If you’re hoping to buy your first home this coming year, here are ten handy tips that’ll help you to get prepared for your house hunt and to make sure the whole buying process goes smoothly…
When a home feels a little too cold in winter or a bit too warm in summer, the windows are often part of the reason. These 8 small upgrades can make a big difference without the need to stretch your budget too far…
The grand interiors of period properties always look so opulent. However, it can be expensive to renovate a historic home. Here’s how to DIY those iconic decorative elements to fill your interior with character, whether it’s an ancient house or a new build…
From birds and hedgehogs to bees and ladybugs, our gardens are teeming with wildlife that need a cosy place to shelter in the winter. Here are some practical ideas & DIY projects that’ll help welcome + protect them in the colder weather…
If you want to save money on window dressings but still want to achieve an opulent interior, here are some tips for planning and measuring your own shutters, blinds and curtains to cut the cost of installation and help you achieve a cosy look for less…
Combining pared-back simplicity with beautifully textured finishes, interior designer Peter Irvine has created an authentically Mediterranean-style home that’s full of inspiring DIYs & rustic finds. Tour The White Home here to steal his style…
When it comes to interiors, few debates are as lively as cluttercore versus minimalism. Both styles can look striking, but which actually looks better in a household where family life, pets and daily chaos are part of the package? Let’s explore…
So often you hear of home renovations and house building projects going massively over the allocated budget. Here are some handy tools to prevent this by working out your costs of materials and labour in advance…
Whether you’re a first-time buyer or are taking the next step on the property ladder, there’s something you should consider before you make that move: should you get the help of a mortgage adviser or do it yourself? Here are the pros & cons…
Would you like to experience lower stress-levels, quieter days and dark-sky nights? The perhaps moving to the country is for you. Here are some ways that living in a rural village can be beneficial to your well-being…
If your home is full of belongings but doesn’t have enough storage, it can quickly become cluttered. Here are some tips for finding extra storage in your home (that you didn’t know you had) in order to reduce the stress of excess stuff…
A well-organised interior can help you to feel calmer and lets you enjoy your home more. That’s why I’m sharing some practical tips to achieve a clean, minimalistic look with plenty of clever storage; I want you to enjoy your downtime in a comfy but clutter-free space. Here’s how…
It has been a while since I last posted an update on my home renovation so I think it’s about time that I shared the next DIY tasks on my list – which will hopefully inspire you in your own interior decor projects…
Even the most reliable appliances don’t last forever. If you’ve been wondering whether it’s time for an upgrade, here are some key signs that your kitchen appliances might need replacing in the near future…
If you want to make a splash with a new decor scheme this year or are even a bigger renovation project within your home, here are some affordable ideas that’ll help you achieve the look you want whilst sticking to your budget…
If you’re looking around your home and thinking it might be time to move – wait a moment. Perhaps there are a few updates that would make it into your dream home? Today I’m sharing my own plans for some interior upgrades that will make all the difference…
If your hallway sideboard or kitchen worktop is currently a dumping ground for bits and bobs, DIYing this useful ‘command centre’ provides the ideal spot for stowing keys, mail and pens and can help the family to stay organised. Let’s DIY..!
When it comes to ensuring the safety and integrity of our homes, gutters are often overlooked. While they may not be the most glamorous aspect of home ownership, maintaining your property’s gutters is essential – and will help you save money!
Take a tour around stylist Katie Rowe’s late-Victorian terrace and get inspiration for creating a chic interior that combines retro design, simple Scandi style and classic mid-century modern furniture.
Having your own personal space is a huge deal, especially when it comes to homes. Ensuring privacy for your family gives them peace of mind and a calm feeling of safety. Here are some simple home improvement ideas that’ll help…
Working from home has become a norm for many of us, completely transforming our daily routines. If you want to combine comfort with creativity and ensure your WFH enjoyment is set up for success, here are some tips to help…
As great as owning a home is, it also comes with a lot of responsibilities and you’ll need to look after your house if you want to keep it in a livable condition. Here are a few simple tasks that are easy to do regularly and can really help maintain your lovely home…
If you cringe every time a plumber’s van pulls up, this blog post is for you because saving money on plumbing doesn’t have to be a pipe dream. Let’s dive into practical tips, smart DIY moves, and strategies for finding the right plumber – all designed to keep more cash in your pocket…
So often, it’s the smaller DIY jobs that get overlooked in a home. It’s possible to go for weeks, months or even years without touching up that paint or filling that hole. Why not make this weekend the time you tackle those tasks once and for all? Here’s my snagging list to get you started:
When you’re searching for a new home and are putting your hard-earned savings into the property, how can you be sure it’s a good investment? Here are some ways to avoid buying a money pit…
There are all sorts of valid reasons for renovating your property, from needed extra storage space to making room for a relative to move in. Whatever the reason, you should consider the cost of any projects Vs the value they’ll add to your home…
This gorgeous apartment is just made for parties, which makes it the ideal home tour to share before new year! Be inspired by the dark decor, jungle-like environment and glowing neon lights…
Beginning the process of becoming a homeowner provides a profound sense of pride and accomplishment. However, having the keys to your dream home comes with a newfound responsibility: budgeting. Here’s how to tackle your expenses…
If you’re considering reducing your possessions and embracing a minimalist lifestyle, there are many benefits – including saving money every day. Here are 3 reasons to consider letting go of some of your belongings if you’re moving house or want to cut costs.
Even though it might appear to make sense to buy rather than rent, to move to an area where property is cheaper or to downsize to save money on your mortgage, there may be some hidden costs you should consider before buying a house – is the move worth it?
Whether you’re studying or not, take advantage of that back-to-school feeling in September by setting yourself some goals for the first semester of the new school year…
Taking care of your home is paramount, yet it’s not often easy to spot a maintenance issue. Overlooking these can lead to costly repairs and even compromise your safety, so here are 8 common home problems you should never ignore…
At this time of year, everything seems to be about ‘doing it before Christmas’. The celebration provides a handy marker to complete your goals before the end of the year. But what if moving into a new house is your goal? Here are some ways you can achieve it before Christmas…
If you’d like to create a calming home but don’t like the starkness of a minimalist interior, take inspiration from interior design consultant Katy Orme’s 1930s home to recreate her peaceful Apartment Apothecary decor.
Check out the eclectic home of Claire Armstrong of DIY blog Pillar Box Blue and take inspiration from her amazing upcycles using secondhand materials from denim jeans to maps…
Contrary to what many might think, ramping up your home security doesn’t have to break the bank. There are several affordable ways to safeguard your home that can still avert potential threats…
Welcome to the eclectic home of interiors curator Natalia Willmot, a light and airy converted barn in Yorkshire. Take inspiration from her collection of worldly antiques to create your own travel-inspired interior, packed with personality…
With soaring interest rates, unaffordable property prices and saving for a deposit often out of reach, it may feel like you’ll never get a chance to buy your own home. Here’s how shared ownership is helping first-time buyers to invest sooner rather than later…
Take a tour around Sarah Fletcher’s dinky 1.5-bedroom Victorian home and be inspired by her use of panelling, patterns and plenty of pastel paint…
If you’re a parent with school-aged children, now’s the time to consider their future choice of schools and, therefore, if you’re going to need to move into a new catchment area. Here are some tips for coinciding your move with the academic year…
What do you do when you need a new piece of furniture to fit into your scheme but can’t find the ideal colour or style? Why, DIY it, of course! Check out Karen’s vintage home & all her impressive upcycles…
This Christmas I was lucky enough to write about a beautiful period home for Reclaim magazine so I thought I would share a little about this pretty property with you over the festive season.
You may think that going without heating for as long as you can is a money-saving solution to the cost-of-living crisis. However, the impact of a cold home on your health and on the property itself means you really should heat your home whenever you can. But that doesn’t mean spending a small fortune on energy. Here are some ideas to help you cut costs AND stay warm this winter…
Houseplants are great for health, productivity and positivity. They brighten a room, release oxygen into the air, remove toxins from the atmosphere and add character to your home or office. But they do tend to cost money. Here are some ways to still grow house plants, without the hefty price tag…
How do you update a period school house without losing its character and charm? Take a tour around this 1890s home belonging to Abby of @another_old_school_house and be inspired by its cosy interior and elegant ambience.
With UK house prices rising for the 5th consecutive month, it’s clear that owning your home is a good investment. However, how do you even get on the property ladder in the first place – especially when property prices are reaching record highs? Here are some ways to start your home-buying journey…
Since my kitchen makeover is complete and all the rooms throughout our fixer-upper home have been decorated, that only leaves one area that I still need to work on – the porch and outbuilding. Here are my plans for the outdoor space…
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…
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…
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!
That first couple of days when you get the keys for your new home are the best – you’ve not yet unpacked so it’s a rare opportunity to thoroughly clean (& even decorate) your home before settling in. Here are some tasks to tackle…
When the sun’s shining and the weather warms up it’s wonderful to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season – whether that’s in your garden or from inside your home. Here are 4 ways to achieve that indoor-outdoor vibe in your own home this summer…
Take a tour of Lana Rose Interior’s fresh & airy home to get inspiration for your own Scandi-style spring interior. Nicola’s genius upcycling projects will help you stick to your decorating budget while creating peaceful rooms with plenty of character…
For many of us, our bedrooms are our sanctuaries. If you’ve ever wondered why you love your bedroom so much, here are some insights – and how to create that peaceful feeling in your own home…
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…
If you’re a big fan of house plants like me, here’s a quick and easy DIY plant nursery unit that you can make to keep all your cuttings, off-shoots and baby plants safe and cosy while they grow. You can choose a cabinet to suit the style of your home, and it looks pretty darn cool too! Here’s how to do it…
Let’s kick off the new decade with the excitement of further home renovations (yes, I’m still at it!) and embracing new technology within the home…
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…
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…
Moving to a new house can be an expensive and stressful time. If you have just bought a property, you will be tied up in actually paying for it, not to mention stamp duty and all the other fees you might have to pay. Even if you are renting, you’ll have parted with your deposit and money might be tight. It is time to save some money and the best place to do so is in the move itself. Here are some thrifty ways to move house…
Home is a place to relax however, sometimes that well-deserved rest becomes elusive & the most common hindrance is noise. Or maybe YOU are making noise & want to be a more considerate neighbour – so here’s how reduce noise the thrifty way…
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…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
