Diy Renovation
Overcrowding 'leads to unsafe renovation'Desperate British families are adding makeshift modifications to their homes to try and incorporate more family members and/or a home office. A report by LV= found that one in eight (13%) of UK children now live in overcrowded homes. |
Extensions are proving money well spentNew research from Nationwide Building Society has revealed that building an extension or loft conversion, to add an extra bedroom, can add nearly a quarter to the value of the house or up to £40,000 when turning a three bed into a four bed house. |
Opt for 'neutral' when it comes to kitchensThe kitchen is often described as the ’heart of the house’ but homeowners considering a renovation are being urged to opt for ‘neutral’ by a leading estate agent, who also recommend customers choose the ‘very best kitchen products'. |
Consider an alarm to keep out 10 minute thievesDid you know experienced thieves can break into your house and steal your valuable in just 10 minutes? New research by Friedland is based on interviews with 50 ex-burglars commissioned to mark UK Home Security Week 2011, supported by Crimestoppers. |
39% of men don't know how to paint a houseAs many as 39 per cent of British men say they don’t know how to paint a house or strip wallpaper according to the shocking results of a survey by RatedPeople.com with nearly half blaming their lack of knowledge on having never been shown. |
Choosing the most energy efficient doorsIf you are planning a DIY or home renovation project you probably want to make the property as energy efficient as possible, especially given the rising cost of fuel. While installing insulation is straight forward enough, what about keeping the heat in? |
Assembling a wardrobe - things you should think aboutFlat-pack furniture is often much cheaper than its preassembled counterparts - particularly with large items such as wardrobes - so with family budgets stretched, an increasing number of people are choosing to test their DIY skills and put furniture together themselves. |
Roof repairs ‘may not be covered under insurance’Homeowners should make sure their buildings insurance includes roof repairs after a Government survey revealed that one in five roofs requires maintenance, roofing specialist myredlandroof is warning. |
DIY Brits would love to call on DIY SOS' Mark KnowlesA new poll has revealed DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles is the top celebrity UK households would most like to help decorate their home. While the survey, conducted by FrogTape, found Radio 1 DK Chris Moyles is bottom of the pile followed closely by Lady GaGa and Take That’s Gary Barlow. |
Homeowners advised to take stock this summerRelaxing in your fine English garden with a glass of something cool, take a moment to examine what is going on in your garden. A leading property maintenance and refurbishment company, aspect.co.uk, is advising homeowners to take stock of what is going on in your garden and tackle problems now before they become a major hassle. |
Kitchen is at the heart of family life, study revealsThe average British family kitchen is host to a staggering 384 arguments, 192 heart to hearts, 26,280 meals and seven romps, a new study has revealed. The research shows the typical family lives in a house for eight years, during which their kitchen sees all the extremes of family, from intimacy to blazing rows. |
Rogue sparks can result in a shock for consumers, warns ECAUK consumers are being urged to beware of the dangers of hiring 'cowboy' electricians. The Electrical Contractors’ Association recommends taking the time to choose a qualified and trustworthy professional to carry out any work. |
Get help to go green with new eco-heater schemeDoes your family want to go green? DECC is offering grants towards the cost of installing renewable energy heaters, with up to £1,250 in government payments available. Applications open August 1 for fund to support up to 25,000 green installations. |
OFT warn households of rogue tradersHouseholds are urged to be aware of rogue traders as new figures released today by the Office of Fair Trading reveal that the summer months see an increase in doorstep dodgy traders. New figures from the OFT show that home improvements continue to top the list of complaints about doorstep rogue traders. |
Homeowners 'investing more in their property'With 21 per cent of all personal loans being used solely for home improvements, up from 14 per cent in 2007, Britain’s homeowners are increasingly investing in their property, according to latest analysis. |
‘Sunny prospects’ for Brits self funding solar installationsHomeowners who pay for the installation of their own solar panels could see a good return on their investment by benefiting from the Government’s Feed-In Tariff, according to The Low Carbon Energy Company. |
Gardens 'add another dimension' to your homeThe British love affair with gardens is going strong, a new suggests. Green fingered consumers typically spend around £297 on the upkeep of their green space, including £73 on plants and flowers, £71 on landscaping and £82 on furniture. |
One in seven Brits hires domestic helpHiring domestic help seems to have survived the economic downturn for much of the UK - as six million Britons say they have cleaners, gardeners, handymen and other helpers, research from Churchill Home Insurance shows. |
House proud Brits love showing off improvementsHouse proud Brits love nothing more than to show off their home improvements, new research has revealed. Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks found one in ten homeowners admit to hosting posh dinner parties just to unveil their latest DIY triumphs. |
Range of recycled cardboard furniture and toys launchedLittle Helper and Krooom of Israel have joined forces to produce a range of eco-friendly children’s toys and furniture. The whole range will be made from water resistant recycled cardboard, strong enough to take the weight of a fully grown adult. |
Spending on DIY falls to 12 year lowThe amount spent by UK households on DIY has fallen to its lowest level since 1998, figures from Lloyds TSB reveal. The bank said the financial squeeze has curbed spending on discretionary items like home maintenance. |
Take the sneezing and spluttering out of decoratingIf painting and decorating can trigger allergies and asthma then a new range of paint could help solve your renovation problems. The new Pots of Paint range, which includes 50 different colours are all made entirely from natural ingredients. |
Homeowners prefer painting to packing in current climateMore than three quarters of people would choose to stay in their present home and renovate, rather than relocate, according to the latest Safestore index. The storage group said homeowners are thinking strategically about the housing market. |
Brits enjoying a spot of DIYIt seems that Britons have gone through the spring cleaning phase and have now moved onto summer renovations with Twenga.com reporting a huge rise in searches for home decoration and furniture and temporary decorating solutions are the growing trend. |
Give your house a holiday during the summer getawayWith summer holidays fast approaching, the focus is firmly on shopping and packing - but it's worth taking some basic steps to help keep your home trouble-free and energy efficient while you're away, according to maintenance firm Aspect.co.uk. |
House Price Index
- House price recovery says Nationwide
- London Olympics forecast to stagnate house prices
- House prices for June show improvement
- House prices show improvement as market stabilises
- It’s a seller’s market in some parts of the country
- New build property prices ‘up 7.7% in 12 months’
- House prices ‘down 0.5% in 2011’
- Property prices ‘resilient in 2011’
- Property sales to rise, but house prices to fall in 2012
- Buyer demand and sales ‘lift in November’
Energy Bill
- Investigation into consumer understanding of energy bills
- EDF Energy to cuts gas costs by 5%
- Energy saving tips from ConserveEnergy
- UK fuel poverty hotspots revealed
- Ofgem outlines Smart Meter protection plan
- E.ON energy price rise to kick in tomorrow
- Northerners paying more for home energy
- Families blame each other for energy wastage
- A quarter of UK boilers 'at risk of breaking'
- UK homes braced for biggest ever energy bills
