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Improving your home tips
If you are thinking about improving or extending your home, browse our articles for tips and advice
Featured Articles
It’s Patio Time
What should you consider when designing a patio?
Extending Beyond Your Extension
What should you think about when planning an extension?
10 essential home maintenance jobs this Autumn
When Summer has gone and the Autumn leaves have fallen, what do you need to check in order to prevent expensive repair jobs and retain your home’s value?
What are the Dos and Don’ts of a dream bathroom renovation?
Here are some points to consider when planning your makeover
Lighting up Your Garden
Lighting can transform your evening al fresco experience, turning an otherwise dark patio or terrace into an atmospheric and enjoyable space for relaxing, entertaining or dining
How to pick the perfect patio doors
French, sliding, bi-fold, pocket and pivot – there’s such a huge choice of glazed doors it can feel overwhelming. Here’s our handy guide
Cladding ideas: how to mix and match materials
Get some inspiration whether it’s for a new extension or exterior makeover
VOCs – should we worry about them?
Building products are increasingly being labelled as low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) but what does this mean exactly?
The Ins & Outs of a Fixer-Upper
With properties in need of some TLC there are a range of possibilities when considering how much work actually needs to be done to make this your dream home, with a range of costs to match
Single Storey or Two Storey Extension?
When extending your property -should you go for a single or two storey extension?
Cooking up Value in the Kitchen
Is improving your kitchen a good investment?
How do I convert my garage to a home office?
With more of us working from home throughout the pandemic, minds have naturally turned to converting spare bedrooms, garden buildings and garages to dedicated office space.
Should I install Dormer Windows or Velux?
Are you planning for a loft conversion? Choosing your windows for your loft conversion isn’t something you have probably spent a lot of time considering
Small Home Office ideas
With a little imagination and planning, almost any space in your home can be turned into a useful workstation area.
Top trends for house renovation in 2020
You can’t have failed to notice that homes are getting smarter, with voice-controlled lights and heating that tailors itself to the weather
Electrical safety tips for home improvements
Faulty electrics can be a serious fire hazard and can lead to electrocution and serious injury or death. Don’t risk it
DIY vs Pro: the big debate
Doing your own home improvements can help you to save money but only if it’s done properly. DIY disasters can be costly and unsafe. Some tasks are always best left to the professionals – while others are suited for DIY.
Plan your dream bathroom
In the past, bathrooms were white, clinical spaces. Today, with so many styles and colours, it’s hard to know where to start when planning your dream bathroom.
How to refresh your kitchen on a budget
It’s perfectly possible to revamp your kitchen on a tight budget - and it will help sell your home.
Top tips to give your house a cosy feel
Cosy. You know instantly when a house feels cosy. You can’t quite put your finger on it only that you have found a little corner of home
Bright ideas for your extension
Ask any homeowner what’s on their wish list for their extension or refurb, and chances are they’ll say a home that’s lighter and brighter
Should I refurb before I move in?
Should you refurbish your new pad before you unload all your belongings? With the best will in the world, if you can afford to refurbish your new home before you move in, the answer has to be yes!
Bat Surveys
What is the legislation regarding the protection of bats in houses?
Letting a room at home
Do you have a spare room in your home and need extra cash? Have you ever thought of becoming a resident landlord? You may be able to earn £7,500 per year tax-free under the rent a room scheme.
Top Tips on how to paint a wall
Graham Fisher, painter and specialist decorator, describes how to make your redecorating project as professional as possible.
Hanging Pictures - a beginners guide!
What is there to know about hanging pictures up on your wall? This can be fairly easy. You just mark a spot, bang in a nail, and then hang the said picture, end of story. Right?
Not all Landlords are bad!
Not all landlords or landladies are bad. Unfortunately there are indeed some unscrupulous ones but we are not all like that, it is a minority who give us all a bad name.
Spring Makeover ideas
Spring has finally sprung and it’s time to spruce up your home. Here are some quick and easy ideas.
What insurance do I need for building works?
Anyone who has been through building works knows nothing ever goes to plan. Even with the best intentions; walls can collapse, pipes can be drilled through and a neighbour’s property can be damaged.
Case Study - extending a kitchen
Knocking through to create a kitchen-diner
What should you do if a project goes wrong?
If you are having any building work carried out on your home,and it goes wrong, what should you do?
Things to think about before you undertake a building or renovation project
Once you have decided what you want to do, you need to find out if you need planning permission or building regulations approval
Do I need planning permission?
When do I need to apply for Planning Permission, and when can I make alterations to my house without?
Kitchen makeovers: what's hot and what's not
Refurbishing a kitchen should be based on more than just looks. Here are our top tips to creating a fashionable and functional space
Top Tips for your Garden
How can you improve your Garden?
Looking for ways to breathe new life into your garden? There’s no need to spend a fortune on a landscaper. We have put together our top tips to revitalise your garden and increase the value of your property as well
Creating your dream bathroom
Bathrooms are functional spaces but can be beautiful and stylish too. Is your bathroom in need of a facelift?
Top Tips for improving your bathroom
How to kick start your home improvement project
Transform your home in no time
Rising property prices means improving rather than moving has become an attractive option for home owners. But it can be daunting embarking on a home improvement project for the first time. Whether you're planning a simple bathroom refurbishment or a major two-storey extension, here are a few tips.
5 simple space saving hacks for your home
Think small, but stylish
Finding enough space in your home can seem like an impossible task. Whether you’re tight on space or you’ve simply just got too much stuff, storage is a reoccurring problem in many households. While making your rooms bigger by some form of magic isn’t an option, there are however some really simple things you can do that will instantly give you that extra space you desire!
Japanese knotweed: spot it, catch it, kill it
It's got a seriously bad rep
Cue the relentless Japanese knotweed or fallopia japonica – the bane of homeowners, property developers and governments alike. So evasive and threatening to our eco-system, if you’re caught planting or growing it in the wild (why would anyone want to?) it’s considered to be a serious wildlife offence. It’s also a pain to get rid of and infests pretty much anything within its wake – including the rock hardest of structures. Even a herbicide solution, considered to be a cost-effective and sustainable removal method, means it can take 1 to 3 years to get to work effectively. No wonder the JK has a bad rep!
The truth about damp
What it means in old buildings
There is little doubt that nearly all the old houses that have survived until now must have been built reasonably well and it is unlikely that they had any problems with damp in the beginning. The problems that do develop often fall into one or more of the following categories.