Author: Peter

Making the most of a small home

Many people find themselves living in a home that may be too small for them. Often they have bought a home and then their family has grown and they no longer have the room that they need to. It could be that they are not in a position to move houses so need to make the most of the house they are in and try and manage.

If you find yourself in this sort of situation then you need to try and make each room spacious. We often hang on to a lot of items that we no longer need and these can take up valuable space in your home. Make sure that you try and have a good sort out from time to time. Get bags and fill them up of toys, clothes and teddies that are no longer played with and take them to the charity shop. Keeping your rooms minimalistic will not only help with giving you extra space but will also make the home easier to clean.

If you have the space then you may consider having an extension built. This may give you a couple of extra rooms meaning that you can stay in your home for the foreseeable future rather than having to move.  

Bring the outside inside with bifold doors

Some properties that were built before the sixties have large picture windows in the dining room or living room giving a good view of the garden but not giving access to it. The trend to make our indoor and outdoor living spaces flow into each other has caused many people to consider removing these windows and installing bifold doors instead so that in good weather they can be folded back allowing direct access to the garden or patio.

Carrying out this improvement is difficult to complete as a DIY project as it will involve removing part of the wall which will probably need specialist equipment to prop up the brickwork above. Therefore, it is advisable to employ a building company who are registered with the FENSA scheme showing that they are competent to carry out this type of installation. As is always the case when carrying out home improvements three quotes should be sought before proceeding.

The finish of the bifold doors needs to be in keeping with the rest of the property and can be either UPVC in white or wood effect, made from real wood or from one of the newer materials that are more hard wearing and are not affected by the elements.

Look after your roof and it will look after you

Although it may be the most important part of any building many people do not pay much attention to the roof of their property until it starts developing problems and begins to let rainwater in. At this stage there is already a high probability that internal damage has been done so a rapid response is needed to prevent further issues but what can be done to avoid roofing problems in the first place?

The majority of roofs will become covered in moss and removing this is essential to keeping the roof in good repair. Regular jet washing of the roof can remove most if not all of the moss but if the job is too difficult there are professional companies that can be employed to do the job.

Another extremely important issue when thinking about looking after the roof on a property is to replace any broken or missing tiles as soon as possible. Windy weather can easily loosen tiles so it is wise to check the roof to make sure no tiles have blown off or slipped out of place so that repairs can be carried out. The ridge tiles at the top of the roof are usually fixed in place with cement but this can deteriorate over time leading to movement of the tiles, so it is essential that they are regularly checked to ensure they are still in good repair and that they are not going to let rainwater into the loft of the property.

Does your property meet the energy efficiency standards?

With energy bills rising at a tremendous rate many people are eager to save money on their household bills and are spending hours searching online to get the best deal on their electricity, gas or oil costs but how energy efficient are our homes and is there anything we can do to improve this efficiency and save money?

The first thing to consider is to check whether there is adequate insulation in the property especially in the loft as heat is lost through the ceilings and walls of the house. More recently people are also looking at heat that may be lost through floors too and are installing underfloor insulation. Cavity wall insulation is worthwhile if the property is older and has not been built with wall insulation in place.

A great deal of heat is lost through ill-fitting single glazed windows and doors and so a survey on their efficiency is a good idea. Double or even triple glazing can save the property owner money and at the same time cut down on any troublesome road noise.

If the property has a gas boiler installed it is important to check whether it heats the water that you need rather than heating a huge tank of water as this is far more efficient.

Convert an unused bedroom into a much-needed dining room

Many couples who live in a bungalow with more than one bedroom make the decision to convert one of the spare bedrooms into an alternative reception room. This could be a playroom for grandchildren, an office for working from home or a dining room for entertaining friends and family. It makes sense to do this if the spare bedroom is rarely used and is quite a simple process.

The décor of the room may need to be changed if the bedroom has floral wallpaper that may make the room look dated. Plain walls are probably a better choice with a feature wall painted in a different colour or papered with a bold patterned paper. If the room is small it is best to stay away from paper with a large pattern as this can make the room look even smaller.

New curtains or vertical blinds can be used to update the look of the room as can new carpet or an alternative type of flooring such as laminate or tiles which are sometimes a better choice for a dining room where there may occasionally be spills.

Dining room furniture that is an appropriate size for the room or that is extendable when necessary completes the transformation and gives the house owner a much more usable space in their home.