5 Essential Home Improvement Tips

Whether you’re looking to improve your home in a bid to add value, or you just want to make it nicer for you and your family, we’ve come up with the 5 essential home improvements you should be making.

Written on 01 November 2015

1. Let in More Natural Light

Perhaps the biggest change you can make to enhance the overall look and feel of any room is by bringing more daylight into it and you don't have to knock down a load of walls to do so.

Increasing the level of natural sunlight in the home can transform the look and feel of any space, making it brighter and healthier whilst decreasing the dependence on artificial lighting and therefore lowering household bills.

One of the growing trends to achieving this is with sun tunnels. Installed into a flat or pitched

 

roof with a tube which runs down through the loft to filter daylight into any room of choice, sun tunnels can make a substantial difference.

 

Find out more about how sun tunnels work and how many you might need for a specific room area here.

If you already have VELUX roof windows in an extension or up in the loft but feel they are not giving off enough light or no longer work with your modern interiors, old VELUX windows can be upgraded

 

quite easily and mess free. Newer VELUX windows are manufactured with less frame

 

and a bigger more daylight area in a contemporary white painted or

 

low maintenance polyurethane interior finish. Find out how easy making the switch can be here.

For bigger renovation projects, see our Guide to Planning Your Home Improvement Project.

2. Paint

Repainting may feel like a very standard home improvement

 

but it can really change the whole look and feel of a home. Plus, it’s a very affordable way to give your house a whole new lease of life.

If you’re planning on repainting then preparation is key. Stock up on dust sheets to keep your floor and furniture protected, and make sure that you buy enough paint for the whole job - particularly if you’re having a colour that has been mixed just for you. Take time to clean the walls properly and apply a primer coat, which helps the paint to adhere to the walls smoothly and evenly.

Be brave when it comes to colour, as it’s a great way to create a specific atmosphere within a room. If you have large rooms with high ceilings then you can add depth to the space with dark, warm tones, while smaller rooms benefit from light, bright colours to open up the space.

It’s easy to become so focused on making the inside of your home beautiful that you neglect the outside, but giving the outside of your house a fresh coat of paint could be all it takes to give your whole home a facelift.

From giving the outside of the home a fresh coat of paint to repainting the front door and keeping the lawn freshly mown, small changes can take your house to a whole new level.

Aside from these more fundamental changes, it can also be a great idea invest in some decorative touches for the outside of your home. These could include hanging baskets or flower pots, or even planting decorative flower beds if you have a front garden.

3. Invest in a Boiler

It has become more and more apparent in the increasingly colder

 

winter months

 

that a boiler is one of the most important items within a home.

This is why boiler maintenance, or even boiler replacement, is one of the most fundamental home improvements you can undertake. It’s important to understand that boiler replacements are pricey, with uSwitch saying that new boiler prices can range from £500 all the way up to £2,500.

However, these high initial costs are often compensated substantially by the savings that arise thanks to the improvements in energy efficiency.

It is estimated that around half of what you spend on energy each year is down to your boiler, so it's a worthy investment if you decide to upgrade. It's also worth considering the long-term gains of installing a new energy efficient boiler, as it could also add to the value of your home.

4. Double Glazing

It’s widely accepted by both DIY-lovers and property professionals that having double glazing can

 

seriously boost the appeal of a home. Estate agents suggest that double-glazed windows can add value to a house, as well as generally making it more sellable. Our replacement

 

double glazed PVCu casement windows

 

not only look great, they add a level of security to your home and help keep it warmer in the winter.

You can now create your own double glazed units using our easy to use online uPVC window configurator. Experiment with different colours and designs.

If you want to go one step further when it comes to improving your home then you could even invest in triple glazing. Triple glazed windows, which work particularly well if you have a converted loft room, can offer much better thermal insulation than the more traditional double glazing.

As well as keeping the room warmer in the colder months, triple glazing can also help to reduce the amount of heat entering the space during summer, meaning that it is always a comfortable temperature. Check out our excellent

 

range of triple glazed roof windows

 

for some inspiration.

5. Get Gardening

As with painting the exterior of the home, it’s easy to forget about the garden when it comes to making home improvements. If you’re lucky enough to have some outdoor space then its good to make the most of it, giving you somewhere to spend time outside as well as adding value for potential buyers if you’re looking to sell.

Some ways to change up your garden include creating a decked area, or if you already have one you could give it an update with some new garden furniture or some gorgeous potted plants.

If you want to invest in a bigger way then a conservatory is a great way to bring the outdoors in, giving you a way to enjoy your garden even in the cooler months.

‘Improve don’t move’ has become a mantra for people up and down the country, and these handy home improvement tips provide a great place to start.