It’s been the year for DIY, with record numbers of Aussies breaking out the tools to make improvements around their home. Bunnings sales were up a whopping 19.2% in the first half of 2020, compared to 5.8% in the previous 6 months, as our nation of #stayathomes worked tirelessly to turn their homes into welcoming…

If you don’t know it already, bathrooms are often the smallest room in any home. With the average bathroom typically consuming a tiny 6 to 10m2 on average, it’s a room that requires quite a bit of strategic thought to get all of its elements right. If your bathroom is on the smaller end of…

We all know the world is an uncertain place right now, with economies in freefall, house prices all over the shop, the job market in tatters & a recession now official. You’d think it’s the worst time to buy property, right? Wrong! You see, it’s exactly in volatile times like this, that risk-averse people pull…

Let’s face it – it’s hard for young people to get on the property ladder these days. With housing affordability a major issue for most people, many young people consider the great Australian dream of owning a home, to be nothing but a pipe dream. RFP student Jyh Kao, however, beat the odds by building…

With increasing numbers of people now working permanently from home, it raises the question… should we be renovating our homes a little differently now?

Ah, Bathrooms … they’re one of the hardest rooms for anyone in a home to renovate. Fixture heavy & trade labour intensive can often mean people get overwhelmed or too scared to tackle this room, for fear of not getting all the steps of the process right … Now we’ve become a nation of #stayathomes,…

Let’s face it, carpet feels so nice under your foot, particularly in the winter months. But selecting the right carpet for your home involves more than merely casting your eyes over a few colour choices in your local carpet showroom! There’s a stack of factors to consider so you’ll need to know the right questions…

With so many of us, forced to spend time at home (over the last few months) during lockdown, you may now have noticed all the little things around your home, that could do with some attention. Renovating doesn’t always need to be an expensive exercise. Sometimes, the simplest of changes can make the world of…

We all know Covid-19 has turned the world upside down. On Australian home turf, the Federal government has been super pro-active in delivering a wide range of grants to help people & businesses stay afloat, financially. I recognise the tough job they have which I truly applaud them for. As we speak, newswires are spinning…

Many of you will know by now, that I personally love renovating & am passionate about educating others on it too. Why? Because renovating (although often hard work) has changed my life financially. But renovating is not always as simple as what it seems on a lot of renovation TV shows. So for my latest…

Like it or not, your kitchen will be the most expensive room in your property to renovate. And rightly so, it’s the one space internally that adds the most value, according to bank valuers. If you’re planning a dream kitchen to your own home and the primary goal is to create a kitchen to enjoy…

Let’s face it, coronavirus has turned normality on its head. As most countries have sensibly gone into lockdown, most of us common folks, have been forced to spend a fair amount of time within the confines of 4 walls in our homes. For those lucky enough to be able to work from home, the days…

This week I thought I’d move away from the dreary doldrums of coronavirus topics. So, in writing this week’s blog, I thought I’d start off by saying, I’ve been around. Having personally renovated 127 properties over the last 30 years, you can assume I know an awful lot on all the ins & outs of…

I’m not sure who coined the phrase “positives can be taken from every negative”. While it’s hard to see the sense in any of those words right now as we all bunker down, rest assured, good can come from bad. In this week’s blog, I’m aiming to spread my little dose of positive, amongst all…

It’s official, the Covid-19 situation is scary. Who would have ever thought, a few months ago, that we’d been dealing with such a major global issue? I’m not going to regurgitate all the things that have and are happening …To be honest, I’m sick of hearing it all. I’ve stopped watching the news. What I…

For those who think I’ve been a bit quiet on the renovation front lately, this week I thought I’d bring you a round-up of just some of the makeovers I’ve been busy with. As many of you know (especially those who follow me on Facebook), I’m a regular on Channel 9’s Today Extra show. Here…

Over the last few months, I’ve had a few people write into me, asking for tips on how they can get back on their feet financially following a relationship separation or divorce. Unfortunately, a relationship split signals more than just the formal end of a union. For many, it triggers the start of a tumultuous…

A walk-in pantry is high on buyers’ wish lists, which makes it a space that potentially adds great value to any property, especially if it’s part of a modern family kitchen. Unfortunately, the average walk-in pantry is poorly designed and too often becomes a dumping zone, crammed with clutter. It’s a telltale sign if you…

You’ve heard it all before, and you’ll likely hear it for years to come; granny flats are in. That’s right: latest reports show that over 10,000 granny flats were built in Australia in 2018, and numbers have continued to climb with around 6,000 of them built in NSW alone. In a country of bullish house…

So, you think you’ve finally found the one? Months of searching online, the rollercoaster of anticipation, knock-backs and near wins – they’ve finally resulted in success. You’ve found a property that seems to tick all the right boxes. Yay! Before you get too excited and rush into signing a Contract of Sale, take a pause…

Let’s face it: one of the biggest hurdles to buying property these days is scraping the money together for that hefty deposit – especially the 20% deposit most banks love. Without the generosity of parents or a timely windfall, it’s harder than ever to get a foothold in many of Australia’s cities and regions, particularly…

If there’s something that recent times have shown us, it’s that weather patterns are starting to change the way we live. Widespread drought, followed by ferocious “mega” bushfires, and then the strange hailstorm last week that ripped through Canberra on its way to the coast… we’ve had it all these past few months. It’s got…

It’s a buzz word that’s only been coined in recent years and that’s because it’s a relatively new trend that allows cash-strapped Aussies to get a foothold in the property market – without compromising on the lifestyle choice of where they live. I’m talking about “rentvesting”. In this scenario, you rent where you want to…

Like everyone right now, I’m overwhelmed by the devastation and loss caused by the current bushfire crisis. Millions of hectares devoured by fire, lives & animals lost, thousands of homes reduced to rubble, cities and communities choking in smoke… it’s impossible to find words to describe the enormity of what’s occurring right now. My heart…

New year, new goals, new you… but what if you’ve spent 2019 procrastinating about buying property when that was your last new year’s resolution? If you’re forever finding a reason why now is not the right time to buy, it could well be your mindset that’s holding you back. The sad reality is that most…

Not everyone has the budget for a designer kitchen or the space for a large, open-plan kitchen, but we can all employ some of the clever tricks designers use to make any space look bigger and better. It’s about stretching both your budget and imagination to make the most of all the inventive products and…

Why is the kitchen such a big deal, you innocently ask? BECAUSE IT’S THE KITCHEN! Central Station of your home or investment property! There’s no doubt, the kitchen is the heart of your home. It’s where everything happens. The feeding. The socialising. The nibbling. The drinking. The living. It’s the glue that holds everything and…

TV reno shows like The Block and House Rules have long promoted the idea that property flipping can be a rewarding path for those with the right creative know-how. And the internet is full of stories boasting the tidy profits that clever investors have made through a strategic flip. Indeed, my students regularly post their…

It’s no secret that a new bathroom is one of the most labour-intensive and challenging renos you’re likely to tackle, especially if you’ve decided to project manage it yourself. Brace yourself for weeks without the convenience of a shower and loo, and for the procession of tradies a typical bathroom reno demands. Luckily, with the…

Let’s face it, renovating a kitchen is not for the faint-hearted. This engine room of the home can be out of action for weeks on end, as tradies come and go. While it might be tempting just to outsource the job and pay a kitchen showroom to design and project manage the whole thing for…

Before you dismiss that cheap stool or basic set of shelves, consider giving them a stylish new twist with these really easy DIY tricks. With just a spray of bright paint or some vibrant fabric, you can give any ordinary furniture your own personal stamp. I recently did a segment on Channel 9’sToday Extra show…

Cherie Barber explains why certain colours can stir powerful emotions. Learn which colours suit certain rooms.