Restumping Melbourne is dedicated to ensuring that our ethos, the materials that we use, and the way that we work, are as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible. We’re extremely grateful for our role within the industry. And we love to partner with our competitors to ensure that we’re all looped in on the latest and greatest ways to minimize our carbon footprint.

More than ever, we’re hearing the same thing from our valued customers. You guys want to embark on exciting builds and renovations, but you want to make sure that you’re activating on them in the right way. This makes us beam with pride. We want to ensure that you have the tools, resources and know-how to feel totally comfortable as you navigate processes like that of redecorating. Today, the Restumping Melbourne blog would like to share some tips and tricks to ensure that your next home renovation is eco-friendly:

Add insulation

Did you know that you lose more heating during the colder months and more cool air during the warmer months through your roof more than any other area of your house? Luckily, with just a small addition, you can be saving all the air you want, as well as some of the dollars in your pocket. Think of insulation as a rug for your entire home. Cushion it from the inside so that the excess air has nowhere to go. Bonus points if you look into draft-proofing. When done correctly, this can help you save an additional 25%!

Take a second look at your windows

Yes, their main role is to ensure you can see the beautiful views outside of your windows. But, these can also be a tricky way of losing out of the energy that you and your family need. Take some time to look at the energy-efficient window models on the market. There may be one that fits with your budget. These have ongoing dividends, as you watch your energy bills shrink and shrink. Even if you don’t think you can spring for whole new windows, you can look into window treatments, which still help boost efficiency.

Explore new eco-friendly appliances

We know that these also come at a pretty penny. But, they’re a great investment in your future as a family in your home. We’re talking washers, dryers, dishwashers, almost any appliance that you can think of. Pretty much every line out there in the market right now is coming out with new and innovative ways for you to save energy when using your appliances. It’s worth the time to do a little research, and maybe plan for a future purchase or two.

Each of these are small ways that you can begin to make your home as eco-friendly as possible. But there are dozens more out there! Do you have favorite ways that you’ve helped minimize your carbon footprint? The Restumping Melbourne team would love to hear what they are! Give us a shout.

When prospective buyers come through your home quite often it’s the little details that will either impress them or put them off making an offer. Cosmetic things like unkempt yard space, peeling exterior paint, cracked tiles and old worn carpeting all will detract from a home’s perceived worth and suggests to buyers the property hasn’t been well maintained. So often small improvements you can do yourself can be just as effective at adding value to a home as a major renovation, where you’re more at risk of overcapitalising. Here are six quick ways to maximise the visual appeal and add value to your property by enhancing features that will make buyers fall in love with your home.

Front yard fixes

As the best billboard for your home, the way you present your front yard is key to appealing to and drawing in buyers. Consider repainting or rendering the exterior of your home for that freshly updated look. Cement render is a particularly effective way to make an older brick or weatherboard home look like new again.

Fix up or build a new front fence with a locking or remote controlled gate, as security and privacy are key concerns for buyers. If budget allows, bring in a landscaper to work their magic. Replace any unhealthy turf or plants, add lush greenery, lay new pavers and construct new flowerbeds. A well-presented front garden shows that the current owners take pride in the property and that speaks volumes to buyers.

Focus on floors

A huge feature of any home that is instantly noticeable is the flooring used throughout it. Nothing is more off putting to buyers than old, dusty, stained and worn carpeting. If your carpet is in good nick you can probably get away with a steam clean to freshen it up. If not, consider replacing it with a floating timber floor or timber look laminate to create a clean and sturdy look that buyers absolutely love.

If your timber floorboards have a few scrapes and scuffs make sure they look their best by having them sanded back and polished. If you have floor tiles in living and wet areas a relatively inexpensive way to renew them is to have them steam cleaned or regrouted.

Outdoor entertaining addition

There’s no denying Aussies love hosting a BBQ at home and embrace outdoor living with gusto. For this reason, a great value adding upgrade to any home is an outdoor space that can be used year-round. Consider adding a backyard gazebo or patio, or a retractable awning and deck onto the back of your home.

If you already have an outdoor area contemplate making a few changes to make it more functional and attractive to buyers. Add a bench seat with hidden storage, a Louvretec shutter roof or roller blinds for protection from the elements, an outdoor heater, an outdoor TV or sound system or maybe even a hammock. For those with a big budget or luxury home, go the whole nine yards and add an outdoor kitchen complete with fridge, bench space, sink, wood fired pizza oven and BBQ for the ultimate in functional alfresco entertaining buyers will just have to have.

Update fixtures and fittings

For an instant cost-effective update and that newly renovated feel for less replace any discoloured plastic or old fashioned fixtures and fittings throughout your home with modern ones. Think stainless steel door and cabinet handles, taps and towel rails. Contact an electrician to update your light switch and power point covers. Have any old gaudy hanging light fittings replaced with contemporary and sleek downlights or modern pendant lights.

Keep it cool

With Australia’s extreme climate, cooling is an essential on most buyers shopping lists. Whether this means adding a ducted refrigerated air conditioning system to the entire house or just a split system to the main living area and master bedroom, buyers will be happier with some rather than no cooling and factor this into what they are willing to offer for the home.

Revive dead space

Buyers love to see that every inch of space serves a purpose within the home so they know they’re getting value for money. If you have an awkward recessed corner, a disused landing at the top of the stairs or extra space under the stairs consider how you can better resolve the area. Perhaps you could add extra storage, a euro laundry, a green wall, tuck away a cosy built-in bench seat or create a study nook.

We hope these six ideas have helped to guide you towards which cosmetic fixes to take on to boost the value of your home.

Guest Author bio: Larissa Gardner is a blogger, social media strategist and marketing coordinator at arguably Australia’s best looking, banner-ad free real estate website homely.com.au. With a superb devotion to product innovation, user-centred design and innovative marketing platforms for real estate agents, homely.com.au helps millions of Australians find their next home easier and faster than ever before.

Budget. The six-letter word that seems to fit into the four-letter word category, right? The word that you whisper with an annoyed face and then shove into the back of your mind and to the bottom of your to-do list. Unfortunately, though that annoyed face is warranted in many cases, that doesn’t make budgeting any less necessary. Our last post on the Restumping Melbourne blog focused on one of the most important line items that belong in a home renovation budget, no matter if you’re planning to renovate your existing home, or just buy a whole new one. We’re talking about home inspections. Remember, home inspections are one of those costs that may seem like a lot of money upfront, but can save you a ton of money later on down the line.

Posts like this last one inspired us. It got the team here at Restumping Melbourne thinking, “what is the sweet spot, the right number to shoot for when you’re first building your home renovation budget?” We’ve already confirmed that NOT designing a budget is off the table. So instead, let’s cover off the categories and specific line items that make sense. Bonus points if you can get a little bit excited about them! This is the first in a series of posts, so sit back and enjoy the ride!

There are two things that you’ll need to identify and memorize, right off the bat. These are- 1) the total amount of money that you have to spend, and 2) the size of the property. These two variables play into every equation necessary to building your home renovation budget.

Before you can evenly split your total budget, by the square footage of your property, you’ll need to think through variables like unavoidable costs and rainy day funds. These are areas of the home renovation budget, which are untouchable, no matter what. You’ll be very grateful that you have every penny, when unexpected repairs or maintenance show up on your calendar (or even worse- don’t!) Make sure that you keep this money out of your reach- even if that means digging out that old piggybank, from your childhood days.

You may be wondering exactly how much money to set aside in either of these. First up, let’s cover your rainy day fund. Luckily, we live in the Information Age. There are awesome resources all over the internet, some even equipped with custom calendars, which can help you determine the right amount for you.

Next- when it comes to unavoidable costs, we recommend that you tap into whichever company or individual that helped you procure your home. If you worked with a realtor or a broker, they’ll be a great resource to make recommendations. If you worked with a rental agency, they should be able to not only assist with costs related to the property, but any that are related to the surrounding neighborhood.

Bottom line, if you stick with Restumping Melbourne- the ride ahead as we create a top-notch home renovation budget for you, will be smooth sailing. Stay tuned for more information ahead.

Oh, asbestos. A bit of a four-letter word, isn’t it? Definitely not tea-time talk or fodder for a fancy dinner. But though the one thing we can all agree on, is that it’s not that much fun; there is still an immense gap in knowledge around it! What is it? What causes it? What should you do about it? These are all valid questions, and questions that Restumping Melbourne would like to help you answer. Today, we’ll do a general dive into the basics of asbestos, but we probably won’t answer every question that you have. It’s scenarios like this, when we want to remind our valued customers and blog readers to reach out! The Restumping Melbourne team is dedicated to answering any questions that you have.

So, asbestos! If you’ve dealt with it, you know that it’s not that much fun. If you haven’t dealt with it, you may need a refresher course as to what it is. Asbestos is the common name and it’s a little bit easier to pronounce. If you’re looking for the technical name, then six fibrous silicate minerals is your winner! Either way, there are several elements that characterize it. They include high tensile strengths, flexibility, an insulation ability against high and low temperatures and chemical resistance. None of these on their own are very dangerous, BUT the fibrousity of asbestos does make it dangerous.

How can you suss out if you’re dealing with asbestos? As far as physical look and feel, if you see small white flakes or fibres, those are most likely asbestos. You’ll want to make sure that you’re wearing protective gear. If you ingest it, it can lead to many health concerns—moderate to severe.

We just mentioned minerals. There are six that you want to look for. They are: chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremoplite, actinolite and anthophyllite. A lot of buzzwords if you feel like doing a deeper dive into asbestos, but chrysotile is the only one in the silicate group we’ve talked about. It’s by far the most common property that will be present.

The big thing that you want to avoid when it comes to asbestos is inhaling it. When you inhale it, the fibres that we’ve discussed, populate the lungs. They cause a lot of different physical ailments. Yes, they can be moderate, or even mild. They can also be serious, long term diseases, including but not limited to cancers and chronic conditions.

So why is Restumping Melbourne covering this on our blog? Asbestos can be commonly found during building projects, or by updating existing architectural elements like the foundation. We may sound like a broken record at this point, but Restumping Melbourne is truly dedicated to ensuring that our valued customers and blog readers are properly educated about all things home renovation. When you have the knowledge, like that around asbestos, you are 100% in the driver’s seat of every decision.

Stay tuned for more information about asbestos and how it relates to your home renovation.

Every Australian host? That sounds like a bold statement, doesn’t it? But if our generations in the industry and extensive experience have taught us anything, it’s that there are certain elements to a home, that will make your life easier. It doesn’t matter what area of Melbourne or the surrounding areas you live in. It doesn’t matter if it’s an old house, or if you’re in the early stages of buying the land and building from the ground up. Any way you look at it, Restumping Melbourne has recommendations for you and your home. Note- this is all a bit tongue and cheek. We’re focusing on the dream homes today, the homes that may be a bit out of your price range. But if we’re going to build a dream home, let’s hope that some or all of these are in some way involved.

As Many Skylights as Possible- Does your home have an abundance of dark and gloomy areas, marked by dim lighting and deep hues for your flooring? There is no better way to lighten up a space, than adding as many skylights as you can. Skylights are affordable and the payout is huge. When you add additional lighting to any space, you open it up and make it look far larger than it was to begin with.

A Backyard Barbecue- This should be center stage if you’re any sort of entertainer, no matter what the size of humble abode is. A barbecue can be small, or it can dominate your outdoor social areas, it’s entirely up to you. Bonus points if you integrate seating arrangements into the design, since you know once guests get close enough to the food, they’ll never want to leave.

Folding Walls- Folding walls are a huge game changer, especially during warmer months. With one easy push, you can unite your outside areas and your indoor social areas. These don’t need to be very expensive, and there are a whole range of materials that you can choose from.

A Personalized Letterbox- Since a letterbox is potentially the very first thing that visitors see, chances are that you want to dress and impress. This is an opportunity to get as creative as possible, even a little cheeky if you like. Australia is a land of talented artists so take advantage of this creative pool, the next time you’re at your local arts shop or gallery.

A Pool With a Swim-up Bar- Alright, alright, you can start with just a pool. It sure will make a difference on those hot summer days. But if you already have a pool, or feel like taking things to the next level, why not explore a swim-up bar? After all, why should you have to get out of the pool, just to serve your guests something new to eat or drink?

Although these are just the tip of the iceberg, hopefully they kick start the creative process, next time the inner host or hostess in you, is looking to enhance your current home or future home.

Let’s face it, homes of any size and style are a bit of a money and energy suck. They don’t particularly mean to be, it’s just the nature of the way that they work. As human beings, we’re constantly driven by the latest trend, no matter what it may be. We’re also frequently playing catch up, as we hurry to mitigate whatever latest problem that Mother Nature, or just life itself, has thrown at us. Between the two, we’re on a never ending quest to better our current home, or ensure that our next home is on that next level.

Thankfully, our brains are also evolving. Our brains tell us that we want to make things easier, better, faster, and stronger. We shirk away from processes and products that take too long, or are overcomplicated. In previous decades, many of these products and processes were related to home renovations or home repairs. But thanks to thought processes like “life hacks,” that’s no longer the case. If you’re new to life hacks, welcome to a game changer. A life hack can elude to anything in your life that you’re improving. Take forever to peel an orange, but you have a tool that will do it in one fell swoop? That’s a life hack! Pretty sure that you’re losing hours of your day due to your morning routine, but that’s all about to change, thanks to a switch-up of your breakfast choice? That’s also a life hack! In general, we’re huge fans. But today, the Restumping Melbourne team is focusing on life hacks as they relate to home repairs. With this list in hand, you’ll have a fuller wallet, and a bit more sanity.

Regularly inspect your roof. We’re talking every six months. If you do, and you know what to look for, then you can avoid costly repairs or replacements. Just one, single shingle or leak, can equate to hundreds of dollars. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you leave such a small problem unattended, it can quickly snowball into a much larger situation. So keep an eye out for any pieces of the roof that look they’re coming loose, as well as questionable cracks, mould, or bubbled paint.

Keep an eye on your drainage. Your drainage plays a huge role in the foundation of your home, which as you can assume, is something that Restumping Melbourne is very passionate about. A little bit of settlement is totally natural, after all- you’re forcing your home into a particular size of space, it may push back a little bit. But there’s an impressive difference in cost, once your foundation begins moving around a bit more. If caught early, foundation adjustments can cost hundreds or a few thousand dollars. But if you leave any drainage issues left unattended, you’re looking at a price tag much more in the $100,000 range. So if you see a clogged gutter, or know that heavy rainfall is expected in your area, make sure that you carve some time out on the schedule to clean out your gutters.

Check on your HVAC every six months. Your HVAC system helps maintain your air conditioning, your ventilation and your heating. This is another piece of the puzzle that can be less costly if you catch early, but those costs rise drastically fast. We recommend checking on your HVAC system every six months, but cleaning the filter every 90 days. If you do so, you can avoid repairs that cost upwards of $1,000.

Tune back in for more life hacks around your foundation and home.

You’ve done your research. You scoured the Web. You read every publication possible. You even went old school and actually talked to your family and friends. You’ve asked every question that you could think of, and you’ve finally dialed in on your dream home. Let the celebrations begin, right? Well if you’re building in an area that is susceptible to bushfires, then the answer is potentially- wrong.

You may be new to bushfires. If so, a general definition is a fire in a scrub or forest, specifically one that tends to spread very rapidly. These are especially common in the Adelaide Hills and other areas throughout South Australia. They can be completely unexpected, and arrive without warning. Thanks to Restumping Melbourne, you’ll be set up for success next time you determine a location for a new home.

There are six different levels of bushfires. These fall under the AS 3959 Construction of Building in Bushfire Prone Areas Standard. You can contact your CFS, or your Country Fire Service, if you’re concerned about a particular area. Alternatively, a local engineer or building surveyor can also help you out with this information.

Once you’ve determined the state of the soil, another area that you might want to explore is the different materials that your builder can use. Some materials are far more flammable than others. This does not mean that your vision can’t be brought to life. Rather, we recommend bringing your ideas to your local custom builder. They’ll be able to tell you what’s feasible, as well as walk through a variety of alternatives.

Of course at the base of any strong home, is a strong foundation. Here at Restumping Melbourne, we’re a bit biased about the importance of reinforcing your foundation. It’s the foundation (no pun intended) of our business. But the benefits here are multifold. You’re increasing your protection from bushfires when you add a steel frame to the foundation of your home. With a steel frame in place, you worry less about your roof, wall and floor frames, as they’re reinforced much more strongly.

Even if you do decide to move forward with a build in one of these areas, there are still precautions that you can take. Restumping Melbourne will help you analyze the soil and terrain of your property, no matter where it is located. It’s part of the service that you can come to expect from us. For brushfire-specific properties, we recommend that you move your home as far away from combustible vegetation as possible. We know that landscaping can be one of the most fun parts of designing a new home, but if you’re looking for trade-offs- this might be one of them. We also recommend that you ensure street access for any emergency vehicles, should their assistance be needed quickly.

As with any of the topics on this blog, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Restumping Melbourne team. For more information, check out this video: