With international travel bans and interstate border closures restricting our holiday options, it’s still possible to enjoy resort-style living from the comfort of your own home. 

Moreover, in these COVID-19 times we will be entertaining at home more than ever, while adhering to state guidelines.

Angus Raine, Executive Chairman of Raine & Horne, recommends creating a seamless flow from your indoor to your outdoor living spaces. This might involve converting a verandah into an alfresco living space that uses café style heating during the colder months. It’s a nuanced approach, while a verandah conversion can work just as well whether your home is in Hobart or Brisbane. 

Along similar lines, if you rarely use your garage or an attic, consider converting this space into a gaming area or media room for watching this month’s footy finals. You could even knock out the side of the garage to create an open-air living alternative for barbecuing or reclining in the vast array of outdoor-friendly furniture with a favourite book or drink. 

Create a sense of space

The sheer amount of space is a conspicuous feature you’ll notice when visiting a holiday resort whether it’s here in Australia or a favoured international location such as Fiji. Resorts use wide doorways, open areas and large floor-to-roof windows that create a sense of serenity and indulgence.

Delivering a comparable sense of space to your home is simple enough, advises Angus. “Even if you live in a smaller home, there are some excellent ways to create a feeling of space and flow, such as decluttering.

“A survey from eBay a few years back showed that on average, we have around $3,000 of unused goods collecting dust around the house. 

“Why not do some decluttering with the help of eBay and give yourself some money to help you self-fund your resort-style experience at home.” For example, Samsung offers a TV that lets you watch your favourite movies and shows on the veranda. This all-weather television starts at around $3,500 for the 55-inch tube. 

Bring your home to life with greenery and water features

Integrating greenery into your home is another way to impress your guests and create a vibrant retreat-like setting that’s ever-changing. Introduce some native plants, flowers and shrubs around the house. For those with more expansive outdoor areas, why not plant some tropical trees to give your backyard resort appeal.

At the same time, the creative use of water features provides a sense of vacation harmony at home. Slow-flowing water features offer a calm and relaxing sound throughout the property, while they are also visually pleasing. Of course, if the budget extends and there is no danger of overcapitalising the property, an infinity pool is the perfect accoutrement to resort style living. 

For more tips on creating resort-style living at home, contact your local Raine & Horne agent today.