WHERE TO SPLURGE AND WHERE TO SAVE ON YOUR RENOVATION
Three Birds Eclectic Escape
We've all been there. You've got a Pinterest board full of beautiful homes, a wish list as long as your arm and a renovation budget that, annoyingly, isn't quite as enthusiastic as you are.
Welcome to renovating!
One of the questions we get asked ALL the time is, "Where should we splurge and where should we save?"
And it's a good one. Because while we'd all love to say yes to every gorgeous tile, tap, benchtop and light fitting we come across, the reality is that most of us have a budget to stick to.
The good news? You don't need to spend a fortune on everything to create a home that looks and feels amazing.
Three Birds Calm & Classic Bathroom
Three Birds House 12
After renovating more than 20 houses, we've learnt that the secret is knowing where to invest your money and where you can get away with spending a whole lot less.
Sometimes that means splurging on beautiful flooring and saving on your kitchen handles. Other times it means keeping the original fireplace and putting the money you would've spent replacing it towards something you really love.
It's all about finding that sweet spot between bougie and budget.
So, where's your money best spent? Here are our top five things worth considering splurging on, and five places we'd happily save.
FIRST UP: 5 THINGS WORTH SPLURGING ON
1. Flooring you'll love for years
Flooring is one of the biggest decisions you'll make during a renovation. It covers a huge area, has an enormous impact on the overall look of your home and needs to stand up to whatever daily life throws at it.
Which, if you've got kids and pets, can be quite a lot.
In Bonnie's Dream Home engineered timber floorboards were high on the priority list. She loved the natural warmth, texture and beautiful finish, and felt they were worth the investment.
But that doesn't mean timber is the only way to go.
For our Eclectic Escape renovation, we chose timber-look hybrid flooring. It gave us the natural timber look we wanted, but at a more budget-friendly price, with the added bonus of being durable and easy to maintain.
OUR TIP: Think about how long you'll live in your home, how much traffic your floors will get and the look you're trying to achieve. If flooring is a big part of your vision, it's worth allocating a decent chunk of your budget to getting it right.
2. Beautiful kitchen benchtops
We love a gorgeous kitchen benchtop. No surprises there.
It's one of the first things you notice when you walk into a kitchen and can make even simple cabinetry feel incredibly luxe.
Today, with engineered stone benchtops containing crystalline silica banned in Australia, there are other beautiful options to consider, including porcelain and natural stone.
The important thing is choosing a surface that looks beautiful, suits your lifestyle and will stand the test of time.
And if your dream benchtop comes with a rather impressive price tag? You can always balance it out with more affordable finishes elsewhere.
Three Birds Beach Shack Kitchen Transformation
Three Birds Farmhouse Kitchen Makeover
OUR TIP: If you're going to splurge on a benchtop, let it be the hero. Simple cabinetry, affordable handles and a pared-back splashback can all help keep the overall kitchen budget in check.
3. A floorplan that stands the test of time
A beautiful home is one thing. A beautiful home that works for your family now AND in 20 years? That's the dream.
When we designed the floorplan for House 18, we weren't just thinking about how the family would live in it today. We were thinking about all the different ways it might need to work in the future, too.
Three Birds House 18 – Kitchen & Dining
Three Birds House 18 – Media Room
Because families change. Kids grow up. Grandparents come to stay. And sometimes, a home needs to accommodate a few generations under the one roof.
That's why we put so much thought into creating a flexible floorplan that could adapt to different stages of life, with spaces that offer both connection and privacy.
And while getting the layout right can mean investing more upfront, it's the kind of splurge that can pay off for years to come.
After all, there's not much point creating your dream home today if it no longer works for you tomorrow.
OUR TIP: When planning your floorplan, think beyond your family's current needs. Could a bedroom become a home office? Could guests or grandparents have their own space? A little forward planning now could save you from another big renovation down the track.
4. Quality kitchen cabinetry and clever storage
There's something deeply satisfying about a kitchen where everything has a place.
The appliances are tucked away, the drawers open smoothly and you can actually find the Tupperware lid that matches the container. Imagine!
Good-quality cabinetry and clever storage can make a huge difference to how your kitchen functions.
If you're renovating your Forever Home, investing in quality cabinets, hinges, drawer runners and storage solutions can be well worth the extra spend.
Custom joinery is also worth considering when you've got tricky spaces to work with or specific storage needs that off-the-shelf options can't solve.
That said, you don't need custom cabinetry in every room to achieve a beautiful result.
OUR TIP: Spend on the quality and functionality of your kitchen cabinetry, but consider keeping the door profiles simple. You can create plenty of personality with colour, handles and styling.
5. The right tradies
We know. Not quite as exciting as choosing tiles. But hear us out.
When we first started renovating, we were pretty determined to find the cheapest trades we could. The thinking was simple: save on labour, spend more on the pretty stuff.
Unfortunately, that didn't always work out as planned.
We've since learnt that choosing the cheapest tradie can sometimes end up costing you more in the long run.
Good tradespeople bring experience, knowledge and quality workmanship to your renovation. And when it comes to things like waterproofing, plumbing, electrical work and structural changes, you really don't want to cut corners.
OUR TIP: Get multiple quotes, check references and take the time to find the right people for your project. A good tradie is worth their weight in gold.
NOW FOR THE FUN PART: 5 PLACES YOU CAN SAVE
Because who doesn't love a beautiful result AND a little extra money left in the bank?
1. Keep the original features (they might be the best bits!)
Before you start ripping everything out, take a good look at what you've already got.
Seriously. You might be sitting on some renovation gold.
One of the easiest ways to save money is to retain existing features rather than replacing them simply because they're old.
Take the fireplace in House 18. Rather than removing it and starting from scratch, we kept it as part of the renovation. It was an existing feature that could work with the new design, so why spend money replacing something that didn't need replacing?
We took a similar approach in our Character Semi renovation, where retaining the home's original character was an important part of the design. Rather than stripping away the features that gave the house its charm, we worked with the existing details to create a home that felt fresh while still celebrating its history.
And remember the rundown pergola in our Eclectic Escape? We gave it a fresh coat of paint, cleaned up the roof, added decking and turned it into the cutest little outdoor pizza parlour.
Same structure. Completely different feel.
OUR TIP: Before you demolish, ask yourself: Can we keep it? Can we restore it? Can we give it a new purpose? Sometimes the most beautiful features in a home are the ones that have been there all along.
2. Keep the kitchen and bathrooms where they are
Moving plumbing is one of those renovation expenses that can quickly get out of hand.
And while relocating your kitchen or bathroom might be absolutely necessary in some homes, it's worth considering whether you can achieve the result you want without moving everything around.
In our Eclectic Escape renovation, we kept the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry in their existing locations.
We did remove one wall between the kitchen and living room to open up the space, but avoided a complete floorplan overhaul.
The result was a home that looked and felt completely different, without the cost of relocating all the major rooms.
OUR TIP: If your existing layout functions well, work with it. Keeping plumbing in the same general locations can free up a significant amount of money for the finishes and features you've been dreaming about.
3. Wardrobes and bedroom storage
We love beautiful joinery as much as the next person, but custom wardrobes in every bedroom can add up VERY quickly.
One of our favourite budget-friendly alternatives is IKEA wardrobes.
They're practical, affordable and can look fantastic with a few clever finishing touches.
Try swapping the standard handles for something a little more special, or using decorative trims to create a more customised look.
In our Eclectic Escape, we skipped traditional wardrobe doors altogether and used full-height curtains instead.
We even added cute curved pelmets to give them a more considered, custom feel.
They softened the bedrooms beautifully and helped us save on the cost of joinery doors.
Three Birds Eclectic Escape – Main Bedroom
Three Birds Eclectic Escape – Guest Bedroom
Three Birds Eclectic Escape – Kids’ Bedroom
OUR TIP: Spend on storage where you really need it, but don't assume every wardrobe has to be custom-built. There are plenty of clever ways to make affordable storage look gorgeous.
4. Tiles and splashbacks
If you've ever walked into a tile showroom, fallen in love with something and then checked the price per square metre, you'll understand this one.
Some tiles are VERY expensive.
But here's the good news: you don't need to cover every wall and floor in fancy tiles to create a beautiful bathroom.
Take our Calm & Classic Bathroom, for example. We chose porcelain stone-look tiles for the main walls and floors, creating a timeless backdrop without the price tag or maintenance of natural stone.
Then we had a little fun with the feature tiles.
We used gorgeous blue Kit Kat mosaics to highlight the arches around the bath and shower, giving those beautiful curves the attention they deserved.
And because we kept the decorative tiles to smaller areas, they made an even bigger impact.
We're also big fans of the humble subway tile. It's affordable, timeless and works with so many different styles. Change the colour, grout or laying pattern and you've got a whole new look.
The same thinking applies in kitchens. A simple, budget-friendly splashback can be the perfect partner to a beautiful benchtop.
OUR TIP: Save on the tiles covering the biggest areas and spend a little more on the special details. You don't need every tile to be the star of the show.
5. Doors, handles, lighting and finishing touches
Some of our favourite renovation finds have come from places you might not expect.
Take the French doors from Bunnings.
We've used them in our projects because they look gorgeous and cost a fraction of many more expensive alternatives.
They're one of those purchases that proves you don't always need to pay top dollar to get the look you want.
The same goes for cabinet handles, lighting and other finishing touches.
There are so many beautiful, affordable options available, and often it's the combination of materials and finishes that creates the overall look, rather than the price of any one item.
Three Birds Bathroom Makeover Under $5k
Three Birds Character Semi – Alfresco
Three Birds Living Room Transformation
In our Eclectic Escape renovation, we also relied on styling to do a lot of the heavy lifting.
Instead of making unnecessary structural changes, we used furniture, rugs, lighting and homewares to transform the feel of the spaces.
And, of course, we made good use of our Dream Discount Card to save on the pieces we were buying anyway.
OUR TIP: Shop around, compare prices and keep an eye out for sales and discounts. You'd be surprised how often the more affordable option looks just as good as the expensive one.
SO, WHAT'S THE SECRET TO GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT?
The biggest lesson we've learnt is that you don't have to splurge on everything to create a home you absolutely love.
In fact, we'd argue that some of our best renovation decisions have been the ones where we've found a clever way to save.
But knowing where to spend and where to save starts long before you hit the shops.
It starts with your vision.
What do you want your home to look like? How do you want it to feel? And what are the things that will make the biggest difference to the way you live?
Three Birds Petite Pad Vision Board
Three Birds Petite Pad – Living
Three Birds Petite Pad – Main Bedroom
Once you've got those answers, it's much easier to decide what's worth investing in and where you can happily compromise.
And remember, every renovation is different.
What was worth splurging on in Bonnie's Forever Home might not make sense for your renovation. And that's totally fine.
The goal isn't to have the most expensive house on the street. It's to create a home that feels like YOU, works for your lifestyle and doesn't leave you wondering where all your money went.
If you'd love to learn more of the tips and tricks we've picked up over the years, we share our renovation process, budgeting advice and cost-saving ideas in Three Birds Reno School.
Because there's nothing better than creating your dream home.
Except perhaps creating your dream home AND coming in on budget.
Now THAT'S something worth celebrating 🥂 🍾.
