DIY Ideas to Add Value to Your Property and Attract Buyers

If you’re looking to sell your property, you’re obviously going to want to get as much money as you can from the sale. Maybe you’ve had the property valued and it’s come in at less than you expected? Or maybe you are selling house with tenants who have previously damaged it and decreased its value, and now you just want to add as much value as you can before finding a buyer?

Whatever your reasons, there are a few easy ways you can boost the value of your property without spending a fortune. Below you’ll discover some affordable DIY ideas that could increase your home’s value significantly.

Replace the carpets/flooring

You don’t have to make massive changes to boost your property’s value. According to Money wise, replacing the carpets alone can add an estimated £1,738 onto the overall value of the home. New carpets offer a fresh, clean look while also giving the home a ‘new’ smell. The majority of carpets are easy to install and they come at a reasonable cost.

Give it a fresh coat of paint

Giving the entire home a fresh paint job will make a massive difference to both its attractiveness and its value. It’s a budget-friendly idea that’s super-easy to do. To add the most value, it’s worth painting the outside too. It’s the first impressions that really count so making sure the outside of the property looks good is important to grab the buyer’s interest.

One thing to keep in mind when re-painting the home is you’ll need to choose a neutral colour. The buyer has to be able to imagine themselves making a home there. They can’t do this if the colour scheme is based upon your preferences rather than theirs. 

Focus on its curb appeal

As mentioned earlier, the condition of the outside of the property matters just as much as the inside. As well as re-painting the home, you should also look at the guttering, window frames and the garden.

Clean and repair the guttering if needed. It’s important to ensure the gutters are clean and unobstructed as if it isn’t, that could lead to issues with mould inside the property. The window frames can be glossed over to give them a nice shine, while focusing on ensuring the garden looks attractive is also going to boost its value.

In fact, the quality and condition of a garden is one of the major things buyers look for. So spend some time getting rid of any weeds, trimming the lawn and adding a few attractive landscaping details. You’ll find plenty of ideas online so there’s no need to hire a professional. 

Re-grout the tiles

If you have tiles in your bathroom or kitchen, a quick and simple DIY task that will help increase value is to re-grout them. Over time the grout can become discoloured or even worn away. If the tiles are out of date, then it would be a better idea to replace them. However, simply re-grouting them will make a lot of difference, giving them a newer look.

Invest in energy saving modifications

One thing buyers look out for these days is how energy efficient a property is. According to statistics, around 88% of buyers are looking for an energy efficient property. It’s also something that will really affect the price you’re offered. If you’re looking to sell your home quickly, investing in energy saving modifications will really help.

So what should you be focusing on? To start with the windows should be double glazed. Over time the window seal can become damaged. If you can’t afford to replace the windows, making sure the sealing is repaired will help. You can also add insulation and even install a low flow faucet installed in the kitchen sink. Any energy saving modifications you can make will help boost the property’s value.

Overall these are just some DIY ideas that can add real value to your home. If you’re willing to put a little effort into making these adjustments, you’ll be rewarded with potentially thousands of pounds added onto the property’s overall value. No matter what your budget, there’s always something you can do to attract buyers and increase the value of your home.      

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/04/diy-ideas-to-add-value-to-your-property.html

When the weather calls time on roofline

The DIY Doctor's Blog
The DIY Doctor's Blog - DIY and Home Improvement Hints, Tips, Help and Advice from The DIY Doctor

Since we started giving them names, our winter storms seem to have become more frequent and more fearsome than ever. So even if you’ve escaped the worst of it so far, it’s probably worth checking your home for signs of damage before the next one hits – particularly to roofs, eaves and any walls that Read on...

When the weather calls time on roofline

from The DIY Doctor's Blog http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/blog/2016/04/when-the-weather-calls-time-on-roofline/

Ten ways to keep warm with a broken boiler

Being without central heating and hot water is the last thing you want in the cold weather. Unfortunately, boilers have a bad habit of breaking down exactly when the temperature begins to drop. It’s no fun sitting around in a cold home, so while you wait for an engineer to come out and fix the boiler, here are the ten best ways to keep you toasty. 

Heaters

No rocket science here. If your central heating is on the blink, the easiest way to add warmth is to fire up an electric heater or two. There are a range of types of heater that are good for different things.

If you just need a quick blast of heat in a room you can use a halogen or fan heater, whereas if you’re warming a room for the whole day it’s better to use a convection heater or an electric radiator as they hold their heat for longer. However, it’s worth noting that excessive use of electric heaters can lead to an unpleasant electricity bill and there are plenty of other ways to keep warm.

Keep the heat in

When you’re without central heating you need to keep hold of any residual heat you can. Draw the curtains and use draught excluders (a rolled up towel is afine makeshift alternative) to make sure the heat stays where you need it. 

The art of layering

Retaining body heat is important and the best way to do it is through wearing more clothes. A jumpers and a woolly hat are a must, and you need to protect your extremities too. Fingers and toes get cold because blood syphons away from them to keep the vital organs warm, so pull on some gloves and wear an extra pair of socks.

Blankets

The blanket is your new best friend. It can come with you wherever you go and will keep you warm whether you’re watching TV or lying in bed.

Hot water bottle

Don’t forget a hot water bottle either. A portable mini radiator, there’s nothing more comforting in the cold. It’s an absolute must when you go to bed but can be used throughout the day as well. 

Electric blanket

Everyone loves a nice warm bedroom to drift off to sleep in – but this becomes a big problem when the boiler breaks down. This is because you’ll probably have been heating the lounge or another large room during the day and the bedroom will just be sitting in the cold. In this case it’s a great plan to invest in an electric blanket. Rather than going through the lengthy process of heating up the whole bedroom with heaters you can simply turn on the electric blanket to heat the bed.

Double up your duvets

Aficionados of the tog rating system will know that not all duvets are created equal. A good winter duvet is at least 12 tog, so you should definitely buy yourself a new one if you’ve still using your summer duvet. Better yet, buy a new one and use both for an extra layer of comfort. 

Invite people round

This might not sound like a brilliant idea with your heating out, but remember that having more people in a room will warm it up. Your family and friends will have a great time, and they never have to know they are simply pawns in your scheme to heat up your home.

Hot meals and drinks

It doesn’t matter if you’re on a healthy eating regime:chuck that salad. You need warm, hearty stuff when your home is cold.  

Get it repaired as soon as possible

Clearly the best way to warm up in the event of a broken boiler is to get it fixed as soon as possible. Working on a gas boiler without the accreditation to do so can be both dangerous and illegal, so make sure you call out a Gas Safe-registered engineer.  

You should also consider whether now is the right time to have your boiler replaced. If breakdowns are becoming a regular problem or you’ve had the boiler for a long time you’ll definitely feel the benefit of a replacement. Modern boilers are more efficient and economical, so it’ll save you money in the long term too.

Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer working together with Sussex-based specialist BSW Energy, who were consulted over the information contained in this post.

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/04/ten-ways-to-keep-warm-with-broken-boiler.html

Get Rid of that Floordrobe – Great Storage Ideas for your Home

Whether you’ve been living in your current home for a while and have accumulated a lot of ‘junk’ over the years, or you’ve just moved into a new property and are looking at getting some renovations done before you have the time to accumulate said junk, storage solutions are essential. You don’t exactly want to spend your entire time at home having to wade through all your collectables and DVDs strewn about on the ground in order to get anywhere. Good organisation of your home leads to good organisation in both your personal and professional life, so it is a good idea to start with your own belongings.

There are lots of types of storage available these days for all sorts of items, but some work better than others for certain types of object. There are pros and cons to all sorts of storage, and the point of storage is to be practical, so you need to put this to the forefront of your mind before you start opting for storage solutions based on the fact they’re stylish or attractive. So, what should you be choosing and why?

Storage Boxes and Chests

A chest of drawers is the staple storage piece. It’s versatile, it can fit into almost any space and most objects can reside in one. The only problem is that when they are overfilled, the drawers themselves can buckle and become misshapen, meaning they don’t slide in and out as easily. They can also jam when you try to open them if the items inside get stuck, which can damage the contents and quite possibly the drawers too.

Storage boxes are handy if you’re short on space and have lots of little objects to stash, but they tend to look fairly unsightly unless you opt for an attractive design which fits well with the room. The plus side is that they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours so you can store your objects in almost any space, but make sure you choose something that suits your room’s design well so that it doesn’t stand out for all the wrong reasons.

Wardrobes and Cabinets

For clothes, the ultimate storage solution is the humble wardrobe. However with today’s modern demands for clothing, having just a plain wardrobe might not be enough to hold all your clothes. Today’s furniture designers often create huge multifunctional wardrobe/cabinet hybrids. Finding a way for us to store our ever growing clothing collections without taking up too much space at the same time is nigh-on impossible. However getting a multifunctional wardrobe, with a chest of drawers integrated into the lower half may be the nearest solution we can find at the moment. 

Shelving Systems

You could opt for either a shelving system or a filing cabinet when looking at organising your DVDs or important documents. Shelving tends to look more homely and means you can organise it however you see fit, but it can leave you struggling to find things if all of your books and paperwork has been put on in a ramshackle fashion. If you plan on using a shelving system, make sure it is properly organised and easily accessible! Some people may not like using alphabetical systems but it certainly works wonders when you are trying to find that all important document when working from home. 

If needs be you should also separate your shelves by category. Keep your work documents on one shelf, your credit card information and bills on the next, books and DVDs on another and so on. If everything is just shoved together, this can look messy and awkward, and you certainly don’t want that.

Furniture with Hidden Storage

Designers have also, in recent years come up with beds, sofas, chairs – you name it – that also function as added storage. A coffee table could also hold blankets and board games whereas a sofa can easily pull out and become a bed for when guests stay over. A window seat can have shelves installed beneath the seat itself for books or magazines while you are sitting at the window. Contemporary furniture designs have a lot of potential when it comes to offering storage solutions. 

When you are looking into clearing up some of your space for new and more exciting renovation projects, we have a lot more options than ever before. With so many pieces of furniture available designed to add extra storage space in addition to serving a primary purpose as a chair or a bench, there are contemporary ways of storing your odds and sods that we might have never dreamed of twenty years ago. Alternatively you can also still go for a classical approach in a large old timey chest or huge wardrobe. It all depends on your personal taste. At the end of the day, any sort of storage solution is better than simply throwing your things on the floor!

Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer working together with Yorkshire-based garden furniture specialist Quality Ironmongery, who were consulted over the information contained in this post.

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/04/get-rid-of-that-floordrobe-great.html

Tips For Draining Your Central Heating System

Whether you want to flush clean your central heating system,remove an old radiator or add an inhibitor we have provided some interesting and useful tips to consider when draining and re filling your central heating system.

Below, AEL Heating have outlined the most common way to safely drain the water out of your central heating system and then refill it ready for use.

Draining an Open Vented (Tank Fed) Heating System

Below you will find all the information required to close the feed and expansion tank water inlet valve, drain your radiators and successfully refill the central heating system ready to be brought back into service.

·         Turn off your gas or electricity supply to the boiler and make sure the pilot light is no longer on

·         Your tank, commonly called the “feed and expansion tank”, will be in the loft. This is commonly filled in the same manner as the cistern in your toilet, using a ball valve – as water rises this lifts the ball which in turn raises the arm and when this reaches a certain level the valve will shut off so no more water can pass into the tank.

·         To stop the tank from refilling so you can complete the drain down of the system, place a piece of wood on top of the tank and tie the ball valve in the closed (up) position to keep it closed whilst draining down the heating system and the tank.

·         Find a drain valve or a suitable point at the lowest part of your heating system where you can securely attach a hosepipe to ensure water cansafely flow into a bucket or drain.

·         Open the drain valve with an adjustable wrench and start to let the water flow out of the heating system. To make this process run a bit quicker open the air bleed valves on all of the radiators in your house starting from the top to the bottom.

·         For most households the draining process should take about 20 minutes to completely drain the central heating system.

·         When you are satisfied that the central heating system is empty, you can safely flush it through with a cleaner, replace your radiator and then when all the work is completed add the inhibitor via the F & E tank when finally refilling the central heating system with water.

Refilling An Open Vented Heating System

·         Once you are sure that the work is completed, the system is flushed though and the system is now empty of water you can then remove the hose pipe and close the drain valve as well as the air bleed valves on all your radiator that you opened at the start.

·         To re fill the heating system you must go to the F&E tank in the loft and slowly untie the ball valve, remove the wood and allow the water to fill the tank back up.

·         Once the F&E tank is starting to fill, go downstairs and bleed the radiators on the lowest level of the property. Once these have been done, move upstairs and also bleed air out of all these radiators. This will ensure that the whole system is filled with water and air is removed.

·         After you have checked that the system is full and water tight, turn the power back on to the boiler.

·         It’s not uncommon to hear some knocking sounds in your central heating system as it starts to heat up again, if this is the case then just go to the lowest radiator in the system and start working your way up to the highest radiator to bleed any remaining air that may be trapped.

·         Similarly, once the water has been reheated throughout your home, you may need to bleed trapped air out of the radiators again.

·         If you find water is coming out of your radiator, chances are you’ll have simply overlooked closing an air bleed valve or not tightened it sufficiently. Give it another turn with an air vent key to shut it off.

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/04/tips-for-draining-your-central-heating.html

Do you find Woodworm Boring?

The DIY Doctor's Blog
The DIY Doctor's Blog - DIY and Home Improvement Hints, Tips, Help and Advice from The DIY Doctor

It’s Spring: A time for DIY, Gardening and … Woodworm Did you know that Woodworm activity is seasonal? The woodworm beetles really spring into action at this time of year so make sure you check your timbers and furniture for signs of activity– you can find out about the cycle of woodworm in our projects Read on...

Do you find Woodworm Boring?

from The DIY Doctor's Blog http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/blog/2016/04/do-you-find-woodworm-boring/

The Best Ways to Invest in the Future Value of Your Home

Even if you don’t want to sell your home anytime soon, it’s still positive to consider its future value. When you do come to sell it, you want to get as much money for it as possible. So, here are some good ways to invest in its value.

Go Green

When we’re talking about what will be important in the future, green homes is one certainty. We can already see that more and more people are trying to make their homes greener. So, if you can make some key changes right now, it could add value to your home that will remain for years to come. As more people start to become interested in living sustainably, homes that allow us to do that will become more sought after. But what are the best ways to make your home a little greener than it currently is? You could overhaul the heating system, put in new insulation and cover the roof in solar panels that connect to a generator.

Photo Source

Off-Road Parking

As any driver will know, off-road parking is a big deal these days. Most suburban streets are packed with cars, and that is leading to off-road parking solutions becoming more valued than ever. Nobody likes the idea of parking their car on the road where it’s at risk of being hit or scratched by other cars. So, if you want to add some value to your home, you should think about creating an off-road parking arrangement. Every driver is willing to pay more for a home if it offers them a safe and secure garage where they can park their car. Constructing a garage is a relatively big investment, but it could be worth it.

Photo Source

Convert the Loft

Converting an old loft space into something that is usable as a bedroom is a great way of improving your home and its value. It adds a whole other bedroom to your home. Sure, you lose out on a little storage space, but that’s not very important. For most people, their attic is just an empty space full of spiderwebs and a few cardboard boxes. It’s much more useful to have it created into a fully functioning bedroom. You can use it as a spare room for visitors to stay in if you don’t actually need another bedroom in the house right now. Whatever you choose to do with it, it will certainly add value to the property, so talk to experts in loft conversions for more information.

Photo Source

Create More Space

This seems like a pretty vague piece of advice, and that’s because it can mean different things for different homes. One of the best ways of creating more space in your home is to add some kind of extension to it. This can cost a lot of money, although adding a conservatory is a relatively cheap way of adding another room to the house. There are other ways of creating the impression of more room in your home though. For example, if your kitchen and dining room are separated by a wall, you could knock it down. This will create one large and spacious room as opposed to two small ones.

Photo Source

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog UK http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2016/04/the-best-ways-to-invest-in-future-value.html