It’s already halfway through 2021 and it feels like life will never return to normal. If you’re anything like me, you’ve stashed away a little bit of moola each month for the annual holiday and COVID has come along and gatecrashed the getaway.

Not to worry, there’s plenty you could do with this year’s travel budget and we’ve come up with five ideas for home upgrades you could invest it into instead!

Home Upgrades Tip 1: Update those appliances to energy-efficient ones

Most kiwi homes are more than 20 years old and were built at a time where technology wasn’t what it is today and global warming wasn’t even on the radar. Ovens, Cooktops, Fridges and Washing Machine’s of that era were not very energy or water efficient and tended to use a lot of electricity.

Why not pick the items that most need upgrading and spend a few thousand dollars on getting some shiny new ones!

Home Upgrades Tip 2: Overhaul your bathroom

Everyone likes a nice modern bathroom and it’s actually more affordable than you might think. One of our favorite home upgrades is updating your vanity and shower. If you’re in the mood, change your tiles and paint your walls with a modern colour scheme.

There’s plenty of plumbing and bathroom experts out there that can give you a hand with this. For a little bathroom inspiration check out houzz.co.nz

Home Upgrades Tip 3: Invest in an outdoor living area

One of the priority items for kiwi home buyers is having a nice outdoor living area for summer BBQs and entertaining guests. Building a deck or concrete pad is a great first step but why not add a shade sail or patio cover as well to complete the experience.

Trade Tested have a number of great louvre patio covers available with minimal cost. You can check their range out here

A great outdoor entertaining area will make the home more livable and add quite a bit to the value of your property!

Home Upgrades Tip 4: Replace your old flooring

Carpet like everything in your home deteriorates over time. It might be time to rip it up and replace it with something new. There are great options for solution-dyed nylon carpets that feel and look amazing. Why not visit your local flooring store to see what’s available?

If carpet isn’t your thing, why not investigate the new laminate and composite flooring options. This gives the look and feel of a hardwood floor without the cost and noise that’s usually associated. The new SPC flooring options are usually waterproof so could even be run into your bathrooms and kitchens!

Home Upgrades Tip 5: Insulate your walls and complete your homes thermal envelope

If you’re living in an older home, there’s a good chance there’s no insulation in your walls. Historically, we’ve been very bad at building homes, and insulation was generally an afterthought. Homes usually have a little bit of roof insulation, but the walls went without.

Wall insulation is quite important and without it, homes tend to be difficult and costly to heat and cool. Uninsulated walls mean there is a gap in your home’s thermal envelope.

It’s an easy problem to fix with products like CosyWall Insulation that can be easily blown into the home from either the interior or exterior of your house. The job can usually be done in a day and when completed, you’ll never know the installer was there.

For more information about insulating your walls, just send us a message. One of our friendly team members would be happy to help!