Home Lifestyle Tips

Great outdoor areas can add tens of thousands to the value of your home, not to mention the added enjoyment of spending time in the garden with family and friends. Landscaping is also one of the few home improvements that can actually increase in value over time as plantings mature.…

Aussie rhyming slang Are you having a "Barry Crocker" of a day? Rhyming slang was born out of London's east end in the 1800s, with the Cockneys no doubt taking the crown for their rhyming linguistic acrobatics. Our English roots meant it wasn't long before rhyming slang made its way…

A good neighbour is a valuable asset, but backyard squabbles are on the rise. When you buy a new home, one of the greatest unknowns is over the fence. You can inspect the building, scope the drains, and survey the boundaries - but you never really know what you're buying…

Did you know the world has a global doomsday seed vault? Plunging deep inside a mountain on a remote island in the Svalbard archipelago, halfway between Norway and the North Pole, lies a global insurance policy seed vault. Every type of the world's crop seeds - the largest collection of…

We've had sober October, now try low-spender November. It may not seem like it, but the lead in to Christmas is the perfect time for a financial detox. Not only will it stop you losing control of festive spending, it'll set you up to start the new year on the…

The key to making money is spotting a gap in the market. And there's a large pet-shaped hole in Australia's rental market. More than 60 per cent of Australian households have a pet these days, yet it's reported only about 10 per cent of rental properties allow them. It's become…

Home clutter-clearing tips Is your place looking like a tip and you don't know where to start in the uncluttering process? Try these simple ideas on for size and you'll be clutter-clearing like no one's business. 1. One-in, one-out rule When a household full of people keep bringing new things…