5 Easy ways to update your kitchen

You don't need to fork out a small fortune for a new kitchen. We'd like to show you, in five easy steps, just how easy it is to breathe new life into your tired old cooking hub.

Step 1: Consider colour

Before you do anything, are you happy with the overall colour of the kitchen - could it be sunnier? Choose a couple of colours you like, they can be added to the walls, tile grout cupboards and even floors. You could select a range of complementary colours - your local paint shop is a great place for swatches and colour information.

Step 2: Covering the floor

Some people might think lino is retro, but in most cases it's just plain ugly and dated. A new floor can instantly lift a kitchen - and it doesn't have to be as expensive as you think. Floating floors are easy to install and at only $4 per sq/m (on average) they won't break the bank either (don't forget to add an extra $3 per sq/m for labour if you're not going down the DIY route). One word of caution: ensure that you have the proper tools if you do take on the job yourself. Floating floors need to go under the doors, so door jams will need to be trimmed. Ask your hardware expert about what's needed when you buy the flooring.

Step 3: Plight of the tiles

You may not need to re-tile your kitchen for it to look like new - take a look at your grout first. There are plenty of things you can do with grout, including colouring it, cleaning it with specialised grout cleaners (available at most hardware shops), or re-grouting (as a last resort). Re-grouting is the best option if your grout is very old and is allowing moisture to seep behind the tiles. Make sure that, whichever option you choose, you re-seal the grout afterwards. In fact, it's a good idea to seal grout once every 12 months.

Step 4: Paint the walls

This step is quite self explanatory, but don't underestimate the effects of a bad paint job. Make sure you prepare the walls properly before painting, as this is the most important part of the entire job - especially cleaning years of cooking stains off your walls with sugar soap. Make sure you also have the proper tools, which your paint seller will be happy to assist you with.

Step 5: Cupboards update

If you have a budget, then purchasing new cupboards is a great idea, but if you don't, why not work with what you've got? Laminate is strong and comes in almost any colour, so this might be the easiest option. Painting is also an easy and relatively cheap way to bring old cupboards to life. Just make sure you're not painting over laminate!

So there we have it: five easy steps to a (good as) new kitchen!