Author Archives: Phil

painted-table

How to transform a table

Gone are the days in which weÔÇÖd throw perfectly good furniture into a skip and replace it with a brand new buy. With purse strings getting tighter and crafty TV shows making it fashionable again to make do and mend, these days itÔÇÖs all about ÔÇÿupcyclingÔÇÖ. And it doesnÔÇÖt get much easier than transforming the good old kitchen table into a centrepiece to be proud of! HereÔÇÖs how:

old-table1. If you have space in a garage or workshop, move your table and chairs from the kitchen into the workspace. If not, place them on top of dust sheets or newspaper.

2. Strip the table back to bare wood using a biodegradable paint remover, which is less toxic than older paint strippers and does not smell as strong.

3. Sand the wood thoroughly and wipe down with a clean cloth.

coat-paint4. Apply a coat of paint. ItÔÇÖs likely youÔÇÖll need to re-sand the wood after the first coat before applying a second coat.

5. Wax with a cloth and remove any residue with a second, clean cloth.

6. If youÔÇÖre also repainting the chairs, itÔÇÖs wise to remove drop-in seats before you get started. You might need to unscrew them first and perhaps gently tap out tightly fitted seats with a hammer from below.

painted-chair7. Treat loose joints and splits with wood glue. Check thoroughly for small, neat holes, which are a tell-tale sign of woodworm, and treat if necessary with woodworm solution or spray.

8. Sand, apply a coat of paint and repeat if necessary, as above.

9. Re-fit the drop-in seats. For a completely new look you can re-cover the foam first with a fabric of your choice or, if they are particularly old and worn, you can buy new foam and cut to the right size using the old seats as a template.

painted-table10. Hey presto, you have a lovely ÔÇÿnewÔÇÖ dining set!

 Did you know?

You can paint the wood in a number of different ways, to suit the type of furniture and the style of the room it sits in:

Distressed wood: Get the shabby chic look by applying two coats of paint, waxing and sanding back the wood gently.

Wood wash: Dilute the paint with water then apply as normal for a softer, translucent finish that highlights the wood grain. This works particularly well when whitewashing or lime-washing furniture or floorboards.

Crackle-glazed finish: Dry the paint with a hairdryer and wax with a clear then a dark wax, which will run into the cracks.

 

 

 

diy-stores

DIY favourite to close one in four stores

diy-storesPopular DIY retailer Homebase is to lose a quarter of its stores following a business review. One in four of the chainÔÇÖs 323 outlets will close by 2018, having been branded ÔÇÿunprofitable or in declineÔÇÖ.

The rise in online shopping is one of the factors behind the decision, whilst itÔÇÖs also thought that young homeowners do not do as much DIY as their parents. Seven Homebase branches have already closed this year and another 23 will go by March, with the rest to follow. Homebase owner Home Retail Group has not revealed how many jobs will be lost but hopes to work with the new buyers of affected premises to safeguard as many positions as possible.

Home Retail Group ÔÇô which also owns Argos and Habitat ÔÇô announced two years ago that stores would close in order to reposition the brand as a smaller but stronger operation. Twenty six stores have recently been refitted and there are plans to increase the number of Habitat and Argos concessions within stores after a successful experiment to introduce pick-up points for customers collecting online goods. This followed strong Homebase sales last Christmas, as well as a good start to the current financial year, when warm weather and the football World Cup boosted sales of outdoor DIY equipment and garden furniture.

But a refurbishment of all remaining shops is not planned and HomebaseÔÇÖs managing director is to stand down after disappointing half-yearly figures, meaning the end of an era for DIY enthusiasts faced with waving goodbye to their local store.

How to finance home improvements

finance-diy

Many of us would cite ÔÇÿsaving moneyÔÇÖ as a reason for tackling DIY jobs ourselves, yet home improvement projects can be anything but cheap!

Research from the Nationwide Building Society* shows that Brits plan to spend an average of ┬ú3,342 on DIY projects over the coming year ÔÇô totalling ┬ú79bn as a nation! Whilst two thirds of those surveyed are planning to take on less expensive tasks such as painting or wallpapering, 16% are going to update or completely renew their kitchen and 18% are going to overhaul their bathroom. And with nearly one in 10 planning to spend more than ┬ú5,000, the question is: how to finance these grand designs?

Here we outline some of the funding options available to homeowners planning a DIY project:

Loans

Loans are a good way of spreading the cost of your home improvement over a number of years in manageable monthly instalments. Shop around to compare interest rates; a number of good deals around at the moment mean many customers should be able to get an interest rate of about 5%. DonÔÇÖt forget to consider supermarket, as well as bank, loans, and remember that your home could be at risk if you donÔÇÖt keep up the payments.

Credit cards

credit-checkFor people who are good at managing their money, a 0% credit card can be an excellent way of financing a building or DIY project. As the name suggests, these cards offer interest-free credit for a specified length of time and, with a recent credit card ÔÇÿwarÔÇÖ breaking out between lenders, itÔÇÖs a great time to take advantage of 24 and even 32-month 0% deals. But remember that the trick here is to switch to another 0% free card when your deal comes to an end or you could find yourself on an unfavourable rate without realising the costs.

Grants

In some circumstances, such as if youÔÇÖre disabled and need to improve or adapt your home, you can get a grant to help with the cost. Your local authority should offer grants or loans to people who meet certain criteria, as well as sometimes providing tools and equipment or recommending builders who can carry out the work. Citizens Advice has detailed information on the type of help you could access.

If your improvements include energy efficiency measures, grants towards things like cavity wall and loft insulation or the cost of a new boiler are available. Again, Citizens Advice is a good place to start if you want to find out more about the Energy Companies Obligation or the Nest scheme for homeowners and tenants in Wales, and you can also call the Energy Saving Advice Service on 0300 123 1234 for up-to-date information. 

Remortgaging

Homeowners with a good credit rating and a reliable income can usually release equity from their home to pay for refurbishments or building extensions. But spreading the debt over a longer period ÔÇô such as the length of your mortgage ÔÇô might see you paying more interest than you realise. In addition, remortgaging is becoming more difficult as lenders tighten the rules to focus on affordability, so you might find your mortgage lender wonÔÇÖt be rushing to increase your loan as they might have a few years ago.

However you choose to finance your home improvement plans, donÔÇÖt forget to budget carefully and put aside a small contingency pot to cover unexpected expenses. And if youÔÇÖre calling in professionals to help with any part of the job, get a number of quotes first and ask for references or recommendations.

* YouGov survey of 2,128 adults carried out in February 2014 for Nationwide