We spent over $54,000 renovating our house — but these 5 cheap upgrades actually made the biggest difference

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• Some more affordable changes, such as new window treatments and a fresh coat of paint, made the greatest positive difference.
• A new mailbox and some basic yard work helped take the space to the next level.

In Melbourne, Australia, in 2017, we were extremely eager to move in and begin the renovation process.

My husband handled as many of the renovations as he could on his own, but we hired outside help whenever necessary.

And the bathroom addition significantly increased the property's value, but surprisingly, some of the least expensive upgrades had the most impact.

Here are five relatively affordable upgrades that significantly increased our property's appeal and received many compliments from friends and family.

A new layer of paint can greatly enhance the look and feel of a room.

When we first moved in, the interior was mostly a pale purple color. The master bedroom had a bright pink accent wall, and one of the other bedrooms had a deep blue one.

We decided to give the entire inside of the house a brand new look, painting the walls and ceilings a bright, pure white. This project ended up taking a whole month to complete, and it was a real challenge, physically and visually speaking.

However, the transformation was nothing short of impressive. The property looked several decades younger afterwards, with a palpable sense of brightness that made it almost seem like the house's age, circa 1960, had been reduced by years.

My husband also repainted the shed and fences metal gray, giving the whole exterior a fresh new look. Overall, the paint and materials probably cost us about $2,000.

Our outdoor space transformations were straightforward yet noticeably effective.

The backyard was in a rough shape when we moved in, so my husband brought in a large heavy machine called an excavator to even out the ground and put down fresh grass.

Following that, he added some native Australian flowers that attract insects. Before long, they were in full bloom and teeming with insect life.

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In the end, the landscaping only cost around $2,500 in Australian dollars — and it completely transformed the backyard into a much more usable and beautiful space.

Adding blinds has significantly enhanced the home's appearance.

The previous owner had very out-of-date curtains and pelmets, which are decorative coverings used to hide curtain rods and other curtain hardware.

We got rid of those and installed affordable gray drop-down blinds, which we had ordered online. They made a huge difference to the property's appearance and ambiance, and it only cost around $750.

We're thrilled to have installed a digital front door lock.

When my husband mentioned that he wanted to get a keyless front door lock, I thought it was just a silly, unnecessary expense.

But the lock has become invaluable to us — and it only cost around $260.

We chose a system with an electronic key pad, where we input a code to unlock the property, and we can easily alter the code as needed.

I love not having to fumble for keys (which I often misplace) and being able to give friends and family our access code when we're away. The lock remained a hit even after we relocated and rented the property out to tenants.

Our new mailbox adds a touch of functionality and style to our home's exterior.

The original mailbox was an unsightly shade of brown and looked like a small version of Seattle's Space Needle, only with an unusual bulb-shaped addition next to it.

We got rid of it and my husband made a new wooden one out of old railroad supports, which perfectly matched the Australian native garden.

It only cost approximately two hundred dollars to create, but it genuinely enhanced the property's curb appeal.

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