Renovation Information Hub
Thinking of staging a makeover on your home?
Here’s some inspiration and information about home improvement projects and remodelling, plus how you could go about financing the work.
If spending so much time at home due to the COVID-19 outbreak has you looking sideways at your place and wondering how you could improve it, you are not alone. Statistics seem to show that many people have the ‘iso-reno bug’.
Trade services site ServiceSeeking.com.au said there had been “a huge surge in demand for tradies”, particularly for jobs involving flooring, paving, fencing and roof restoration. Hardware chain Bunnings was reported to have experienced increased demand for lighting, gardening and painting. Trade services site hipages.com.au found that skip bin hire, rubbish removal and concreting had risen in popularity, but the top of the trending tradie requests so far during the COVID-19 crisis had included security feature installers, kitchen improvements, and help with cleaning and DIY jobs.
Financing a renovation? Learn more:
→ Ways to fund a renovation: Loan, refinance, redraw or savings?
→ HomeBuilder scheme explained for homebuyers and renovators
→ What is a construction loan and how does it work?
For more tips and information, follow Canstar on Facebook and Twitter.
Renovation ideas: Inside
Bathroom: Costs and inspiration, tiles
Kitchen: Inspiration, costs, butler’s pantry, splashback looks, dishwasher installation
Bedroom: Decor, walk-in wardrobes
Living room: Inspiration and ‘how to’
Home office: Create workspace
Laundry: Design ideas
Lighting: Downlight costs
Flooring: Carpet, bamboo, polished concrete
Comfort and privacy: Double-glazed windows, split-system aircon, fireplaces, plantation shutters, security screens
Image: Imageflow (Shutterstock)

Renovation ideas: Outside
Pool: Design ideas, costs, pool fence laws and inspiration, solar heating
Landscaping: Costs, driveway, garden edging, tree removal, turf
Exterior: Makeover for value, rendering, painting, garage doors
Roof: Restoration, gutters, insulation, whirlybirds
Structures: Carport, shed ideas, pergola
Fence: Costs, gate designs
Retaining walls: Inspiration, costs
Outdoor kitchen: Ideas
Deck: Ideas, costs
Image: Photographee.eu (Shutterstock)

And then there’s these articles on …
Renovation ideas under $1000
Grand designs: the costs of hiring an architect
Sustainable home design
Restumping a house
Demolishing a house
Concrete slab costs
Granny flat costs
Building inspection costs
Tiny houses in Australia
Termite treatment costs
Shipping container costs
Reduce bushfire risk
Replace a broken window
Image: Ariel Celeste Photography (Shutterstock)

Inspiration from The Block TV show:
Kitchen week | Heritage transformations | Loving the laundry
Insights into real estate and home ownership:
→Has COVID-19 changed the way we want to live?
→Australia in Recession: An economist’s view on property
→Does your home and contents insurance cover fire damage?
→How Much Does A Building Inspection Cost?
→How much does it cost to sell a house in Australia?
→How to apply for home loan pre-approval
→Property valuations – how much is your house worth?
→ How to haggle for a lower home loan rate
→ How Much Home & Contents Insurance Do You Need?
Latest in Home Renovations
About the Author:
Alasdair Duncan is Canstar’s Content Editor, specialising in home loans, property and lifestyle topics. He has written more than 400 articles for Canstar and his work is widely referenced by other publishers and media outlets, including Yahoo Finance, The New Daily, The Motley Fool and Sky News. He has featured as a guest author for property website homely.com.au.
In his more than 15 years working in the media, Alasdair has written for a broad range of publications. Before joining Canstar, he was a News Editor at Pedestrian.TV, part of Australia’s leading youth media group. His work has also appeared on ABC News, Junkee, Rolling Stone, Kotaku, the Sydney Star Observer and The Brag. He has a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Journalism from the University of Queensland.
When he is not writing about finance for Canstar, Alasdair can probably be found at the beach with his two dogs or listening to podcasts about pop music. You can follow Alasdair on LinkedIn and Twitter.