Renovators reveal top tricks that helped double their home’s value

Homeowners Donna and Michael Gill have doubled the value of their house thanks to a four year renovation, and know the top trick to getting the most value out of your home in 2026. Ms Gill, a designer, said she and her builder husband bought their three-bedroom home in Ormiston for $460,000 in 2020, using their skills to transform it as they lived there. “It just evolved as we evolved in the weeks and months,” she said. “We just funded it as we went along … we were working after-hours and weekends. We lived within the project, trying to balance that with family and friends.” Michael and Donna Gill’s four-year renovation has helped double their home’s value, and simple tricks about the property’s appearance made all the difference. Picture: Liam Kidston Over the course of their work, the couple found the most important part of a renovation was the home’s appearance – and they’re not the only people who think this. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics found house construction prices rose 2.0 per cent over the latest quarter, with costs for materials continuing to rise thanks to war and growing demand. With budgets getting tighter, Tradies Network founder Dennis Boca said $50...