Category Archives: DIY

easter-diy

Eight Easter ideas if you love DIY!

easter-diy

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

sockets-switchesRedecorating 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!

easter-chicksNo 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!

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Bathrooms and kitchens top home renovation list

install-kitchenFitting 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.

Almost half the homeowners who have carried out a major home improvement in the last three years have installed a new bathroom, closely followed by nearly four out of 10 who have opted for a new kitchen. A third of homeowners have modernised their boiler or central heating system, whilst seven per cent have added an extra bedroom.

But with nearly half of those surveyed admitting they didnÔÇÖt inform their home insurer about the work carried out, property owners are being warned they are at risk of invalidating their cover if they donÔÇÖt update their policy details.

The home improvement research, commissioned by Gocompare.com Home Insurance, found that the top 10 renovation projects were:

  • Fitting a new bathroom, 44%
  • Fitting a new kitchen, 39%
  • Installing a new boiler or central heating system, 33%
  • Carrying out a garden makeover, 28%
  • Building an extension, 16%
  • Knocking through rooms, 11%
  • Fitting solar panels, 11%
  • Converting the attic, 10%
  • Adding a bedroom, 7%
  • Converting the cellar, 6%

The survey also found that 22% of homeowners are extending or improving with a view to staying in their property for at least three years, whilst five per cent are carrying out the work with view to selling their home within the same timeframe.

home-buildingGocompare.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 modernising a kitchen with new cabinets and worktops, many people will also buy a new cooker, fridge freezer or other appliances and furniture, increasing both the value of their propertyÔÇÖs rebuilding costs and household contents.┬á So, youÔÇÖll need to review your insurance to make sure that youÔÇÖve got adequate cover for your new investment.

ÔÇ£Also, if your renovation involves scaffolding or removing doors or windows for any length of time, your property will be less secure, so your insurer may increase your premiums to reflect the increased risk while the work is being carried out.ÔÇØ

Homeowners are also advised to brush up on home insurersÔÇÖ rules regarding unoccupied properties.┬á ÔÇ£Most policies stipulate that if you leave your home unoccupied for a period of time, typically exceeding 30 or 60 days*, then your property will not be covered for certain events including theft, malicious damage and escape of water,ÔÇØ adds Ben. ÔÇ£ThereÔÇÖs no standard definition of ÔÇÿoccupiedÔÇÖ, so, if youÔÇÖre planning to live elsewhere during refurbishment works, itÔÇÖs essential that you talk to your insurer first to make sure you understand the implications.

ÔÇ£Most home insurance policies donÔÇÖt cover tradesmen or their work, so you should always check that they have their own insurance in place.┬á ItÔÇÖs also wise to check that they are qualified to carry out the work and registered with a recognised governing body.ÔÇØ

For more information on home improvements and your insurance, read Gocompare.comÔÇÖs handy guide.

Main image courtesy of Do It Yourself Kitchens

 

diy-bathroom

Milk Tray man? We’d prefer a handyman!

diy-bathroom

Image: Heritage Bathrooms

Forget the chocolates and overpriced flowers – all women want this Valentine’s Day is a handyman to help overhaul their home!

Traditionally, February 14th is a day for loved-up couples to paint the town red but, this year, it seems we’ll settle for just the paint! Research from specialists Heritage Bathrooms reveals that, whilst a third of women would opt for champagne and traditional gifts, the majority would prefer the money to be spent on redecorating the house!

According to Heritage Bathrooms, the cost of Valentine’s Day, including gifts, dining out and travel, is expected to reach just over ┬ú200. Yet many women in the UK would prefer that money to be diverted towards home improvements, with almost half (43%) of those questioned otherwise expecting to spend, at the most, ┬ú500 on updating the d├®cor in their homes throughout the entire year.

When asked how they would┬álike to utilise a handymanÔÇÖs time, 45% of respondents said they would stretch to a bigger ┬ú1,500 budget and get as many rooms as possible in the home finished or updated. Another 35% would use the same budget but focus on a single project, such as updating an ageing bathroom.

valentines-dayHeritage Bathrooms’ marketing manager Claire Jennings┬ásays: ÔÇ£Our research suggests that, post-recession, people are looking to make lasting investments in their homes. WeÔÇÖre not surprised by the findings of our research and think that occasions like ValentineÔÇÖs Day are the perfect opportunity to request more practical gifts from our loved ones.ÔÇØ

The research also shows that, when looking to move house, almost four in 10 women would seek a property in need of redecorating in the living areas but boasting designer statements elsewhere. For a third of men, however, newly painted walls and new carpets throughout would be the clincher in making an offer.

Claire adds:┬áÔÇ£Men like to have the final say on a colour choice in the home but, when it comes to bigger projects like the bathroom or kitchen, itÔÇÖs women who lead the design choice.ÔÇØ