I am going through garden renovations at the moment. I am becoming obsessed with thinking about all the ways to make my home better. So this is why I have put together this post on ways to improve your home!
When it comes to making improvements to your home, this can sometimes be seen as a major project and something that can be time-consuming and costly.
This does not have to be the case!
Some of the following ways to improve your home are pretty simple.
They also have a massive benefit in terms of the look of your home and overall value.
5 Ways To Improve Your Home
When carrying out interior projects, some of these can be tackled on your own if you have the right level of D.I.Y or creative skills.
If this is not your skillset then there will be lots of help out there. From professionals such as joiners, painters and decorators or electricians.
Rather than tackle yourself if you do not have the confidence, it may be wiser to spend a little bit more calling in the experts. This ensures you get a high-quality output.
Our garden renovations I mentioned before; we were going to tackle it ourselves. Then we remembered that we are impatiant, underskilled and time poor…
1. Improve Your Home With An Interior Flooring Swap
Something that has changed significantly in homes in the past decade is the flooring.
The UK seems to have made a step change from conventional carpets to wooden flooring being the more preferred choice.
When purchasing a brand-new home, more people are choosing wooden flooring as their default rather than the previously preferred carpets.
This can be in all rooms including living areas, bathrooms and kitchens.
Did you know the costs of purchasing and laying floor versus carpets are generally the same?
However, flooring has far greater longevity if it is treated with respect.
When you think of the upkeep that is involved with carpets, this can be quite significant – especially if there has been a spillage.
Carpets can get stained very quickly. Especially if you have children! And they can look very worn within a year or two (depending on how it is treated).
If there is a spillage on a carpet, sometimes even the best carpet stain remover is not able to remove it which leaves a horrible mark that you will never forget about and always know it is there.
Wooden flooring, on the other hand, takes very little upkeep and if there is a spillage is easily resolved by most cleaning solvents.
Wood flooring in your local area is easy to come by, as long as you take a look at all of the reliable retailers.
This could include the lift and click options where even those with the most basic D.I.Y skills can complete the activity. Perfect!
If there is a lack of confidence around installing your wood flooring in Leicester, maybe call a joiner to support!
2. Improve Your Home Energy Efficiency With Better Windows
Generally, most new build homes come installed with at least double glazing.
This can massively help in terms of energy efficiency.
There will be no draughts that come in and out these double-glazed windows if they are fitted properly.
This then has a direct impact on the internal heating of the home. In turn that positively affects the households heating bills.
In addition to this, perhaps you live in a city or near an airport or train line? I live near the M3 – noisy motorway!
The noise can be pretty annoying and could even affect your ability to sleep at night.
The M3 affects my zen for sure!
With these sorts of windows installed, this will support keeping the noise out.
Windows can be purchased from D.I.Y stores and can be installed on your own. However, this takes a specific skill and technique!
Therefore, the majority of people will look at going to a specific double-glazing company who are experts in this trade.
It is important to shop around if going this route as it can be a little expensive!
3. Create Curb Appeal
If your home does not have a driveway then this could be something to consider.
When someone is out working hard all day and return to the home, the last thing they want to start worrying about is having to get a car space near their home.
This can also add a lot of value to your home if it is executed correctly.
There are lots of different ways to construct a driveway which can include mono-blocks, slabs or even gravel.
The project may seem simple but getting it wrong can result in a poor quality output and could have weeds coming though the driveway in no time.
As such, the preparation to this is as much of an importance to the actual laying of the materials.
This can include planning permission.
In the UK, in the majority of occasions you will require to receive planning permission for the driveway.
The main reason for this is more around the pavement that will require to be lowered so that you can access and leave it.
This is then a sign to others that they should not park in front of this.
Do not take it for granted that the planning permission will be given as the neighbours may object and then this project cannot move forward.
4. Create More Inside Space With A Garage Conversion
There are hardly any homeowners that actually use their garage to store their motor vehicle in it.
The garage is typically used to store items and junk on occasions.
As such, some people make the decision to convert the garage into some other room.
This could be a games room, study, additional bedroom or something else. If the garage is connected to the home, then this is a much easier project.
Typically, completing this will also add a lot of value to the price of your home.
Similar to the driveway though, this will require a level of planning permission so be sure to get all of that in place before you start to embark on this project.
5. Revamp Your Garden To Improve Your Home
If you are lucky enough to have a garden, then this can be a massive selling point for a home.
When people are looking online at homes, gardens are something that are becoming more and more of a priority.
A lot more people are now beginning to work at home therefore having a comfortable garden to relax in and enjoy the spring and summer months in becomes important.
There are lots of things that people do to their gardens in order to make it more comfortable which can include placing wooden decking, grass, artificial grass or even build a garden home.
The more space that you have, clearly the more that can be done.
These projects are usually better completed by people in the know and in your local area, there will no doubt be many different garden landscape companies available to do the job.
If you do not have the desire or cash to revamp the garden then maybe look to do very simple things like plant flowers to make it look nicer or hire a gardener to come round regularly to upkeep it (grass, flowers, weeds etc.)
Not everyone has the motivation to keep their garden to a high standard so having a regular gardener could be a favourable option.
Summary
These 5 projects range from simple activities to larger projects but give you an idea on what some people are doing to improve the look of their home, both the internal and the external.
Remember that whatever you do in terms of “improvement”, is likely to have a positive effect on the overall value of your property.
Last Updated on June 30, 2023 by Lucy Clarke
