What is a Self Build Mortgage?

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

Everyone is pretty familiar with how a standard mortgage works, however with a self-build mortgage it is not quite so simple as you will not have built the house to borrow against. The good news is that it is still possible to get a self build mortgage. We cover the different types of self build Read on...

What is a Self Build Mortgage?

from The DIY Doctor's Blog http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/blog/2018/02/what-is-a-self-build-mortgage/

The Five Most Popular and Effective Feature Walls

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

Feature walls, sometimes referred to as an accent wall, are a great way to introduce colour and style into a room without needing a complete makeover. There are many different variations of feature walls, and each type has endless possibilities. We chose five of the most popular type of feature walls to show you just Read on...

The Five Most Popular and Effective Feature Walls

from The DIY Doctor's Blog http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/blog/2018/02/effective-feature-walls/

Creative Ways to Use a Loft Space

The loft: it’s the incredibly chic architectural element you’ve always wanted. In pictures of lofted spaces, you see how a perfectly executed design scheme can make this type of addition both beautiful and functional. 

The only problem is, you’re not quite sure how to make your own loft into a functional yet eye-catching design feature in your home. Fortunately, there are so many ways to use a lofted space, no matter how big or small. Here are some of the most creative ways others have outfitted theirs — ideas you can take into your own home:

Home Gym

Rather than stick a treadmill into the back corner of your living room or in the unused corner of your bedroom, why not dedicate an entire room in your home to sweating it out? A loft gives you just the right amount of space for all you’ll need to build a home gym. You might invest in a few pieces of equipment, or use the floor space to perform the moves shown on your favorite workout DVD.

Game Room

The idea of a bonus space that’s lifted high above the rest of your home imparts your loft with a sense of fun right off the bat. You can take advantage of that funky, entertaining vibe by turning your loft into a game room. You’ll want one gaming centerpiece, like a pool table or foosball table, to tie the space together. Then, add comfy chairs, a fridge for cold drinks and overhead lighting to make it a bonafide billiards room.

Movie Theater

In a similar vein, you can transform your loft into the entertainment area of your home, but with a twist. On one wall, hang a screen onto which you’ll project your favorite movies or sporting events. In front, a line of recliners or one big, comfy sofa will provide seating for everyone you love. Decorate the walls with movie posters or sports paraphernalia and voila: you’ve got a home theater that’s the perfect place to spend your Friday nights.

Home Office

Of course, you can make your home’s lofted space a bit more professional and turn it into a home office. Just be sure you have all the elements of a lofted office: first, you’ll need to make sure you have plenty of storage in the furniture you choose, since most lofts don’t have built-in closet or shelving. 

Some of these filing cabinets and drawers might come as part of the desk you choose for your lofted office, too. Finish it off by choosing a comfy office chair, as well as seating for those who might stop by your workspace for a meeting. A desktop lamp, wall art and office supplies will finish the place off and give you a productive place to work from home. 

Meditation Corner

A smaller loft space might be too small for full pieces of furniture, but too big to leave completely bare. As such, you can use it as the background for your favorite relaxing practice, meditation. 

Meditation imparts a wealth of health benefits with regular practice, and it’s made even more effective when done in a space that makes you feel focused and relaxed. A dedicated corner of your home would be just the ticket, and an unused lofted hallway or bonus room could be the perfect location. Plus, if you fill the space with art, plants and other serene design elements, it’ll look beautiful regardless of whether or not you’re using it to meditate.

Library

The high ceilings in your loft give you all the space you need to build enough shelves to hold your book collection. Not only that, but you can give yourself a cozy recliner or sofa on which you can read the books you pull down. The high-up, private, serene space will be a perfect in-home getaway, an oasis where you can get lost in a book.

Kids’ Playroom

When your kids were little, you watched over them while they played to make sure they were safe and happy. Now that they’re a bit older, they play on their own. The only problem is, that without a dedicated space for their favorite toys, they end up all over the house.

Your loft space could just be the answer to your organizational prayers. Turn it into a playroom and a central place for all of the toys, board games, DVDs and other kid items that tend to get lost in the fray. That way, your kids will know exactly where to find their things, and exactly where they belong after play. Plus, keeping all that in the lofted space means their toys are out of sight.

It’s Up to You

These seven ideas make the most of any loft space, but only if they’re the type of room that’d be useful to you and your family. Think about the activities you love, or think about the type of room you wish your home had built-in; these are the types of ideas that’ll spark the perfect loft use and layout. In the end, it’s up to you to decide how to make the most of your loft and, once you do, you’ll find just how well your loft works for you — both visually and functionally. 

About Author: 

Kacey Bradley is the lifestyle and travel blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she frequently writes for sites like US Travel News, Thought Catalog, Style Me Pretty, Tripping.com and more!

Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blogto keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!

from HMH http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/12/creative-ways-to-use-loft-space.html

How to Fund Your Dream Self-build Home

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

How to Fund Your Dream Self-build Home There are some major advantages to building your own home; you have complete control over what you get (within the building regulations and planning approval). The size, quality, configuration are all completely down to you! Another significant benefit is the savings that are possible if the project is Read on...

How to Fund Your Dream Self-build Home

from The DIY Doctor's Blog http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/blog/2017/12/funding-self-build-projects/

How to Style Your Home Like a Pro

Are you moving soon? Do you want to stage your home in a professional and appealing way? Do you have a lot of style ideas, but with no idea how to execute them?

It’s possible to achieve your dream space with what you have, and a few simple style tips can transform your home into the look of the season. You don’t have to be moving to make your home look like it’s been professionally staged. No matter the occasion, you can follow this guide to take your home styling game to the next level.

Style your Home; Image Credit: Pixabay

1. Add Seating to Your Bedroom.

Even if your master bedroom is small, you can still implement this idea to make your room appear much larger. A bench against the window, a chair in the corner, or a small lounge couch with a coffee table can really open up the entire bedroom. Plus, it will make it look more like a hotel room, which is attractive to guests and gives the feeling of a luxurious living!

2. Add Lights at Different Heights.

Lighting is a subtle yet extremely powerful form of decorating that can really make or break the overall look of the room. Ambient lighting can tie a room together, giving it a warm and impressive feel. The best way to achieve ambient lighting is to place lights at varying heights around the room. There’s a big difference between a floor lamp and a table lamp in terms of effect. You can also have ceiling lights, chandeliers, or hanging lights to really give the room some dimension.

3. Repaint the Walls and Ceiling!

Nothing can quickly up the value of your home as much as a new paint job. When it comes to picking colors, it can be overwhelming to find exactly the right shade for your home. Visiting your local hardware store, you may be faced with thousands of different swatch colors.

But don’t fret! You can decide on the best color for your home based on your personal style, and what you want to accomplish with the room. White is a classy and standard color, which can pair well with any skin tone and be versatile with any style. You can switch up the game and go bold with brown or black to give your room a feeling of coolness and sophistication.

4. Add Dynamic Flooring.

Having the perfect flooring to match your home can really make the entire area pop. Wood and tile can make bold statements, and are often easier to clean than carpet. However, there are some elegant carpet options to provide the right accent to your home as well. Get a flooring expert to assess the style and dimensions of your home so you can sample a few different flooring styles.

5. Keep a Variety of Things.

If you have all of the same shape, object, or color tone, your room may come across as boring. In order to keep things interesting, you should have different shapes and sizes all throughout the room. Add decorative pillows to your couch to make the colors pop. Put a rug under your coffee table for dimension and vibrancy. Put out decorations that reflect the moods of the season. There’s a lot you can get creative with!

When you want to decorate your home like a pro, think about all of the hotel rooms you’ve stayed in. What makes them special? What makes them look so elaborate, elegant, and welcoming? You can easily reflect that same sense of style in your own home with wide ceiling lights, dynamic coffee tables, a hardwood floor, or a paint color that makes people feel cool and comfortable at the same time. And remember, above all things, you should make your room interesting so that your guests will want to keep coming back for more!

from HMH http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/12/how-to-style-your-home-like-pro.html

The 4 Best Tips for How to Store Things in Your Loft or Cellar

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

Storage is one of those things we simply cannot ever have enough of! These are the only 4 things you need to know to make sure you store your belonging well. The trick is to make the most of the storage that you have, rather than what we all do is revert to trying to Read on...

The 4 Best Tips for How to Store Things in Your Loft or Cellar

from The DIY Doctor's Blog http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/blog/2017/11/tips-on-loft-storage/

Clever Storage Ideas to Help Sell Your Home

Getting on top of storage will help sell your home faster and may even earn a better price.

  A neatly organised house immediately creates the calm atmosphere and welcoming ambiance that buyers find appealing.

Create Space

Most of our possessions probably don’t see the light of day from one year’s end to the next. They lurk in cupboards and drawers, sometimes taking up so much room there is no space for the things we do use.

Those things all mean something. Selling your home shouldn’t mean you have to ditch all the precious, memory-invoking possessions you’ve gathered over the years.

A clever way of decluttering is through self storage. Rooms or lockers are affordable, and there are no long term lock-ins. If you need to create a more spacious atmosphere, but don’t want to permanently lose the things you love but don’t use, this could be your life saver.

Tackle Problem Rooms

Areas such as bathrooms and children’s bedrooms spring to mind. These rooms tend to be home to myriad small items that are hard to control.

Storage in children’s rooms is relatively easy:

·         Beds can be brilliant. Ottoman beds, cabin or captain beds, or divans with drawers can hide many a collection without taking up additional floor space. Choosing a high-rise bed will also provide a desk area, offering space for craft, homework or the TV if your child has one of their own.

·         Stackable storage cubes can be used as stools as well as bookshelves or display areas for figures or other items. Used as bookcases placed in a corner, it’s a neat way to create a ‘quiet’ nook for reading.

·         Colourful coat pegs at child height offer more than just somewhere to hang coats. Dangle baskets or laundry bags to provide homes for small soft toys.

Bathrooms can be a little more problematic, but not impossibly so:

·         A second shower curtain rod installed over the bath but close to the wall, and outfitted with a few S-hooks provides hanging space for bottle caddies or body buffs and loofahs.

·         Fit upside down brackets (the decorative ones that normally go beneath) to the ends of shelves. They look stylish and help stop loose items rolling off or, in the case of stacked towels, draping over edges.

·         Replace a full length mirror with one that doubles as a storage cabinet. Inside is yards of shelving for all your bottles and bathroom supplies.

Use the Vertical Spaces

We tend to neglect wall space above head height, but it’s prime real estate for getting creative with shelving. Layer shelves on top of each other for books or CDs and video games, instead of taking up room with floor standing units, or run a single shelf right around the room at picture rail height to show off groups of collectibles or photos.

Other vertical spaces we ignore are those around doorways, but these often narrow areas can also be turned into storage areas with bespoke shelving. An added charm is that the finished effect creates a recessed doorway look.

Find the Secret Places

All homes have them; you just have to know where to look. Two places you could probably make more use of include under the stairs and under the kitchen cabinets.

Stair cupboards can be dark and cramped, but you can hang hooks in there, run a couple of shelves, or buy a plastic drawer unit to help corral small items. Hang a battery LED light and the space becomes much more useful.

Those areas under the cabinets in kitchens are nearly always closed off with kickboards, but you can remove them and fit hinged or sliding doors instead. The storage space won’t give a lot of height, but it’s useful for long or flat items such as giant roasting trays you hardly ever use but need now and then, kids’ skateboards or bats, or even brooms and mops if there is nowhere else.

It’s all about finding spaces for awkward items so drawers and cupboards look neat and organised. When you’re showing potential buyers around your home, you can never be sure they won’t peep inside cupboards. And if you can show them a neat but homely house, they get the impression the place has plenty of storage and is comfortable to live in.

from Home My Heaven: Home Improvement Blog http://www.homemyheaven.co.uk/2017/11/clever-storage-ideas-to-help-sell-your.html