Simple renovation ideas to refresh your lifestyle property

As the summer sun starts to shine, it may just be time to start thinking about doing up your lifestyle block.

Whether you're preparing to sell, doing up your new home, or just ready for a change, here are a few simple ideas for renovating or reinventing your lifestyle property.

Make the most of that view

One the best things about living in the countryside is the endless vistas. When updating your lifestyle property, consider ways to maximise views from the house. In the property above, you can see the rear of the house is almost entirely made up of windows. Floor-to-ceiling glass breaks the barrier between indoors and out, making the most of country living.

When considering installing new windows, you should also think about where they'll sit in relation to the sun to maximise passive design benefits. North-facing windows enjoy the most solar gain throughout the year, so are best suited for living rooms.

Create new interest points

Remember, your property is more than just the house upon the land. Adding interest to your section can mean making new additions separate to the house itself. If you're not planning to sell anytime soon, this is also an opportunity to turn part of your property into a new hobby or business venture. Beautiful acres may be well-suited as wedding venues, so creating entertaining areas, such as gazebos, may help you establish a little extra income.

In the above photos, a reading room and a fire pit are kept separate from the home, adding both function and interest to more parts of the property.

Design your dream kitchen

Your lifestyle should represent the way of life you love - and for many, the kitchen is the centre of that. No longer just about cooking, the kitchen is often the social hub of the home, but older designs don't necessarily support this wider purpose.

Unna Burch, of the Forest Cantina, renovated her kitchen of eight years with the help of her husband. Now, she does a double take whenever she walks in. While her old kitchen was well-loved, there was a growing need for more storage, extra bench space and a bit of a face-lift.

A new kitchen can help you fall in love with your home all over again, and bring an outdated property into the modern day.

Start a hobby farm

Another way to utilise your bare land is to establish a hobby farm. This is a small-scale farm where you might tend to animals or maintain a number of crops. The key is to focus not on self-sufficiency or profits, but enjoyment. Pick up a few chickens and a cow, and fence off pastures to keep them safe from wandering onto roads. You might like to keep your animals a distance away from your home, as noises and smells do travel.

Growing your own food and caring for livestock is a great way to enrich your rural lifestyle. It may also increase the value of your property, should you sell the farm and livestock with the house.

Ready to renovate? We’ve got an ever-growing source inspiration and tips right here on the realestate.co.nz blog. They’ll cover everything you need to know from simple DIY ideas, to tips for your renovation or home build, inspiring and helping you every step of the way. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get updates in your feed each day.