We spent over $54,000 renovating our house — but these 5 cheap upgrades actually made the biggest difference

We spent years renovating our home to make it feel fresh and inviting.

Cameron Church

We spent over $54,000 and three years renovating a three-bedroom home.Some cheaper changes, like blinds and a coat of paint, made the biggest positive impact.A new mailbox and some basic landscaping took the space to the next level, too.

When we purchased a three-bedroom fixer-upper in Melbourne, Australia, in 2017, we couldn’t wait to move in and get started renovating.

Over the course of three years, we spent just over $80,000 Australian dollars, about $54,000, transforming it into our dream home. My husband did the renovations himself whenever possible though we outsourced as needed.

There’s no doubt that big-ticket improvements like a new kitchen and bathroom added a lot of value to the property, but we found some of the cheapest upgrades actually made the most difference.

Here are five fairly low cost upgrades that really boosted our property’s appeal and got many compliments from friends and family.

A fresh coat of paint can transform a space

White paint gave our space a fresh look.

Cameron Church

When we moved in, most of the interior was grayish lavender. The master bedroom had a candy-pink accent wall, and one of the other bedrooms had a cobalt-blue one.

We decided to repaint the entire interior of the property, including walls and ceilings, a vivid white. It took about a month of back-breaking, eye-stinging work.

However, the transformation was incredible. The property seemed so much lighter and brighter afterward, and it felt like that coat of paint shaved years off the house’s age (circa 1960).

My husband also repainted the shed and fences steel gray, giving the whole exterior a new lease on life. Overall, the paint and materials probably cost us about AU$2,000.

Our landscaping changes were simple but impactful

The backyard was uneven when we moved in, so my husband hired an excavator to flatten the soil out and lay fresh grass.

Next, he planted some insect-attracting native Australian flowers. Before we knew it, they were in full bloom and buzzing with life.

My husband also created a hanging vertical garden feature wall, which added a real pop of color to the outdoor entertaining space.

All in all, the landscaping only cost about AU$2,500 — and it transformed the backyard into a way more usable, beautiful space.

Blinds really elevated the home

New blinds helped update the space and give it a clean look.

Cameron Church

The former owner had very outdated curtains and pelmets, decorative fixtures used to conceal things like curtain rods.

We got rid of those and installed affordable gray drop-down blinds that we ordered online. They made a huge difference to the property’s look and feel and only cost about AU$1,000.

We’re so glad we added a digital front-door lock

When my husband mentioned he wanted to get a keyless front door lock, I thought it was a gimmicky waste of money.

But the lock has become invaluable to us — and it only cost about AU$400.

We opted for one with an electronic keypad, whereby you enter a code to gain access to the property. We can also change the code as needed.

I love not having to use keys (which I often lose) and being able to give friends and family our access code if we’re out. The lock continued to be popular after we moved out and rented the property to tenants.

A new mailbox gave us curb appeal

The original mailbox was a hideous shade of brown and resembled a mini version of Seattle’s Space Needle if it had a weird bulb shape next to it.

We got rid of it and my my husband fashioned a new wooden one out of old Australian railroad supports, which perfectly complemented the Australian native garden.

It only cost about AU$200 to make, but it really added to the property’s street appeal.