If youÔÇÖre planning a spot of DIY during the Easter break, youÔÇÖre not alone! Home improvement stores are gearing up for one of the busiest trading periods of the year, with the Easter holiday traditionally signalling the start of DIY season.
And this year, according to Retail Week, more people than ever are preparing to do it themselves. A recent survey revealed that 67% of consumers plan to carry out improvement projects at home, compared to 59% last year. Almost two thirds intend to buy the right equipment and do the work themselves, whilst 28% will call in a professional.
Easter can be a good time to take stock after a busy winter, so if you have a few days off work and want to get started, here are some ideas:
1. Glossing over things
Winter can be tough on any home, especially if you had a houseful of guests at Christmas or months of muddy boots trampling over your floors! Skirting boards and banisters can quickly become grubby in high-footfall areas, so it might be time to get out the gloss. Obviously youÔÇÖll need to buy paint and brushes, and donÔÇÖt forget sandpaper, masking tape and floor covers if you want to do the job properly!
2. Kitchen comforts
You might need more than an Easter weekend to install a new kitchen, but you can certainly start planning! Now is a good time to measure up for new cabinets and decide how to configure that all-important kitchen triangle of cooker, sink and fridge. If the carcasses of existing cupboards are in good condition, you could simply buy replacement doors, or just buy new handles and accessories for a fresh look!
3. Switch on to style
Redecorating a room is hard work, so itÔÇÖs easy to overlook the small details. But expensive new wallpaper and gleaming paintwork can be badly let down if you just screw back in old, plastic sockets and switches afterwards. Take a tour of your home and find out which fittings have seen better days. Light switches and socket plates have come a long way and are now available in chrome, satin, pewter, vintage brass, mocha, pillar box red and pretty pastels, to name but a few! But remember that electrics can be dangerous, so if youÔÇÖre unsure about how to fit a switch or socket, book an electrician.
4. The green, green grass of home
Given your lawn that first cut of spring yet? The sunny weather forecast for Easter could be a good chance to dust down the lawnmower and spruce up the garden. DonÔÇÖt be tempted to cut it too short to start with, but do plan to mow every week, or at least once a fortnight, from now on. Look for patchy areas in need of sprinkling with grass seed and buy a good quality lawn feed to use regularly.
5. Garden bulbs (light bulbs, that is!)
Attractive lighting is no longer solely for indoors! With the evenings warming up and barbecue season about to begin, early April is a good time to install outdoor lighting. If you need strong lighting, there are lots of floodlights, outdoor LEDs and traditional lantern-style lights on the market. To create a romantic or cosy setting, opt for twinkling fairy lights or lanterns strung between plant pots or along garden trellis.
6. Leader of the (flat) pack
We all dread it, but sometimes self-assembling furniture is the only way to get the bookcase or cabinet of your dreams. Unfortunately, flat-pack instructions can be sparse, to say the least, and many a DIY-er has been left with a wonky wardrobe or a dodgy desk ÔÇô and a puzzling pile of leftover screws. Luckily, these days the internet is awash with handy video guides, so do some research first and think positive – at least youÔÇÖll have somewhere to store your Easter eggs once those shelves are up!
7. As good as new
These days, re-decorating is just as much about upcycling old items as it is about buying new. It can take patience and time, but the results can be a treasured showpiece that will keep guests talking for years to come. The key lies in the preparation, so take a look at our handy guide to repainting wooden furniture or pop along to your library for books on re-covering chair cushions. Or just spend the Easter weekend mooching around the nearest antiques market instead!
8. Eggs-tra, eggs-tra!
No home makeover is complete without the right decorations were talking Easter decorations, of course! Go for family favourites such as painted eggshells in a pretty basket or make a seasonal wreath for the front door with spring flowers. Then all thats left is to sit down with the Easter eggs for some DIY of a different kind digest it yourself, of course!
Fitting new bathrooms and kitchens are the most popular property renovation projects, a survey has shown, whilst homeowners are also adding value by knocking through rooms, converting cellars and giving their garden a makeover.
Gocompare.com’s Ben Wilson says: ÔÇ£As well as making your home a nicer place to live, a major renovation project can add to the value of your property and household contents.┬á For example, when 
With the new year now well underway, thoughts are turning to all those home improvement projects put on hold over Christmas. If, like us, you have big DIY or building plans for 2015, you might be in need of a little inspiration ÔÇô and where better to get it than from the many home shows coming up!
Ok, so itÔÇÖs not a home show exactly, but you might be surprised at the array of ideas you can glean for your home and garden here, not to mention inspiration for the outdoor lifestyle! Held during half term, this massive show is staged over several of the NECÔÇÖs huge halls and includes plenty of activities such as rock climbing, dog agility displays and discovery zones to keep the kids happy while you canvas opinion on essential outdoor style!┬áFeb 17-22, from ┬ú7 (children free),┬á
Whether youÔÇÖre planning to