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Home & DIY

If you need inspiration for your making your house a home, but have a budget to stick to, you’ve come to the right place.

I too want to be as frugal as possible with the money I invest in my home. I’ve remodelled my own fixer-upper and have shared all the dos and don’ts along the way

Browse through my DIY posts and upcyling projects room-by-room to get advice on renovating your home, inspiration for revamping furniture, and discover thrifty ways to decorate on a budget…

RECENT POSTS

DIY

How to upcycle a cable reel into a coffee table for your garden

I’ve been DIYing in the garden again and this time I’ve made an outdoor coffee table using an old wooden cable reel that I found in a skip. Plus, I’ve created a cosy corner for drinks and chatting outside on my deck (featuring my ‘new’ coffee table, so here’s how I did it…

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…

HOME DIY

Take one neutral sofa – how to style your living room 6 different ways

Whether you’ve got a grey, beige, white (or even black) sofa those neutral hues can look a little bland, but they’re also a fantastic base upon which to create a variety of interior design themes. Here’s how you can style up one neutral sofa in six different ways to change the look of your interior for less…

DIY

6 Signs that you need to repair your windows before the autumn

Good windows are essential in keeping a home cosy, which is why it’s important to care for your windows and occasionally carry out some maintenance. But how do you know if your windows need repairing? Natural causes such as the weather can have an effect on your home, but windows are more susceptible as they are the thinnest barriers between you and the outside world. How will you know when it is time to repair your wooden windows? Below is a list of six tell-tale signs…

DIY

How to DIY rustic garden benches using upcycled scaffold boards

We’ve had a busy week of garden-based DIYing here, which all began when we got hold of some low-cost scaffold boards from the local timber yard. My mind went into overdrive about all the things I could build with the 13ft-long boards but we decided to start small with some rustic garden benches. Here’s how to make them…

Bedroom

10 Ways to tune out of your tech to get a much better night’s sleep

After going to the 24 hour festival First Light last weekend and realising just how much sleep I actually do need, I’ve being doing some research into ways to sleep better. Today’s blog post contain a few of the tech-related tips that could help you to tune out and get a great night’s sleep – here’s how…

Home buying

Thinking of selling? How to get the best possible price for your house

If you are planning to move you’ll want to get the best possible price for your current home. To stand any chance of doing that you need to make sure your property looks its best as first impressions really DO matter! Here are some hacks to help you get a great offer when you’re selling your home…

DIY

3 Possible budget-friendly solutions to rid your home of dampness

No one wants to live in a damp house. It can be very uncomfortable, especially during the winter months as it will only make your place feel colder so why not tackle it now, before it becomes a bigger problem? You might think that you’ll need to call professionals in order to get rid of dampness in your home but the good news is that there are budget-friendly ways you can solve your damp and mold problems yourself. Here’s how…

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.

Bedroom

How to redecorate and refresh your bedroom when you’re on a budget

Why is it that the vast majority of the time we neglect our bedrooms the most out of all of the rooms in the house? Sure, we are probably the only ones to actually see our bedrooms, and we’re mostly asleep when we’re in there – but that doesn’t mean they can’t become a tranquil space for some much-needed ‘me time’ – here’s how…

Garden

My thrifty garden landscaping project – Alfresco dining at long last!

Finally, some sunshine! This week we’ve been able to begin enjoying our garden at long last and sit outside with a meal or two. There’s still a lot more work to do in the garden in terms of landscaping but, for now, at least we can relax in the space we’ve created so I wanted to share some photos of the garden with you…

DIY

Cheap & easy home improvements you might not have considered before…

Making improvements to your home is never going to be cheap, and amid all the home renovation programmes and YouTube DIYs you can often feel pressured to keep up with the Joneses when it comes to sprucing up your home. However, home improvement doesn’t have to be as expensive as it’s made out to be, and today’s blog post offers a few different methods of creating some easy improvements on the cheap, without going overboard with the power tools…

DIY

How to create an outdoor kitchen/diner in your garden

I’ve been working on landscaping my garden this year and the steep slope needed to be terraced, which left me with a design that created ‘rooms’ within the garden. And since finishing the deck over the weekend, it’s got me thinking about the ways that I want to use the terrace that’s closest to the house…

DIY furniture makeovers

How to incorporate mid-century design into your contemporary home

You only have to open up the Pinterest home page to discover a multitude of ways to incorporate mid-century design into your home. It’s no longer about choosing a ’50s, ’60s or ’70s “theme” that you have to commit to, it’s about choosing sleek designs that fit into your 21st century home perfectly. Here’s how…

Garden

5 Garden DIY hacks to get your outdoor space ready for summer

Is your garden looking a little tired or uninviting? With summer almost upon us (at last) now is the time to ready your outdoor space for the months of summer fun ahead! If you look at the state of your garden and your heart starts to sink, then don’t worry; there are plenty of ways you get your outdoor space ready for all the activities, drinks with friends, family BBQs and outdoor fun that’s to come. Here I’ve gathered 5 super simple hacks that will help get you started. Enjoy!

DIY

Easy roof maintenance tasks you can do yourself (& when NOT to do it!)

The roof of a house is a perilous place so I wouldn’t even begin to suggest you take on a roofing DIY task yourself as it takes time, skill and specialist safety equipment to perform necessary repairs. That said, there’s no reason why you can’t assess the current state of the roof and spot any minor fixes that can solves problems before they become bigger jobs. At the very least, if you’re capable of assessing the damage you can call in a roofer and explain what needs fixing. Here are some roofing tips to help you get started…

DIY

My home office makeover – How to DIY a wall-to-wall desk

All good bank holiday weekends should be spent DIYing, right? The project I had earmarked for the May bank holiday has been long overdue and I can’t believe it’s finally happened! Here’s how I DIYed a wall-to-wall desk for my home office…

DIY

4 Hacks for renovating vintage Lloyd Loom woven bucket chairs

After decades of use and sun exposure in a conservatory many classic Lloyd Loom chairs are faded or damaged. While it’s still possible to buy the originals (I picked these up at a car boot sale) it’s likely that they’ll need a little care and attention to bring them back to life. Here’s some simple tricks to renovate vintage woven chairs and bring a touch of retro design onto your patio this summer…

Bedroom

How to find extra space in your home for visitors and relatives

You might think that your family home is already full to bursting point, with kids, pets and all the things that come with them. Then you get a call, and your friends are coming to stay! How will you accommodate them? And what about when a parent or grandparent can no longer live independently? Can you fit them in too? Let’s find extra space in your home that you’re not already using…

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…

DIY

Summer home maintenance tasks you shouldn’t forget this year

Spring has sprung, and summer is on its way! You’ve probably already gotten started on your spring renovation projects, but have you considered those less-than-glamorous home maintenance jobs that need to be done as well? Summer is the best time to take care of a few quick fixes and clean-ups so you don’t have to worry about them later in the summer or when the weather turns cold again. Let’s go..!

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…

Garden

5 Things that bring extra fun to your summer garden parties

When the weather starts to improve, thoughts turn to your outdoors space. But how can you bring extra fun to your garden this summer? Here are five things you can add to your garden to help you and your family enjoy being outside even more…

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