Buying a home is a big step, whether you’re moving in alone or with your family. It’s also a significant achievement – owning property is a milestone on the path to building generational wealth. So, congratulations on your new home!

However, no matter how perfect a house may seem when you decide ‘This is the one!’ and make your offer to purchase, remember that ‘the perfect home in your price range and a neighbourhood you like’ and ‘the perfect home’ are 2 different things. You’re always going to have a few tweaks in mind to make the space truly yours.

Personalising your new home

These tweaks could relate to your personal needs – maybe you just don’t like the previous owner’s taste, and you want a space that ‘feels more you’. Or perhaps you need a home office, since so many of us can now work remotely or on a hybrid model. Maybe your kids need their own space to study and entertain themselves, or you need to add a granny flat to create a multi-generational homestead.

You may want to renovate the home to install more modern, energy-efficient fixtures, because they’re more cost-effective over the long term. Innovations like low-flow taps and showers, dual-flush toilets, LED lighting, induction cookers, solar energy systems and solar geysers can not only save you money by reducing your costs for grid electricity and municipal water, but they can also increase the value of the property if you ever want to sell it.

Affordable home makeover ideas

If you’re planning major structural changes when you buy the property, like new buildings or adding rooms to an existing building, it’s probably more affordable to include these costs in your home loan application. We’ve designed our home loans to offer you that option with HomeVision.

But there are many smaller revamps that will cost less, while making your new home more comfortable, functional, and visually appealing. Think about new furniture, carpeting, screens or even drywalling to divide spaces. You could also consider painting inside and outside walls, changing fixtures to be more cost-efficient, landscaping your garden and adding an entertainment space with a built-in braai, outdoor furniture, and a kids’ playground. These upgrades will require a bit more work and expense, but they are all affordable ways to add value to your property without overcapitalising.

An affordable personal loan for home improvement can be a good money choice for these smaller upgrades.

Nedbank Personal Loan benefits

Your monthly home loan payments are not the only cost you need to budget for when you buy a house. As a result, you may not have enough savings to start personalising your home when you move in. If you choose a Nedbank Personal Loan to finance the revamp, it comes with several benefits.

• Get started on your home makeover fast
  With a personal loan, you can begin making whatever changes you want to your property immediately. You won’t have to save for months before you can start transforming the space to suit your needs.

• Increase the value of your home
  Some improvements can instantly boost the value of your home. Since property value generally increases over time, you’re immediately raising the base level from which the value of the house can grow. Provided you don’t spend so much improving the property that you outstrip the rise in value, you could make a profit if you decide to sell in the future. A well-maintained, up-to-date home is more attractive to potential buyers.

• Save on costs
  Have you heard about ‘high-maintenance basics for low-maintenance living’? In other words, if you put a bit more money and effort into certain basics upfront (see below), you’ll have lower maintenance costs in the future. Delaying renovations can sometimes lead to serious issues that cost more to fix later. Prices for materials and labour increase over time, and small issues can turn into bigger, more expensive problems if not taken care of right away.

• Get a loan tailor-made for your needs
  Nedbank does thorough due diligence when assessing your personal loan application, checking your credit record and your financial circumstances. We offer competitive interest rates and would never offer you a loan that you couldn’t afford. We tailor-make a personal loan to suit your needs – for example, we might offer the loan over a longer term, so that your payments remain affordable. We aim to make a personal loan a cost-effective way to finance your home improvements.

• Get cashback every month
  You could also qualify to get R200 cashback every month* throughout your loan term. The money is yours to use however you like. To qualify, you need to open a Nedbank MiGoals Plus or MiGoals Premium account when you accept our loan offer and have your salary paid into that account every month. You must also set up a debit order on the account for your monthly loan payments and use the Money app or Online Banking at least once a month.

*Read the full terms and conditions.

Budget-friendly revamp ideas

• Furniture upgrades: 
  Invest in key pieces that can transform a room, like a bold sofa or a stylish dining table. Look for multifunctional furniture that suits your style and saves space.
  
  
• Carpets and rugs: 
  Add warmth and texture to your floors with carpets and rugs. Choose patterns and colours that match your existing décor.

• Screens and dividers: 
  Create distinct areas within open spaces using attractive screens or room dividers. They can help manage traffic flow and provide privacy. If you have a large room that you’d like to convert into 2 smaller rooms, consider wooden drywalls. They’re quick and easy to install, and easy to remove if you decide to later.
  
  
• Repairs and maintenance:  
  Take care of common niggles that you might find in a new home. Fix leaky taps, rattling doors, broken windows, and cracked tiles – these can make a big difference to how quickly you can feel comfortable in a new property.
  
  
• DIY home improvements: 
  Fresh paint, new curtains, and updated lighting can completely change the look and feel of a home. Consider accent walls, modern light fixtures, and trendy window treatments to refresh your space.
  
   

High-maintenance basics to keep your home low-maintenance

• Plumbing: 
  Regularly check for leaks and make sure that your plumbing is in good condition. Consider installing water-saving fixtures to reduce your water bills.
  
  
• Electrical: 
  Keep your electrical systems up to date and safe. Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances and LED lighting to save on electricity costs.
  
  
• Structure: 
  Inspect your home’s foundation and structure for any signs of damage. Addressing issues early can prevent more significant problems later.
  
  
• Wall and floor coatings: 
  Keep an eye on elements like paint, wallpaper and floor coatings that may need refreshing over time. Use high-quality, durable materials to extend the life of these features.

A Nedbank Personal Loan could be the help you need to turn your new house into a home as soon as you move in.