Creating your dream house is not as hard as you think, and it can be quite affordable. With a little brainstorming and planning, you can reduce remodelling expenses in many ways.

Here are five modern and cost-efficient ways to transform your home.

1. Cool countertops.

Beauty and low maintenance are at the top of the list for many Australian homeowners and Millennials. Quartz, Dekton, stainless steel, light marble, and two-tone charcoal countertops are all the rage in 2016.

Popular brands like Remodelista carry countertops that defy fingerprint markings and have a better finish, are scratch-resistant and are more luxurious than in the years before.

2. Upgrade kitchen appliances.

The task of upgrading kitchen appliances doesn’t always have to be expensive. New appliances can make cooking and cooling much easier and help save you money on your energy bill.

Buy kitchen appliances that are trimmed in stainless steel if you can’t afford a stainless steel countertop. This gives you a beautiful modern kitchen without the financial burden that comes with replacing and installing a stainless steel countertop.

3. Repaint the entire house.

Painting tips and trends:

• Choosing brighter interior paint colours will improve the ambiance of your home and your mood.
• Cooler colours give an elegant look.
• Painting your ceiling a lighter colour than the walls will give an effect that your ceiling is higher than it actually is.
• Painting it darker will make the room feel more intimate.
• To achieve a brighter, more airy room, choose golds, reds or purple hues.

Stick with using only up to two colours per room. In order to draw your guest’s eye to a specific place in the room, paint one wall your colour of choice and add a darker complimentary colour to the focus wall. This will create a focal point in your favourite room. You can also enhance the focal point by painting the skirting or cornices a light colour, like white or beige.

4. Let your light shine.

Installing light drapery to your home provides ample room for natural light to continuously shine through. You can save thousands of dollars by using lighter coloured drapery that is made of lighter and more transparent material.

If your home has a foyer, place a mirror directly in the middle of the back foyer wall. Make sure that the mirror is large and thick, as the bigger and thicker it is, the more light will reflect throughout the room. The styles of mirrors that reflect the most amount of light include: Venetian, sunburst, antique, and bevelled mirrors.

Individual pieces such as shiny trinkets can also be introduced to improve the lighting in your home. Chandeliers, pieces made with brass, gold, or silver will transfer light and the boost natural light.

5. Steel structure construction.

Remodelling your home with steel is quick, cost-efficient, and long lasting. As a result, there has been a surge of homeowners who are opting for steel construction. Architects love it for its uniqueness and its adaptability, and homeowners love it for its durability. It’s very sustainable and is even recyclable.

Quality steel construction allows homeowners the ability to let in much more light, by utilising the steel structure in ways that other materials do not allow. Open spaces can be constructed, making a modern homeowner’s dream come true. Steel is not terribly expensive, and it causes nominal interruptions to your daily activities. The savings can equal thousands of dollars in the long run, depending on the small size or vastness of a project.

Once you’ve made over your home’s interiors, why not head outdoors. Here are four garden upgrades to add value to your home.

Author bio:

Dianna Woods is the Marketing Manager of Sheds n Homes, who have been delivering premium steel building solutions since 2011. Sheds n Homes proudly uses 100% Australian-sourced BlueScope Steel and manufactures to order from over 20 sites across Australia.

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