Families divide over decorating disagreements!

Decorating your home is one of the most stressful tasks you can do as a family and a huge cause of arguments, according to new research!

Nearly nine of out 10 people have fallen out with relatives about redecorating and refurbishing. Money is the main reason behind arguments, whilst more than half of those quizzed have rowed about colour schemes and textiles. And another area of contention is whether or not to bring in the experts, with ÔÇô perhaps surprisingly – more men wanting to pay a professional than their wives and girlfriends!

Interiors online retailer Furniture123.co.uk surveyed 1,000 Brits on their family home improvement feuds and found that:

Finances are the biggest cause of decorating disagreements, with 69% of respondents admitting to rows about money. One in three disagree over how much to spend, whilst one in 10 canÔÇÖt agree about who pays for what
More than half (54%) of those surveyed have fallen out about colour schemes, wood finishes, textures or fabrics
The third most common squabble involves whether or not to bring in professional decorating services. One in three families disagree about it, with women proving more in favour of a spot of DIY than men. More than two thirds of women (67%) are prepared to roll up their sleeves and do the job themselves, compared to 44% of their husbands and partners

Other hotly debated topics include where to put personal possessions, trinkets and family photos, and what to use rooms for, such as a study, ÔÇÿman caveÔÇÖ or cinema room.

Furniture123 marketing manager Mark Kelly said: ÔÇ£The research has uncovered some interesting findings surrounding differences in opinion when re-decorating the home, such as the costs incurred or which colour scheme to go for.

ÔÇ£A family can be made up of many different personalities, so naturally people are going to have different tastes, but itÔÇÖs important to have a bit of everybody in the home you live in. Anyone looking to re-decorate their home should take time when making decisions, perhaps creating a mood board of ideas that all of the family has fed in to.ÔÇØ

Are your builder’s legs worth more than a million?

Taylor Swift might have insured her legs for ┬ú26m, but British builders are also putting a high price on their body parts!

The average builder sees his or her legs as crucial tools of the trade, and as such believes they are worth ┬ú1,185,000*. Engineers and lawyers have put the price of their limbs at ┬ú1.2 million whilst, interestingly, telecoms workers value their legs even more highly, at ┬ú1.9 million!

The research has been carried out by family insurance brand There^┬«, which asked 2,000 professionals in 20 different industries to put an insurance value on different body parts to highlight their impact on earning potential. From the results, a builderÔÇÖs legs would appear more valuable than those of a doctor or nurse, which were deemed to be worth ┬ú1,140,000 on average. Shop workers, meanwhile ÔÇô who are on their feet a lot – think their legs are worth ┬ú1,045,000.

Eyes were the most valued part of the body, followed by face, hands and legs.┬áEngineers topped the table with an insurance value on their eyes of ┬ú3.4m, followed by plumbers and electricians at ┬ú3.1m and telecoms workers at ┬ú2.6m. Plumbers and electricians also put one of the highest price tags on their hands, at ┬ú2.2m, with their index finger alone being worth ┬ú1,196,107 in the event of them losing their income.

There^┬«marketing managerPhilippa McLaglen said recent news of Taylor Swift insuring her legs for ┬ú26m ÔÇô or $40m – isnÔÇÖt as crazy as it seems. ÔÇ£TheyÔÇÖre part of the Taylor Swift brand and so can affect her earning power,ÔÇØ she said. ÔÇ£Similarly damage to a builderÔÇÖs leg or an engineerÔÇÖs eye could have a big impact on their earning potential.ÔÇØ

The research also highlighted a difference between self-employed and employed workers, with self-employed builders more likely to value their bodies. More than half (57%) of self-employed people think insurance against injury is a sensible precaution, whilst 64% feel more pressure to take care of their physical well-being because they are self-employed.

Your building project is unlikely to be worth ┬ú1m, but if you are sourcing a builder, here are some tips to consider:

Ask for recommendations from friends or neighbours. Do some online research and read reviews
Get at least three quotes, asking the firm to include the cost of things such as clearing up and waste disposal. The cheapest isnÔÇÖt necessarily the best value for money
Be clear about what you want, putting it in writing if necessary
Consider the start date. You might be delighted if the builder is available tomorrowÔÇª but good builders tend to be booked at least a few weeks in advance
NEVER book a builder who cold calls, and trust your instincts!

* Research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of There┬« surveying 2,000 UK workers across 20 industries, August 2015.

Hunt is on for flooring most foul!

Here at DIY Advice Online, weÔÇÖre usually keen to showcase only the most beautiful and inspirational home style. But, this time, weÔÇÖre promoting the downright ugly!

Flooring specialist Posh Flooring is on the lookout for the UKÔÇÖs ugliest carpet. The owner of the most hideous will win a fabulous ┬ú150 prize from special occasions firm Red Letter Day, as well as being able to brag that their flooring is officially the worst in the land!

Philadelphia-based cultural analyst Margaret J. King has commented: ÔÇ£There seems to be a contest between British carpets and British wallpaper. Where do these grotesquely wonderful patterns come from?ÔÇØ So why, as a nation, are we so obsessed with carpeting our homes ÔÇô and why do we opt for some truly awful patterns?

Most kitchens, hallways and bathrooms are nowadays tiled or have laminate flooring. But you donÔÇÖt have to look far to see a less than flattering carpet somewhere in the British home, which is why Posh Flooring wants to find the countryÔÇÖs worst.

Simply send a picture of your foul floor covering to @poshflooring on Twitter. If you donÔÇÖt have your own, why not name and shame one of your friends or relatives if their carpet deserves a mention? Submit your photo alongside a short background on why you think this carpet is particularly dreadful, and let Posh Flooring judge for themselves!

Posh Flooring is a Leeds-based online flooring retailer, with warehouses in Leeds, London, Southampton, Coventry and Cardiff. Luckily, their flooring is not at all hideous, so take a look at www.poshflooring.co.uk!