Home Renovations in Australian Cities

The Great Australian Dream of owning a single-family detached house surrounded by lawns and fencing was big in the 1950s and 60s until problems posed by the formation of urban sprawl later cropped up in the federation's bigger cities.

Even with the numerous problems posed by increasing urbanization, the dream of owning a single-family detached house is still very much alive in the hearts and minds of many Australians. Many Australians still believe that purchasing a house, usually the most expensive investment such individuals will ever make in their lifetimes, is ideal.

In Australia, nearly 70 percent of homes in urban areas are occupied by their owners. The country also has the largest average floor area in the world at 208 square meters. This is slightly larger than the United States' 192 square meters, and more than twice as large as the European Union's 102 square meters.

With the housing bubble over and unemployment rates easing back to pre-recession levels, many Australians are considering home renovations. Home renovations can make living spaces habitable again, and improve a residential property's resale value and curb appeal. In the Economist Magazine's annual ranking of the world's most livable cities, Australian cities consistently rank high, with Melbourne beating every other city in the world. Sydney, Perth, and Adelaide all show up in the Top 10 yearly.

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Wheel and Deal: Why Some Renovations Pay Off

New is often equated with unspoilt quality. However, those planning to buy existing homes shouldn't expect their properties to be fresh as the day they were made. Most such homes were once under the ownership of another family or individual, and despite what a real estate agent may say, there can be a couple of rough edges to the property in question.

Leaving behind a house in disrepair can be a poor gesture to the next owner. Even worse, it might not even convince the buyer to get the property. This is why renovations are in order for shoddy homes soon to be vacated. The corresponding changes, when done properly, should be able to increase the property's desirability on the market, and thus raise its resale value as well.

Parts of the home that could really use renovations include the kitchen and bathroom. These two areas, after all, are often used and receive heavy foot traffic, thus susceptible to a lot of wear and tear. In addition, these spaces will collect a lot of filth and stains, and certainly nobody wants to buy a home with a dirty kitchen or a frightening bathroom. A tasteful remodeling project should be able to restore the looks of these areas, or even imbue upon them with a completely different look that can refresh every tired soul.

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