What would you do if you won the lottery? Even if we’re not talking about millions of pounds, we can all think of many different ways to spend it.
One of the priorities may well be to make some improvements to our home. Earlier this year, the People’s Postcode Lottery conducted a survey to find out what home improvements people would make if they won some extra money on the lottery. They found the top five home improvements to be:
But, assuming that you may not win the lottery just yet, there are still things that you can do in each of the above categories to improve your home without spending a small fortune in the process.
In this article we look at each of the above areas and suggest five easy improvements you can make.
A completely new kitchen could add up to 10% to the value of your home, but even small kitchen improvements will help not only to increase its value and functionality but improve your quality of life.
Here are five ideas to get you started:
You can maximise the amount of light in your kitchen by either painting the walls a lighter colour, installing brighter kitchen lighting, or minimising your blinds or curtains. Any of these options will enable more light to be reflected around your kitchen which will really brighten up the room.
If the insides of your kitchen cabinets are in good condition but the doors are looking shabby, you can either repaint the doors to freshen them up, or buy replacement cabinet doors for a completely new look. This is a much cheaper and quicker option than having to buy and install completely new cabinets.
Replacing kitchen worktops can really lift the mood of your kitchen. A growing trend in 2024 is for minimalist worktops in sleek materials such as quartz or white marble. You can achieve an even more streamlined look by installing a combined worktop and splashback, creating a single smooth surface around your kitchen.
If you have some spare floor space in your kitchen, you could put it to good use by installing a kitchen island. This gives your kitchen much more flexibility as you can use it either as an additional work surface, storage space, seating – or any combination of the three.
Open shelving can bring freshness and colour into your kitchen, as well as being invaluable extra storage space. As long as you curate the shelving carefully, and don’t fill it with clutter, it can add a touch of style and personality to your kitchen.
With just a little time and effort, you can make a few changes to the decor of any room and it will look a hundred times better. Even if you don’t want to go for a full redecoration, there are a few simple ways that you can make a difference. Here are five to consider:
It’s amazing how a “lick of paint” can transform the look and feel of a room. Even just changing one wall is a good start. If you’re painting all the walls, they don’t all have to be the same colour : you may want a two tone effect, or to focus on one as a feature wall. The choice is yours.
Another option is to forget the walls and instead paint elements of the room such as internal doors, door frames or window sills. You could go for an ambitious colour rather than traditional white if you want to make a dramatic statement in your room.
Wallpaper has lots of potential to transform a room. And the good news is that you don’t have to paper a whole room. One option is to paper one wall as a feature wall. And/or you might want to use wallpaper to refresh some tired items of furniture – for example creating decorative wallpaper panels for a plain sideboard or chest of drawers.
Another way to brighten up one or more walls is to create a gallery wall of artwork and photographs. Whether you decide to have a theme, tell a story, or just display a selection of random pieces that you happen to like, you can arrange them in a configuration that works for you and transforms part of your room.
If items of furniture are past their best, an alternative to replacing them is to re-cover them. For example, armchairs, stools or pouffes can be recovered using stretchy fabrics secured by a staple gun. For larger items of furniture such as sofas you could investigate getting made to measure covers. As long as the furniture itself has life still in it, it will work out cheaper than buying new.
Replacing the flooring or carpets in any area of your home can give it a real lift. But this doesn’t necessarily need to be a mammoth undertaking. Here are a few ideas on how to cut corners without sacrificing quality:
If you have a relatively small area to carpet, it is well worth visiting a showroom to see what they already have in stock. Particularly if you are flexible about styles and colours, you may be able to pick up a bargain with a roll end or remnant. Another option to consider, and if the floor itself is in reasonable condition, is a large rug instead.
If you would love a new hardwood floor, but the price is a bit too steep, consider laminate flooring instead. This can re-create the look of wood floors at a fraction of the price, and is usually easy to install and maintain.
Another option to consider is painting your existing flooring. Whether you have wood flooring or a man made product such as linoleum, it is usually possible to paint it as long as you get the correct paint for the product. Definitely worth considering and it could be a very cost-effective option.
If your existing floor tiles are in good condition, it is possible to tile over them. This saves the time and effort of removing the existing tiling and also reduces the risk of any damage to the substrate of your floor. But for this to work you do need to ensure that the existing tiles have been laid well and will provide you with a strong and level surface to tile onto.
A cheaper flooring option for areas such as the kitchen is vinyl. And there are many options to choose from, including:
A completely new bathroom could add 4-5% to the value of your home. But there are also a variety of small changes that can transform the look and feel of your bathroom. For example:
Similar to a kitchen update, by bringing as much light into your bathroom as you can, you will make it look so much better. One way to do this is to paint the walls a lighter colour, so that light is reflected around, improving the whole look and feel of the room..
It is possible to buy a new bath, basin or toilet at a good price. But what usually adds to the cost is the plumbing needed to install it. However, if you replace your basic bathroom furniture on a like for like basis, and keep everything in the same place as it is now, you should be able to use the existing plumbing. Which means a bathroom that looks brand new at a fraction of the cost.
If your basic bathroom furniture is still good quality, another option is to go for a show-stopping vanity unit. This can become the centrepiece of the bathroom and draw attention away from other elements that perhaps have seen better days. It’s possible to get vanity units that can fit around an existing washbasin, or you might want to look for something custom-made. But a relatively small investment could transform your bathroom.
Another way to quickly improve your bathroom for little investment is to change out your bathroom accessories. Relatively small but stylish items such as a mirror, wall cabinet, towel rail or blind can make a big difference to the look and feel of the room.
Above we explored various ways of replacing your flooring, and it should be relatively simple and economical to update your bathroom flooring, for example either by repainting it or laying laminate or vinyl flooring.
A well-designed and maintained garden is a joy to behold. It not only transforms the outside appearance of your home but also enables you to enjoy the warmer weather without feeling completely despondent at the state of your garden.
Ideally it would be great to pay someone to come and completely sort your garden out. But if this is not an option for you then there are a few things you can do that will quickly start making a difference:
Start by blitzing the garden of everything that doesn’t need to be there. Ideally enlist a few helpers and spend a day clearing up all garden debris, tackling those pesky weeds, and pruning back anything that is overgrown. Even just doing this will make things look better, and give you a bit of breathing space to decide your next steps.
If you have a grass lawn, give it a good trim. If it’s the first trim of the year, set your lawn mower blades to their highest setting to avoid potential damage from cutting too harshly. If the exposed lawn is a bit patchy, try adding some new grass seed to fill it out a bit. It is also worth aerating your lawn – either with an aerator or garden fork – to improve drainage of the soil under the grass.
If you have a patio or decking in your garden, give them a good clean with a pressure washer. This will make a big difference and make everything look brighter. You may also want to consider adding another patio or decking area elsewhere in the garden. The key thing is to maximise the outdoor living space for the needs of you and your family. Also add some outdoor lighting : even if you have no external power you can put up some solar or battery -powered lighting. This will add a nice vibe to your summer socialising, and help camouflage any minor imperfections.
Also make sure you give your garden furniture a good clean. You may want to consider repainting wooden garden furniture. But if you decide it’s time to replace your garden furniture, it’s worth looking around online sites such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and Freecycle to see if you can either buy a used set very cheaply or even get it for free.
Once you have cleared your garden as much as possible, it’s time to consider bringing a bit of new life. Try to make a plan of your garden as it is now, so that you know what’s already there and can avoid planting new items over existing ones. Then decide whether to go for flowering bulbs, flowers grown from seed or perhaps shrubs or small trees. Another option would be to have tubs and pots of plants to add colour but keep them separate from the rest of the garden.
We hope that this article has given you a few ideas as to how to improve your home in 2024. Most of them would be economical to implement, and do not necessitate major work. However, if you do want to invest a bit more money in your home, remember that Munzee offers home improvement loans that could help.
Check back here soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from new direct lenders Munzee Loans.
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