and about $1,000 in materials, which was a huge bargain compared to the $4,000 we were quoted to have them professionally built.)
(The finished product – our DIY gates and the beautiful new exposed aggregate driveway.)
The same goes with the kitchen. It’s the heart of the home and the main attraction when it comes time to sell. There are things you can skimp on and things you can’t. If you’re leaving the layout the same, consider a stone benchtop overlay, which is where the edges of the existing bench top are buzzed back and stone is placed over the top. If you’re renovating an older house, the benches are probably a little too low anyway, so this will give you a bit of extra height. It will also cost about half the price of a full replacement and might be the difference between settling for laminate, and getting the stone of your culinary dreams. We’ve done this in three of our houses and it’s come up absolutely perfect every time.
(The original kitchen in our current house)
(Left is the original cabinet. Right is the original cabinet sanded back and with a new handle. This transformation was quick and cheap, and looks amazing.)
(Sanded back cupboards and a stone overlay on the bench tops. This one was from Signature Stone Benchtops.)
Interior decorating is no different. Spend the money on pieces that will last a lifetime and pair it with cheaper pieces that attract less attention. If the kitchen in the heart of the home then the dining table is the aorta. We bought an incredible live edge table from Coco Republic and it is always the first thing people comment on when then visit. And rightly so if I do say so myself. It’s beautiful and it’s where we make all of our memories with the people we love. When we’re old and grey, I hope that our children will compete to find the most luxurious old folks home, knowing that the winner will inherit this table.
(We shuffled things around and converted what was originally the living room into the new dining room.)
(The love of my life – no offence Matt - the live edge dining table from Coco Republic)
Speaking of the love of my life, our next blog post will focus on the most import part of flipping a house. Until then, happy renovating.