As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on what made this year significant in the world of home renovations and to formulate a plan of attack for the year ahead. Whether the future holds upgrades for your comfort and liveability or enhancements to boost curb appeal and get your home sale-ready, being armed with insight into what’s hot now and what’s next is your best place to start. This year, we saw some interesting new trends peek through, and 2025 is predicted to focus on wellness and practicality – let’s dive in and explore the biggest renovation trends for 2024 and our predictions for what’s hot for 2025.
What was hot this year for home renovations?
1. Sustainability!
With increasing awareness of our environmental impact, many homeowners are gravitating towards eco-friendly materials like recycled wood, glass and stone, and reclaimed flooring and a bigger focus on energy efficiency. This extends to things like appliance choices, solar installation, and a greater emphasis on proper insulation.
Growing your own produce through indoor or outdoor veggie gardens has also become a popular way to live sustainably and reduce your carbon footprint, too. This cuts down on supermarket trips and reduces your reliance on mass-produced food.
2. Work smarter, not harder
It’s no secret that technology significantly increases your home’s efficiency and ability to run more sustainably. This year, we’ve seen a huge surge in tech upgrades in the home department, and the next biggest upgrade will likely be just around the corner. Energy-saving LED lighting, smart thermostats, and water-efficient fixtures have all been major hits, helping homeowners reduce energy consumption and costs. Adding solar panels to our homes is becoming a standard feature, too, for many of us looking to rely on cleaner energy sources going into the future.
3. The Swiss Army Knife of spaces
Off the back of tiny home trends and a desire for more simplistic lifestyles, the idea of making the most out of existing spaces in our homes has been a hot topic. Transforming spaces into multifunctional rooms like home offices that double as guest rooms delivers flexibility and functionality. To achieve this, we’re seeing additions like modular and custom-built furniture and foldable walls take centre stage – these minimise clutter while serving multiple purposes effectively.
4. Maximalism Is here to stay (for now)
While minimalism had its moment, maximalism made a massive comeback in 2024, and we’re not mad about it. We’re injecting bold colours (more on this later), vintage and antique decor, and eclectic designs that speak to our soul. It’s all about vibrancy, personalisation, and leaving behind the cookie-cutter white-on-white era. This trend is ticking our sustainability box, too, as there’s nothing more personalised and one-off than adding second-hand or DIY items to your décor.
5. Go bold or go home
Going hand in hand with maximalism, the use of bold colours has replaced our love affair with rolling Dulux White on White on every surface. You don’t need to go all in; a pop of colour as a feature wall to complement less intense (white) walls is the perfect middle ground. Maximalism on our walls isn’t just painted either – we’re seeing an influx of textures like plaster, stone, and wood, adding depth and visual interest to previously neutral spaces.
6. Real outdoor living
This year, outdoor living got supersized. It no longer means a couple of wooden benches, a picnic table, and some festoon lights artfully placed on your back deck; it requires turning your outdoor living into a legitimate space where you can spend time living year-round. This means investing in fully functioning outdoor kitchens, pizza ovens, fireplaces, comfortable built-in seating areas, and weatherproof patios. These upgrades should flow seamlessly from your indoor area, too, so that you’ll have the ultimate entertainment space fit for fun and comfort and resale appeal.
Looking ahead to 2025
So, now that we have rehashed the highlights of 2024, it’s time to start looking ahead and explore our home renovation and improvement predictions for 2025:
1. Renovate with the next buyer in mind
While it might seem screamingly obvious, many homeowners overlook this strategy when the plan to sell is in the not-too-distant future. If you’re considering selling in the next few years, this mindset will help you to improve your home so that the highest bidder bites and you get more bang for your buck. This means including all of the above and below home improvements to make your home as appealing as possible. Most buyers will look for efficiency, tech upgrades, aesthetics and how liveable your home is now and into the future. All the improvements you make will contribute to the value of your home and your ability to sell it quickly and for the right price when the time comes.
2. Spa luxury at home
Bathrooms will remain a key area of focus in 2025 renovations, especially as homeowners seek to create spa-like retreats in their homes. While full bathroom renovations can be expensive, minor changes and upgrades can still deliver a little luxury without breaking the bank. Bathrooms can also be deal breakers when selling or buying a home, so upgrading this space always pays dividends. Some common bigger ticket upgrades include rain showers, underfloor heating, and steam rooms for the ultimate high-end spa-at-home feel. If you’re working with a smaller budget, thoughtful and luxurious touches like a new heated towel rail and an updated vanity, mirror, indoor plants, and warm lighting can affordably elevate your existing space.
3. Wellness and wellbeing
With wellness becoming more of a priority in our daily lives, in the year ahead, we’ll continue to see this infused into aspects of our home dedicated to mental and physical wellbeing. We’re predicting home gyms and mindfulness, and meditation corners will appear in our multifunctional spaces, prompting us to nurture both body and mind in the comfort of our homes. Interior designers are also focussing on creating harmonious living spaces by prioritising natural light and incorporating eco-conscious materials. Open floor plans, large windows, and indoor plants continue to trend as a way to bring more of the outside world in. Feng Shui principles align with these priorities and are gaining traction as a simple means to bring balance and positive energy to your home.
4. Practical (and stylish) for pets and people
Renovating with your furry sidekick in mind is a trend on the rise, and unlike days gone by, this doesn’t mean installing ugly linoleum on your floors and draping your couches in old blankets. Pet proofing is going undercover – it looks so good; you likely won’t even notice it’s designed for our four-legged friends. Additions that blend seamlessly into your home, like built-in pet beds, feeding stations, bespoke cabinetry, and dedicated wash stations, are here to ensure your home remains fresh and stylish while catering to both pets and people.
Create a home that’s ready for now and ready for what’s next
Many of this year’s key home trends and predictions for the year ahead are here to stay, and most centre around making your home more liveable, enjoyable, and practical. Whether you’re planning to sell or stay put, incorporating these updates into your renovations positions your home so that it’s ready for you to enjoy now and ready for what’s next. If you’re contemplating your next property move, speak to your local First National Real Estate. We’ll guide you every step of the way through selling your home or buying your next oasis.
DISCLAIMER
The following advice is of a general nature only and intended as a broad guide. The advice should not be regarded as legal, financial, or real estate advice. You should make your own inquiries and obtain independent professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances before making any legal, financial, or real estate decisions. Click here for full Terms of Use.