Sydney Home Improvement: Remodel the Kitchen

It’s just as the saying goes – the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, therefore home improvements in the kitchen are the most likely to pay off when it matters. That said; don’t go overboard when it comes to renovating your kitchen. This is a room that should look like a place for people to come together and eat, but it shouldn’t make the rest of the house look grey in comparison. While great huge stainless steel fittings and appliances look great, remember that the home is most likely going to cater for a small family and not a small army, so the kitchen should be fitted out to suit.

Sydney Home Improvement: Put a Bathroom On It

If your home currently only has one bedroom, ask yourself ‘why?’ and then maybe consider adding a second one. You can recoup a substantial amount of your investment by adding a second bathroom – around 80-130%, actually!

When looking for room in your home that could be better used as an extra bathroom, consider ‘extra’ rooms or underutilised spaces. If you’re tight on space, a toilet and sink may prove sufficient – slightly larger spaces could benefit from having the works done: a full bathtub and sink.

Sydney Home Improvement: All Hands On Deck!

Sydney’s real estate agents are constantly saying that people selling their homes should add a timber deck in order to increase the value of their property, and they’re right – reports have said that these sturdy outdoor entertainment areas essentially increase the value of your property dollar-for-dollar. Why is this? With staycations becoming more commonplace in Sydney, backyards around town are now being renovated to create outdoor living and entertainment areas – an extension of the inside, if you will. The costs of adding an outdoor deck to your home will vary depending on how complex you want the structure to be. As with the kitchen, you want the area to stand out, but not so much so that the rest of the house loses value. Wizard Home Improvements are the experts when it comes to outdoor entertainment areas and can lay down a deck to suit any backyard and any budget – call us today to see how we can help with increasing the resale value of your property.

Sydney Home Improvement: Repurpose a room

Space in Sydney doesn’t come cheap, so why waste what little square meterage you have by leaving it unused? If you’ve got a dust-collecting area, come in with a lick of paint and you can convert it into another bedroom or even as a second living room – those slanted roofs are perfect for projecting movies on to!  Before you get too excited knocking down walls and installing new light fixtures, think long and hard about the ways that you (or potential buyers) would use the space. Versatile rooms have greater appeal to potential buyers.

Sydney Home Improvement: Be Green, See Green – Make Your Windows Energy-Efficient

Most people in Sydney have cottoned on to the fact that climate change is a real thing and, in order to reduce their carbon footprint, are purchasing with energy efficiency in mind. Investing in windows with a WERS (Window Energy Rating Scheme) label on them  – the Cooling Star shows how well they stop the heat from entering the house, and the Heating star shows how well they keep the heat in. The maximum rating is 5 stars, which is a sign of the best possible performance. You can expect to recoup 60-90% of your costs when you invest in energy-efficient windows.

Sydney Home Improvement: Stay Warm When It’s Cold, Cool When It’s Hot

Sydney prides itself on its old terraces and workers cottages, but if yours is lacking basic insulation and has old doors that let in plenty of hot and cold air, home inspectors working with potential buyers will note this. Homes that are not modified with energy efficiency in mind cost more to live in and maintain. Updating your home to save energy is not as expensive as you’d think, and it pays off in the long run. Our suggestion for energy-efficient windows is a good start, but you could also add insulation into your roof, seal cracks around the house, etc. If you need to replace your hot water heater, it pays in dividends to purchase a high-efficiency water heater – this cuts energy bills down by using more economical methods of heating water.

Sydney Home Improvement: Make A Lasting First Impression – Curb Appeal

Just like in life, first impressions matter when it comes to prospective buyers and your home. When prospective buyers are pulling up to the property, it’s likely that they’ll make their mind up whether or not they’ll consider putting in an offer within the first 30 seconds. Even if you think that you’ve done a good job of maintaining it over the years, it doesn’t hurt to do a quick bit of spit and polishing before the first inspection – gurney down the driveway, trim the trees, you get the idea. Anything to make it look as new as the day you bought it.

Sydney Home Improvement: Bits and Pieces

The most basic, banal-seeming updates and chores will actually be the most influential on the overall value of your home. Freshen up paint jobs and make sure to cover up any minor holes or dings that have settled in over the course of your stay. Replace rotting wood, get rid of any mould that you find, do the upkeep that generally gets overlooked but is important to the integrity of your property’s structure. General maintenance is inexpensive and a well-maintained house will be of greater value than a similar house that has forgone regular maintenance activities.

After living in a home that you’ve been in for a while, it can be hard to let go – especially once it’s clean and freshly renovated! However, once the offers start rolling in you’ll realise that the time and money spent on your project was all worth it. Just by putting in a little bit of consideration for design and a little bit of elbow grease, you can watch your home transform in front of your very eyes and increase its overall value.  All of the renovations we’ve listed are relatively (some with a bit of additional help) and offer large returns on investment.

If you’re seeking help with home improvements before selling a property, contact the team at Wizard Home Improvements today. We have more than 20 years experience in design and construction work and are specialists in improving the look and value of your home.

The post Sydney Real Estate: How can home improvements increase the resale value of your property? appeared first on Wizard Home Improvements.

Hang out in your own outdoor area

We’ve decided to think laterally and bring something different to the blog this week.

We hope you enjoy it! 

There’s nothing more comforting than lying in a hammock on a lazy afternoon and curling up with a book on your deck or patio.

Don’t waste your pennies with a store-bought one, though – follow our instructions to make the overhand knot hammock of your dreams.

You’ll need a tape measure, a pair of scissors and about 180m of rope. We recommend buying rope that’s thick enough to be sturdy but not so thick that the knots will be uncomfortable to lie on.

Instructions

1. Measure and cut 24 6-metre strands of rope. Gather all the strands of rope on one end and tie them together, leaving about 30cm of rope ends hanging from the top of the knot.
2. Leave about half a metre of space between the first knot and the first row of hammock knots you’re about to start.
3. Starting from your far left, grab the first two strands (strand 1 and 2 respectively) and tie them together using a simple overhand knot. Repeat this with strands 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and so on, ensuring that all of the knots are level with one another.
4. Once you’ve finished the first row of knots (ending on strand 23 and 24), leave about 3 inches, then start knotting again, leaving strand 24 on its own and knotting, right to left, starting with strands 22 and 23.
5.  When you reach the end of the next row, knot strands 2 and 3 together, leaving strand 1 on its own.
6. Skipping down a row on strand 1, knot it together with strand 2 – this will create the beginning of what will become another row of knots.
7. Keep knotting the strands together to create another row. When you reach strand 23 and 24, knot them together, skipping down a row on strand 24 as you did in step 6.
8. Repeat steps 3-7, making sure to skip a row on either end when needed. Keep knotting away until there’s about a metre of rope strands left over.
9. Knot all 24 strands of rope together, leaving about half a metre between this knot and the last row of knots.
10. Trim the excess rope on either end of the hammock, then attach the ends to two trees in your backyard, two supports on your deck or patio, or take it with you on your next camping trip.

Thanks to Kinfolk for the tutorial!

Hammock not your style? Read about how you can furnish your outdoor entertainment area on budget and in style: Furnish Your Outdoor Entertainment Area, Motorised Outdoor Blinds Sydney

The post How to Make a Hammock for Your Outdoor Entertainment Areas appeared first on Wizard Home Improvements.

Just because Sydney’s heading into its cooler months doesn’t mean you have to deny yourself of your outdoor entertainment area.

Here are a few tips for decorating and looking after your timber deck for winter that we’re looking forward to implementing (and enjoying!) over the next few months.

1. Clean Up: First things first – you’re going to want to get the wood back into tip-top shape before you do anything else – the winter weather can be harsh and you’ll want to protect the timber as best you can before it’s too late. Clear the space – put away furniture, toys and plants. If something is too heavy to remove (such as a barbecue), move it to one corner of the deck. Then you’ll need to wash – while a power wash may seem like the most efficient option, it has the consequence of possibly damaging the wood. Instead, get a deck cleaning solution and clean it manually.
2. Inspect for damage: After cleaning, look at the timber up close – are there any signs of wood damage? Is the stain fading? Is the paint peeling or chipping? If the answer to any of the prior questions is yes, you will need to look at either replacing part of the deck, or repainting/staining while the deck is clean.
3. Finish it off: Once you’ve repainted or stained the deck (or if you’ve assessed that the deck requires neither), you should consider applying a coat of water repellent as the final layer of protection. Repellent will extend the life of your deck over the long run, and if you’re using your deck on a regular basis, this will be an important step to consider.
4. Get an outdoor fireplace: The main reason Sydneysiders don’t like being outside during winter is because, well, it’s very cold. Installing an outdoor fireplace will nip that problem in the bud, all while making the deck that much more aesthetically pleasing for you and your visitors.
5. Winter blooms: A lot of people dislike winter for the lack of blooms available, but if you plant pansies or violas, you’ll have a solid dash of colour all winter long.
6. Light it up: Though many feel they should be reserved for Christmas time, we feel that a string of white LED lights can brighten up any deck or patio and make it more cheery.
7. Trim and tidy: Remove dead annuals from containers or flower beds around the deck. If you have any perennials, take this time to prune them down to their suggested height and clean up the dead leaves around them.
8. Keep it evergreen: For those looking for a little less maintenance in the long run, plant some evergreens – climbers, in particular, are our favourites, especially for smaller spaces. Our favourites are the stephanotis, star jasmine and coral pea.

Related post: Stain and Maintain: How to Keep Your Timber Decking in Great Shape

Related Tag: External Blinds Sydney

The post 8 Ways to Winter Proof Your Timber Deck appeared first on Wizard Home Improvements.

The unassuming outdoor deck is an important haven in your home. Designed with entertaining in mind, the deck needs to be able to take a beating – whether it be from wind, rain and sun, to the movements of outdoor furniture and the shuffling of foot traffic. It should come as no surprise, then, that after a couple of years, the hardy wooden boards that make up your outdoor deck may look a little bit worn and tired.

That’s where the power of a great stain can really be seen.  A good stain brings a ragged deck back from the brink and makes it look as good as new.

While it may seem insignificant at first, there are actually a few things you need to consider before you begin staining your deck. Here are a few of our tips:

• Before you consider anything else, make sure you choose an exterior wood stain. This will guard the deck from the weather, protecting it from the sun and rain.
• From here, there are two basic types of exterior wood stains to choose from: solid colour or semi-transparent. The first entails that you will not be able to see the woodgrain once stained, the second entails that you will. Following those basic types, you can also get semi-solid, translucent and clear stains.
• The type of stain you choose may be dependent on the current status and quality of the wood decking itself. If the wood is relatively new and the grain stands out, a semi-transparent or clear stain will enhance that. If it has been a few years and the grain has dulled, a solid colour stain will cover that up but still allow for the wood’s texture to show, while also providing extra protection from the sun’s UV rays.
• Another staining aspect to consider is whether to go with a water-based, oil-based or emulsified oil plus acrylic stain.
  • Water-based stains are thin, allowing the stain to soak easily into the wood. They dry quickly and are very durable. However, it limits you to using a solid colour, as semi-transparent water-based stains tend to look uneven or have discoloured patches.
  • Oil-based exterior stains penetrate the wood better, have an overall better appearance, but have a shorter life than water-based stains.
  • Last but not least, there’s an emulsified oil plus acrylic exterior wood stain – a combination of acrylic and oil based components. It’s the best of both worlds, penetrating the wood excellently with a fantastic finish. It’s easy to clean up, too, using just soap and water.
• One final thing to look for in a wood stain is mildew and rot protection. Make sure that the stain you purchase contains mildercides and wood preservatives to add an extra layer of protection to your deck.

With all these considerations, you’re now well-equipped for the world of outdoor decking. Get the hard part out of the way early and you’ll soon have an enviable outdoor entertainment area ready for summer parties, or ready to keep to yourself!

If you’d like an upgrade to your current outdoor decking setting, give Home Wizard Improvements a call today on 1300 920 788

The post Sydney Outdoor Style: Picking the right stain for your outdoor deck appeared first on Wizard Home Improvements.