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Birthdays

How to DIY a customised gift hamper for any occasion

Whether you’re heading to a wedding, looking for the ideal birthday gift or simply want to show a friend how much you care, a gift hamper is always a winner. It’s a thrifty way to treat that special someone AND it can be customised to suit their interests. Here’s how to make one yourself…

HOME DIY

How to maintain your flooring to make it last longer

Flooring is an often overlooked part of our homes but it’s also one of the things that really makes a room look tired if it’s not kept in good condition. Here are some tips to maintain your floors and save money in the long term…

Bathroom

How to build a bathroom when you’re on a budget

Five years on and my bathroom renovation is still going strong – and we revamped the room on the tightest of budgets. Here are some tips on how to save money when you’re decorating the smallest room in the house…

Events & Entertainment

How to give your interior a regal feel all year round

The Jubilee may be over but there’s no need to bin the bunting just yet. In fact, royal-themed homewares are having a moment in the world of interiors right now. Here’s how to make regal style work for you all year round…

Home tours

Mid-century urban jungle home tour with before + after photos

Take a tour of Elle Collins’ mid-century style home, which became an indoor jungle after her houseplant collection thrived in the airy vaulted space. Here are before & after photos of her interior revamp plus lots of pics of her gorgeous cat Mia…

Kitsch Kitchen

My thrifty kitchen makeover – how to save money on flooring

After years of talking about it, months of planning and weeks of installation, my newly remodelled kitchen is complete! Of course, I tried to save money at every stage of the renovation process so here’s how I got the floor of my dreams for a fraction of the cost…

Bathroom

4 Design tricks to make a small bathroom feel bigger

Even though I’ve got a very small bathroom compared to many other homes, we’ve managed to make it a bit feel more spacious with some easy design tricks that give the impression of a bigger room – here’s how…

Happiness

New year goals: How to declutter and organise your home this year

Today is the 4th article in my series of blog posts to help you achieve your New Year’s goals and it’s all about clearing your home of clutter and getting better organised this year (one of my personal goals!) Here are my top tips for creating a tidy and peaceful home this year…

Home buying

How to decorate your first home on a very tight budget

Buying your very first house is a joyful time but the truth is that it’s never cheap and often there’s not much money left for the interior. That was certainly the case for me when I bought my fixer-upper home!

DIY

5 Reasons to DIY budget-friendly window shutters

If, like me, you’re renovating your kitchen, my recent research might help you to decide which window treatments to choose and how to save money by going for the DIY option of wooden shutters…

Seasons

15 Ways to prepare for a long hot August

With heat waves predicted and a sunny summer ahead of us, heat can make life difficult if we’re not prepared for it. Here are some ways to get your home, your pets and yourselves ready for a long hot August…

DIY

Home renovation tips – How to plan your next big DIY project

Although I’m a keen DIYer, home renovations are not the same as home repairs, so it’s certainly something that needs a little more planning than simply getting out your toolbox! Here’s a guide to organising your next DIY project, step-by-step…

Home buying

8 Renting & budgeting tips for first-time tenants

When you’re searching for an affordable rental there’s much more to consider than just the monthly cost of rent. Here are 8 things you should factor into your budget when you’re moving into a rental property for the first time…

Money Saving Tips

6 Messy habits that save me time and money

In today’s post, I’m admitting to some rather messy habits I have but I want to share them for good reason – I think they actually save me both time and money every day. Do you do any of these hacks or have any similar time-saving tips? Let me know!

DIY

4 Trending home improvement projects you can start working on now

As a homeowner, you may be looking to do some improvements while you’re spending more time at home but lack the cash to dedicate to materials. The cost of a home renovation in 2020 averages at around £55 or $60 per square foot, according to findings by HomeAdvisor. Luckily, there are some trending home improvements that cost very little. Just like designing a low-cost garden, all you need is some spit, grit, and a little imagination..!

HOME DIY

How to keep your home super-clean + the health benefits

With a many of us staying at home and all the hygiene advice we’re hearing, I thought it would be prudent to write about household cleaning today. The good news is that there are so many things you can do to keep your family and yourself healthy simply by doing a few jobs around the house – so why not get everyone in the household cleaning together?! Here are a few things you can do, and the unexpected health benefits from doing these tasks…

HOME DIY

4 Frugal reasons why hiring an interior designer can save you money

Considering some of the mistakes I’ve made when renovating my own home, I can now see how appealing it would be to get some professional advice before I started! Whether you are looking to re-do one room or the entire house, there are times when hiring an interior designer makes sense…

HOME DIY

6 Ways to automate your household chores & adulting tasks

There just aren’t enough hours in the day, are there? You’ve got work, cleaning, family, cooking, household chores and bills to pay so there’s never any time left over for you. That can’t be right, can it?! There must be a way to minimise the chores you have to do and free up some time for yourself. I’ve come up with some interesting solutions to get the time you spend ‘adulting’ back, so that you can use it for the more enjoyable moments in life…

DIY

3 Things you can do right now to prevent dampness and mould in your home

Does your home smell a little foisty? Do you have condensation on your windows? Is there a little patch of mould in the corner of your room? At this time of year it’s easy for sealed, heated homes to become breeding grounds for mould but don’t worry, it’s a problem that you can solve yourself – here’s how…

HOME DIY

Budget & DIY flooring suggestions to suit your lifestyle

If you’re anything like me, you’ll quite enjoy planning your home renovations and browsing finishes for your decor. Whenever I get a spare moment – like during the Christmas holidays – I’m on Pinterest and flicking through interiors magazines to get inspiration. However, sometimes there comes a point where budget is an issue. Sure, we would all love to spend without having to think about it, however I’d rather spend less if I can and have move money to actually pay off the mortgage! That said, having a budget doesn’t have to put a stop to your plans, it just means looking around and see what options are on offer to you…

DIY

3 Things to consider now if you’re planning building work

I’ve been looking ahead to 2020 and making plans for our life and home. With plenty more renovation work on the horizon, I need to think ahead to make sure everything gets done! So, if like me you’re thinking of doing some work on your home in the New Year here are some thing you should consider before you get started…

HOME DIY

Planning the right furniture layout for my living room (it’s taken years!)

Have you ever had a room where you just don’t know how to lay out the furniture? One with an unusual L-shape, or alcoves, or windows on two or more walls? In most rooms you can just ‘feel’ where the furniture should go and, in many modern homes, you can see exactly where the bed should go, because there are two plug sockets either side where your bedside lamps would plug in! But what if your room isn’t quote so ease to configure? Here’s what I learnt when tackling my own 1950s home…

DIY

Easy DIY tasks you can do in a weekend to boost the value of your property

When it comes to home improvements, you’ll probably want to prioritise projects that will add more value to your home—especially if you are planning to sell your property and move on in the future. Today I’m sharing some ideas for getting your home ship-shape so that you can enjoy living in it AND boost it’s resale value…

DIY

Guest post: 5 Cost-efficient ways to make your home more secure

How much do you know about home break-ins? If you believe the cartoons, you may think that burglaries only happen at night, with a criminal sneaking around in a black mask with a swag bag! In reality, the majority of break ins happen in broad daylight. They even are committed by burglars who live nearby. Plus, despite our misconception that these crimes are well thought-out and highly planned, most homes are burgled in less than 10 minutes. That means it’s more essential than ever that you take your home security seriously with these 5 low cost (and free!) security tips.

Bathroom

How to turn a pallet into a driftwood-style bathroom storage hamper

I’ve been working on another pallet upcycling project and this month I’ve been creating much-needed storage for my bathroom. Pallet wood is my favourite material to make furniture from – it’s sturdy, looks much better with just a little TLC and, best of all, it’s free! Here’s how I DIYed a bathroom laundry hamper and sink caddy from a pallet…

Home buying

How to sell your home the thrifty way (without an estate agent)

If you’re thinking of moving house but the costs of selling via an estate agent are putting you off, why not consider selling your home yourself? Did you know that it’s possible to do all the photography, listings, viewings and negotiating yourself and not have to pay a penny to an estate agent? Today’s blog post will walk you through the process…

DIY

4 Essential home improvement tools you need (but can buy cheaply!)

If you’ve got a fixer upper home like me, you’ll inevitably have to invest in some tools to complete your DIY tasks. But it doesn’t have to be expensive to stock up on the tools you need. Plus, if you get the equipment to do most home improvement tasks yourself, it means that you won’t be spending too much on labour costs of getting a pro in.

DIY

How to install new window blinds yourself in 5 easy steps

If you are looking for new ways to spruce up your interior without breaking the bank, changing the window treatments is a quick fix. At first glance blinds may seem complicated to fit, but you don’t need the help of a professional. With the right tools, it’s easy to install window blinds yourself. Here’s how…

HOME DIY

6 Tips to keep your home secure when you go away on holiday

If you’re planning a holiday in the near future, today’s blog post is full of ideas for securing your home while you’re away. It can be a real headache if you’re worrying about your home and tech when you’re travelling, so here are 6 simple ways you can alleviate that stress and enjoy your break…

DIY

5 Ways to reduce heating costs during those ‘in-between’ months

Winter may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean you’re ready to fling open all the windows yet! There may still be a few more weeks of cold days (and even colder nights) to come. But heating your home during the bitter chilly winter months shouldn’t cost your entire monthly budget and there are lots of ways you can save money on your home heating. Here are five tips to help you to maintain your radiators AND save money on heating costs while keeping your house warm and cosy…

Bathroom

6 Handy DIY tips to help you diagnose & fix a leaking shower yourself

A leaking shower is something no-one wants in their bathroom. It can be quite an inconvenience when the shower doesn’t function as it should, so what can you do to repair the shower? How can you identify which part of the shower is causing the leak? Can you do some minimal repairs before calling a plumber?

Bathroom

14 Days To A Tidy Home – how I got on with this fun cleaning challenge

How do you fancy joining in with the 14 Days To A Tidy Home Challenge? I thought I’d share a quick update with you to let you know how I got on with the challenge and perhaps inspire you to join in and get a jump start on your spring cleaning too. Here’s the 14 Days to a Tidy Home Challenge day-by-day to get you started:

Home buying

4 Ways to boost the value of your home before renegotiating your mortgage

As a homeowner, there will inevitably be times when you need to renegotiate your mortgage. It could be that you want to get a more favourable interest rate after a fixed term, or to access to cash by re-mortgaging your home. Of course, part of this process is a home valuation survey, which means that your home needs to be in tip-top condition, so here are 4 ways that you can get your home ready and hopefully boost it’s value…

DIY

Three things that’ll get you motivated to revamp your home this year

Ready to spruce up your home this year? Great! Whether you’re completely revamping a recently purchased property, preparing your home for a sale later in the year or adding a dash of contemporary character to a specific room – here are a few tips to get you started on your decorating journey in 2019…

Home buying

What are the best types of UK rental properties to invest in?

Investing in property for buy to let purposes can be an incredibly worthwhile and lucrative venture. The UK is one of the best places in the world for property investment, with the buy to let market in a number of cities such as Liverpool and Manchester offering impressive rental yields and increasing demand. If you’re keen to explore the UK property market even further and are considering making your own investment, take a look at this guide I’ve created with the help of RW Invest to discover some of the best type of properties to go for…

HOME DIY

Beginners guide to buying-to-let – what you need to know before you invest

For many people who want to invest in property, a buy to let mortgage is a good option, allowing them to borrow the money they need for their property investment. I’ve been looking into the idea of buying to let in the future as a ‘pension plan’ for myself and my husband. There are a number of differences between buy to let mortgages and normal residential mortgages so I thought I’d share my research with you today and help you get to grips with these differences…

DIY

5 Ways to make your rental property warmer & more efficient

Now that the cold winter months have arrived it’s time to make sure our homes are warm and cosy. Landlords now have to make sure their properties are more energy efficient – good news for us renters as it could save us valuable pounds! Here are a few DIY jobs you could do to make your rental home a little toastier…

Home buying

Moving to a new house? 5 Things to inspect before you move in

Buying a new home is a really exciting time even if it often feels like it takes forever between finding the house and completing on the purchase. But just because the mortgage company has completed a survey, it doesn’t mean that the house is ready for you. There are several other things you should have inspected before you move in…

Home buying

Fun, garish & boring – What the UK REALLY thought of 2018’s interior trends

Have you redecorated your home this year? Did you splash out on a few new accessories? If (like me) you’ve been Pinning 2018 interiors trends like mad, you may well have incorporated a few elements into your home. But what did the great British public REALLY think of the hottest new trends in 2018? I’ll tell you…

Bedroom

9 Low-cost ways to create a cosy bedroom & a happy home 

Home décor is an essential part of happy living. But it doesn’t need to cost a fortune to look good and can actually make you feel happy to come back home in the evening. Here a few of things you can easily use to decorate your bedroom with the least effort and money…

Cruelty-free Life

5 Easy (money-saving!) ideas to make your home and life more sustainable

Everyone wants to do their little bit to help the environment and there are so many effective, yet simple changes that could be done around the house that could help the world become more sustainable. Here are just 5 great ideas that you could do on a day-to-day basis that will really contribute to a better planet. Oh, and some of them will even save you some money too..!

Home buying

3 Ways to improve your credit score before buying a house

The property market is starting to be driven by first-time buyers, bucking historical trends. With that in mind, here are 3 simple ways that you can boost your credit score while you’re saving for that deposit, so you’ll be ready to apply for a mortgage when you find your first home…

Bedroom

New interiors trend – How to make a statement with your ceilings

What do your ceilings look like? My guess is that they’re painted white, possibly textured and definitely without wallpaper, right? Well the latest interiors trend that I’ve spotted all over Pinterest is decorated ceilings. This under-utilised space above your head can now be adorned with images, patterns and effects. So, read on to find out some ways to incorporate this trend into your own home…

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