Tag Archives: diy

8 Tips to tackle a budget Condo Renovation

Posted on May 22, 2016 | Leave a comment

kitchen

Here are eight tips to help you attack a budget apartment renovation:

1. Befriend honest and reliable tradespeople

We asked around for recommendations, and called on tradie friends. But, if this leads to a dead end, visit online trade directory sites such as Hipages. Once you’ve picked a trades person, present them with a detailed plan. If you can, get three quotes.

Will remodeling add value to your condo? Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your value questions.

2. Organize your tradespeople correctly

Each tradie needs to be able to step onto a job site, complete what they need to do, then leave, ready for the next tradie. To maximize efficiency and money, your tradespeople need to be organized in the correct order. We also saved money on hiring a builder by project managing the job ourselves and employing individual tradespeople to complete different tasks.

3. DIY

We saved thousands of dollars by tackling some jobs ourselves. Painting is something even a novice renovator can have a go at. Start by giving your walls a good clean with Sugarsoap, tape your edges and skirting boards, lay down a drop sheet, then let your creativity flow.

4. Shop smarter for fittings and fixtures

We asked our tradespeople where they shopped, visited bathroom and kitchen warehouses, and inquired about floor stock and factory seconds. Have a look online as well – you can pick up well-known brands for a fraction of the cost.

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What Real Estate Agents would never do to their own home

Posted on October 29, 2015 | Leave a comment

They spend their days talking up the properties they sell, but what do real estate agents really think of your acid-yellow splashback?

Domain asked agents to nominate the renovations or design features they would never include in their own homes, especially if they planned to put up the “for sale” sign any time soon.

Here are some of the experts’ biggest property no-nos.

Building a walk-in closet – this doesn’t apply if you have acres of floor space and an unlimited budget, but Maria Magrin, a residential sales consultant at Belle Property Annandale in Sydney, warns walk-ins can be a waste of space.

“The first thing I did when I bought a terrace house five years ago was convert the walk-in wardrobe into an en suite,” Magrin says.

The extra bathroom is not only better for her family; she expects it will be more appealing to buyers when she wants to sell.

“It was a pathetic walk-in anyway. Then I put built-ins in my bedroom, which gave us more storage space than the walk-in wardrobe had.”

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How to Caulk Windows

Posted on October 22, 2013 | Leave a comment

It’s a simple fact: To stop cold air from entering your house or warm air from escaping, caulk the windows. It’s one of the best bangs for your buck to conserve energy because it is easy to do and the material and tools are inexpensive. All you need is a cartridge of good quality caulk and a metal caulk gun to apply it.

Once you use a caulk gun a few times, it’s easy to operate, but it can look intimidating at first. You put the cartridge into the gun, puncture the caulk tube with a utility knife or nail, pull the trigger of the gun and caulk squeezes out of the tube nozzle. The flow of caulk stops when you stop squeezing the trigger. You won’t find a better do-it-yourself project for a beginner than this one because you’ll learn an on-the-job skill you’ll use many times in your life as a homeowner.

A handyman will charge $153 to caulk six average size double-hung windows, which includes the labor and material. You can do the job for $65, the cost of a caulk gun and 12 cartridges of caulk. You’ll need a ladder to reach windows on the first floor and an extension ladder for ones on the second floor.