How to Fully Restore a Sagging Sofa

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Laura F

Sometimes, you come across a piece of furniture that you really fall in love with. You end up with a piece that you simply love so much that you couldn’t possibly even imagine your living room without it, never mind having to get an adequate replacement.

Sadly, time will always degrade things in the end – entropy will always win. However, this does not mean that you should just give up; we can always fight back, even if just for a short while. So that’s exactly what we’re going to do!

Sure, our introduction was maybe a little overblown, but this is serious stuff we’re talking about here. If your most prized and beloved sofa is beginning to look its age and it’s starting to sag, there is something you can do. Read on to find out how to stage your daring rescue.

Step #1 – Wash and Dry

This is a nice and easy step, which makes it the perfect place to start off with. All you need to do is to take off the covers from all the cushions on your sofa, then pop those covers into the washing machine. Make sure you follow the washing instructions, otherwise you might be in for a nasty surprise.

If your sofa is upholstered in fabric coverings, take these off as well – if that’s possible, of course. These also need a good wash and a proper drying off.

Step #2 – Fill It Up

The next step is pretty simple as well – lucky for us! All you need to do is to get hold of some Poly-Fil (or non-brand alternative) and start filling up the spaces in those saggy old cushions.

It really is that easy! Simply open up the zips or buttons on the cushion covers and get stuffing, adding more and more until you have some nice, plump cushions once more. As soon as you think they’re about as good as new, you can give it a rest and zip ‘em back up again.

The same sort of principles apply to the seat cushions, as well. Open them up a bit and use some Poly-Fil. This time, however, we would recommend using the Quilt type: the variety of Poly-Fil that you put on in layers, rather than stuff. This will give you a much more suitable seat cushion type of feeling when you’re sitting down. You don’t want it feeling like pillows or duvets, after all.

Step #3 – Sit Down and Enjoy

No really, that is actually all there is to it. We told you it was simple, didn’t we?

Well, if you really need us to break it down: zip up all your various cushions, pop them back into place, plump up the throw cushions with a couple of bashes, then sink into your gloriously un-saggy sofa. Wonderful!

Finding the Best Tradesmen for Home Improvements and Repairs

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Alex Pierce

If you’re looking to schedule some routine maintenance for your house, carry out a repair or arrange a home improvement project, then you’re going to require the services of a skilled tradesman. But with so many niches and areas of specialisation out there, finding the most qualified practitioner for your situation isn’t always so easy.

In this post, we’re going to take a look at a few of the most common types of tradespeople in operation. We’ll offer a bit of insight into how you can go about selecting the best professional for a given trade:

Electricians

When it comes to hiring an electrician, there are many different variables that need to be considered. To begin with, you want to hire a person who has the proper credentials. Verifying this means that you need to have at least a cursory understanding of local requirements in your area (e.g. in England and Wales, this would mean compliance with Part B building regulations). But you’ll also need a means of verifying a particular electrician’s certification claims. Registration with local trade bodies, accreditation and insurance should also be taken into account.

Interior designers

Hiring an interior designer is a major commitment, and it’s wise to spend plenty of time looking into your options before you commit to a particular service. First of all, you’ll only want to consider designers who have plenty of professional experience as well as certification through relevant local councils or qualification bodies. It’s also important that the interior designer you select has experience working with the type of property or design scheme that is of interest to you. Every designer has their own speciality, so it’s worth shopping around to find one whose talents are well-aligned with your needs.

Plumbers

Unless you’re currently in the process of building or renovating a house, then the likeliest time you’re going to find yourself in need of a plumbing service is when an emergency strikes. With that in mind, you’ll probably need a plumber that offers 24-hour service. You’ll also want to make sure that all of the right certifications and memberships are in place. For example, if you’re looking for Birmingham plumbers, then you’ll probably fare best with a service that belongs to the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors Limited (APHC). And there are several other certifying bodies that can vouch for a plumber’s ability to work on a particular system or under certain circumstances.

Landscapers

A competent and qualified landscape contractor can help you transform your property through the use of specialised tools and expertise. But finding the right provider isn’t always that easy. To begin with, a run of the mill garden maintenance team may have the requisite skills to keep your garden looking beautiful, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re actually capable of providing landscaping services. For that reason, it’s important to note that there are three overarching aspects to landscaping – hardscaping, softscaping and maintenance. It’s rare for one landscaper to excel at all three. Knowing what specialisation you require will go a long way toward helping you choose the right landscaper.

Heating and Cooling Specialists

When it comes to hiring an HVAC specialist, you’ll want to start by doing some research. Educate yourself about the local licensing requirements, and then read up on your specific heating and cooling system. Specifically, make sure that you know its model and maintenance history. As far as finding the right specialist is concerned, don’t be afraid to ask for referrals or to look for reviews in an online directory. And at the risk of sounding repetitive, don’t settle for an underqualified service. Credentials and qualifications exist for a reason.

Builder

Proper licensure is important for any tradesman, but the stakes are particularly high when you are working with the built environment. It’s absolutely critical that the person constructing or working on your house or place of business has all the proper licenses and qualifications. Failing to ensure this could have disastrous consequences. You’ll also want to make sure that they have home indemnity insurance, which protects you in the case that something happens to them (anything form insolvency to death) which prevents them from finishing the job. As far as looking for referrals is concerned, it’s wise to follow up with past customers and to look, in particular, for unresolved disputes related to past projects. These should be taken as red flags.

Carpenter

Carpentry is a truly ancient trade, and today’s tradespeople continue to branch out and specialise. That’s why it’s important to know specifically what type of carpenter you require (e.g. rough carpenters, finish carpenters and repair carpenters). When you know a bit about each specialisation, it becomes easier to narrow down the search. You’ll also want to check and confirm that your carpenter is appropriately qualified, licensed and insured. Finally, availability is often an issue when hiring a carpenter. This is an in-demand trade, and finding a qualified professional with time to work on your project can be challenging.

Roofer

Roofers are another of those tradespeople that you’re most likely to need when an emergency strikes. This makes it all the more important that you have a reliable service to call upon. If a storm strikes and your roof is suddenly in need of emergency repairs, it’s going to be difficult to spend much time shopping around for a qualified roofer with all the appropriate credentials, licenses and insurance. That’s why it’s a good idea to make note of these professionals ahead of time. When it comes to roofing jobs, references and word-of-mouth referrals go a long way.

Whether you’re in the market for plumbers or interior designers, you can be sure that finding the most qualified professionals is going to require a bit of research on your behalf. But by educating yourself about the job at hand, you’re much more likely to find the right tradesperson for the job.

Quick Fixes for Small Problems around the Home

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Alex Pierce

We’ve all been there – there are a couple of smaller problems around the home that shouldn’t really take all that long to fix, but… for one reason or another, we just haven’t got around to actually fixing them.

They’re a pain in the neck, even if they’re not particularly difficult to complete. Putting something off is infinitely easier than actually doing it!

But, unfortunately, we have to do it sooner or later. So with that in mind, we thought we’d cover some of the quickest fixes around, so that – if you have a problem that needs sorting out – you can get round to fixing it tout de suite! Sorted.

Squeaky Door Hinges

Your door hinges are squeaking all the time – is there anything more annoying than that? Luckily for you, it’s a super simple fix: all you need to do is spray a bit of WD-40 on the hinge, working in the liquid by moving the door backwards and forwards for a minute.

If you don’t have any WD-40 to hand, you can always try rubbing some petroleum jelly onto the hinges.

If neither of these works, it’s time for a bit of elbow grease. Lift the hinge pins out a little bit, then lubricate them up with a little three in one oil. Make sure to use a paper towel or two to catch any errant drips!

Peeling Wallpaper

Again, super simple tip, this. Grab a pot of wallpaper paste and blob some of it onto a knife. Then you just smear it onto a bit of regular old writing paper, then rub that paper against the underside of the wallpaper that’s peeling.

Next, simply press the wallpaper firmly into the wall, and slide out the writing paper from beneath the wallpaper. Lastly, you just need to smooth out the paper – we’d suggest using a clean cloth to do this.

Dusty Chandeliers

Dusting your chandeliers – where do you start? It’s a good job we’re here, isn’t it? First of all, use your common sense: turn off the lights. After waiting for the fixture to fully cool down, pop on a pair of cotton gloves. Dab one with a little glass cleaner, but keep the other dry.

All you need to do now is to rub each fixture with the dampened glove first, drying them off afterwards with the dry one. Spotless!

One thing, though: if your chandeliers are crystal, you don’t want to use glass cleaner. Instead, substitute it for a solution made up of three parts distilled water to one part rubbing alcohol.

Slamming Doors

Yet another annoyance around the home, slamming doors can thankfully be fixed with a minimum of effort. All you need to do is to get hold of a handful of pieces of foam weather stripping, and affixing a few smaller bits around the doorstop.

If you’d rather use something that you’re more likely to find around the home, grab one of those wide elastic bands that you’ll often find wrapped around a bundle of letters. Wrap the band around one of the doorknobs then stretch it around to the other side, wrapping it around the other doorknob. This will act as a cushion, stopping any nasty slams.

Our Very Best Decorating Tips

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Alex Pierce

When you are giving a room a total makeover, giving it a new paintjob, there are a few things you should always keep in mind if you are wanting the process to go as smoothly as possible. You don’t want paint on the sideboards or in the carpet, and you don’t want to ruin a perfectly good weekend when your decorating goes awry.

Forewarned is forearmed, and – at least when it comes to painting a room – a little bit of planning can go a very long way. With that in mind, here are our simple tips. Good luck, and happy decorating!

Be Prepared

A simple tip, but one that’s worth mentioning nonetheless. It is definitely worth your time to spend an hour or two gathering up all the materials and tools you are likely to need, as well as some that you might want to have to hand.

Having everything safely in one place that’s within easy reaching distance will make life so much easier, and save a lot of time in the long run. You don’t want to have to run to B&Q with a damp half of a room because you’ve forgotten something.

Go for Quality

This applies to all of your tools and supplies. Poor quality paint is simply not worth your money or your time – it is false economy. You will have to use more of it as it will require a greater number of coats, and you will often end up with an uneven finish. You don’t want that. No one does.

Similarly, poor quality brushes will leave you wanting when you’re all finished up. Picking out bristles from wet paint is not a particularly fun or entertaining task, nor is it a fulfilling one. Get a good synthetic brush of about 2 inches in width; this will be perfect for cutting in the edges.

Keep Rolling

When it comes to rollers, the main sections of wall could benefit from the use of a seven-incher, medium pile. Is the roller new? If so, give it a good wash in warm, soapy water before use – this will prevent any fluff sticking to the walls.

If you have any narrow sections that need painting, or any areas with radiators, it could well be worth investing in a smaller roller to complement the larger one. We’re all about making things easier.

Get Cutting

Before you do the main walls – before! – make sure you’ve done the cutting in. Do this carefully, painting the ceiling edges, the edges above skirting boards and around windows, and into the corners.

Doing this beforehand will save a great deal of hassle. Do it for each wall before moving on to the next one; this will ensure everything is nice and even, blending together properly.

Keep Things Fresh

You don’t want your brushes to dry out, as this is a major pain and takes precious time to rectify. It’s easy to keep your brushes fresh, so you might as well – keep all your rollers and brushes in a bucket when not in use, and cover them with a damp cloth. Simple!

How to Increase the Value of Your Home: Part 1

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Laura F

So we’re doing a couple of multi-part guides, but these are all pretty important pieces, especially with spring right around the corner (we hope!), as it means that the housing market is going to get a little bit of a boost – which means that if you’re trying to sell, unless your house is already super duper fabulous, you might want to stick your neck out amongst the rest of the houses in your neighbourhood and increase the value of your home, whilst you’re at it. Read on to find out what you need to do in part one of our guide.

Upgrade the Kitchen

Most design experts will agree that the kitchen, and the bathroom/s are where you want to spend your money. If they’re not up to scratch, the people viewing your house will walk in and think, “Oh crikey, I’ve got to spend £5,000/£10,000/£15,000 on renovating the kitchen, ripping out the bathrooms”. Now, that doesn’t mean that you’ve got to drop that amount of money on your kitchen, especially if you’re moving, but a couple of hundred quid can go a hugely long way in making your kitchen look a million times better, making your home easier to sell. If it’s a shabby wooden kitchen, for example, lay down some sheets on the floor, empty the cupboards, masking tape the worktops, clean the doors and then paint them. Viola! Instant update. Add new handles (about £8 each). give your worktops a good old clean (or replace them with laminate, if you have the budget – around £400 for a really good laminate in an average kitchen) and paint the walls. Move around your paintings or spend £20 in the supermarket on new canvasses and accessories and you’ll notice a huge difference. Honestly. A huge difference.

If you’re just upgrading the kitchen for you, consider adding granite/marble countertops, switching white goods for stainless steel kitchen appliances, or knock down a wall so that you can expand your kitchen and turn it into a kitchen/diner or add an island.

Upgrade Your Bathroom

Next up, your bathroom. If you’ve already got a white suite, then you’re already doing pretty well. It’s just the little finishing touches that you might need to change – things like the taps, the sealant around the bath and the grouting around the tiles. Taps can be cheap as chips, even for really nice ones – although you might need a plumber to help you fit them, and they update a bathroom instantly. Some new tiles can also make a huge difference, and if you buy click laminate tiles – in other words, tiles that you don’t really have to “lay” – that you can just click together. Regrouting will stop the bathroom from looking a bit rough and ready and then you can again re-paint, add some new towels, and spend £20 on some canvasses and some accessories and the place’ll look spick and span. A good vinyl floor’ll finish it off beautifully.

The thing to remember with all of this is that each job – even if you’re doing it for only a few hundred or a few thousand pounds – you need to do it right. Rough, scabby edges, unfinished lines, paintmarks in the wrong places, scuffs on the walls, etc etc – it’ll all look a bit cheap. So even if you’re doing it on the cheap – it shouldn’t look cheap. Keep that in the back of your head and the end result will be perfect.

Source: Real Simple

DIY Tips: How to Restore Leather

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Laura F

Restoring antique furniture should usually be left to the experts – but it is possible to take a shabby, beaten-up piece of leather furniture and restore it back to its former glory. If you’re unsure about what you’re doing – or whether or not you’ll be able to restore the leather without damaging it, call in a professional to do the job for you.

If Your Leather Has Faded

There are actually plenty of ways to add colour back to faded leather, but your best bet, if you’re starting from scratch, is to use a shoe polish as you can easily blend it into the rest of the leather. Or, you could seek the advice of a professional and use a dyeing technique instead.

Fixing Tears and Repairing Stitches

If the stitching that joins two pieces of fabric together is broken or worn, repair using a saddle stitch. If you can, use a double row of stitches as it’ll be more permanent – you’ll also need a good strong needle and thread to secure the pieces together. For holes, or tears, you’ll need a piece of leather that’s big enough to patch up the hole and that’s big enough to have a PVA glue painted around the edges of the patch to fix it to the inside of the hole. Paint the edges of the patch with PVA, carefully poke through the hole, then smooth out using your fingers and stick into place. Use a leather polish to blend the leather and the patch together.

Removing Stains

Whether or not you’ll be able to remove the stain really depends on what the stain is! First, try to remove it using a shop bought stain remover suitable for use on leather fabrics. Use it on an inconspicuous part of the fabric first, so that if it causes any problems or discolours the leather in any way, it won’t be too obvious. Apply using a soft cotton cloth. If that doesn’t do the job, call a professional.

Maintaining the Leather

If you have real leather furniture, it’s really important that you maintain it so that the leather stays soft and supple – it’ll also be less likely to rip. Clean it using only products that are appropriate for use on leather goods and that won’t cause staining (test all products on an inconspicuous area first). Feed the hide regularly using a good-quality saddle soap, rubbing it into the leather in small circles. Leave overnight so that it can sink in, then repeat if any areas are looking a bit battered or dry.

Source: UKTV Home

DIY Tips: How to Clean and Maintain Pipes and Guttering

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Laura F

Clearing out your gutters isn’t a particularly enjoyable job, but unfortunately it’s a necessity. If your pipes and guttering aren’t cleaned or maintained regularly, the exterior as well as the walls, fascia and woodwork could become damaged – and if too much water runs down the walls, it could get into the foundations, leading to damp problems. Follow this guide to learn how to clean and maintain your pipes and guttering.

Things You’ll Need:

drainage rods or a plumber’s snake
garden trowel
ladder
screwdriver
new screws and sealing clips
wire mesh caps

Clearing Blocked Guttering

Work well away from the down pipe of the guttering so that you don’t end up accidentally pushing debris back down the pipe, getting it stuck. Instead, use a trowel to scoop up the debris and remove it. Just gently scrape it out, then pour a bucket of water into the guttering to make sure that the pipe is clear. It might flush out any debris stuck in the pipe, too.

Clearing a Blocked Drainpipe

Use drain rods to remove blockages from drainpipes. Gently ease the rods into the pipe, dislodging any debris as you go. Keep in mind though that if you dislodge the debris and it falls into the drain, you risk blocking the drain, so cover the drain with a bucket to retain any debris. If this doesn’t work, try to hook it out instead. Still stuck? Use the back of a hammer to gently tap along the drainpipe until you get a “solid” sound. That’ll be where the blockage is. You might have to remove that bit of pipe to remove the blockage, but luckily, this is fairly simple. Unscrew the two screws that are keeping the lowest clip of the pipe in place, remove, then remove the length of pipe. Use the drain rods to remove the blockage, then slip the pipe back into place, replace the clip and then replace the screws. Again, pour a bucket of water through the guttering just to make sure that everything is completely clear.

Cast Iron Pipework

It’s really important to clear blockages in cast iron pipework, as they’re far more likely to freeze which could lead to expansion and then cracks. This damage could be pretty costly, especially if you have to replace whole lengths of pipe. If you’re working with iron pipework, your best bet would be to get a professional in – iron guttering is very heavy and is particularly cumbersome to work with at heights so you do risk having an accident if you attempt it yourself.

Fixing a Sagging Pipe

If a pipe is sagging, it probably doesn’t have enough support – so you might need to add a few additional support brackets.

How to Prevent Blockages

There are a number of wire and mesh caps that are available for downpipes, which lets water through without any of the leaves or debris or junk. It’s also a good idea to trim back your trees each autumn – that way, there will be fewer leaves which means there’ll be fewer blockages.

Source: UKTV Home

DIY Tips: A Guide to Brick Rendering

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Laura F

If the brickwork of your house is looking a little messy, never fear – rendering might do the trick. Learn all about brick rendering with this guide and take a look at this link for brick and concrete tools.

Prepare the Brick

Before applying any new rendering, you’ll need to prepare the brickwork. Using a firm brush, brush the brickwork to loosen and remove any dust or debris. Then, you’ll need to brush PVA glue mixed with some water liberally all over the brickwork. Use the brush to get the glue into all of the nooks and crannies of the brickwork.

Choosing the Rendering Mix

Choose a rendering mix that is suitable for your environment. For example, if you’re in a location that’s particularly wet or windy, you’ll need a specific weather-resistant mix. Choose a render in a colour and texture that matches the existing brickwork and that blends well with the surrounding environment.

Mixing the Render

Follow the packet instructions to mix up the cement. Put the sand into the mixer and then add the cement and cover the mixer. Once well mixed, you can add the water. Before adding the water, add a little water retarder and plasticiser to the water and mix really well. Add the water to the cement mix gradually, being gentle so that the render mix doesn’t splash out of the mixer.

Tips for Applying Rendering

The number of coats of rendering you’ll need differs depending on the finish you’re looking for, but generally, each coat of rendering should be 1/2-3/4 of an inch thick.
Use thin layers. Using a layer that is too thick means that the render is likely to fall off the wall, so it’s best that you use multiple thin layers instead.
The first layer will be an undercoat. Once you’ve applied the render, use the edge of the trowel, a heavy duty fork or a key to score the surface of the render in diagonal parallel lines about an inch apart. Leave to dry.
Once you’ve applied the undercoat and once dry, use a brush to coat the brick and render with another layer of PVA glue. Leave to dry.
Second, third and even fourth layers should be no thicker than the first layer and should all be scored.
Once you’ve applied the final coat, use a trowel to ensure that the render is as smooth as possible. Then, use a float to smooth the render further.
As the final layer of render starts to dry completely, if you see any cracks (this may have been caused by the render shrinking as it dries), spray the render with water and smooth the cracks back with the trowel.

Source: 4Homes

DIY Tips: How to Deal with Cracks

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Laura F

Cracks can be caused by everything from slight movement of a building to cracked plasterwork or a bigger problem, such as subsidence. Learn what causes cracks and how to deal with them with this guide and check out this link for chartered surveyors.

What Causes Cracks?

Cracks can be caused by the walls of your home expanding and contracting slightly, resulting in slight surface disturbance and cracks. Cracks can be common in new homes as the house settles and they can usually be decorated over. But when cracks start to get bigger or if they constantly reappear, it could be a sign of a wider problem.

Where is the Crack?

Where the crack is will tell you a lot about what is causing it. Cracks in plasterboard could be caused by the plasterboard sheets being placed too tightly together, and this can be solved by widening out the joints and filling. Cracks in a brick or block wall that keep reappearing could be caused by something minor or major. Minor reasons might be vibrations from traffic or changes in the temperature or moisture within the home, while major reasons might include subsidence, corrosion or settlement.

How to Fix and Deal with Cracks

5mm Cracks

5mm cracks can be filled and redecorated, but if more than one crack appears and if the crack reopens within the same room, seek professional advice.

Cracks that Widen

If cracks widen, take photos every week to document the changes – that way, you have a photo diary should you need to claim from your insurance company.

Cracks that Appear Quickly Inside and Out

If a crack appears quickly and suddenly and you can see it on the exterior of home as well as the interior, it almost certainly means that the foundations of your home are on the move. Contact a chartered surveyor for more advice.

Cracks in Windows and Doors

Cracks in windows and doors could be caused by extra weight on top of the lintels. If the windows or doors stick, or don’t open properly, it could mean that there is too much weight. Replacing windows and doors could help, but be sure that there is not an underlying problem causing the cracks before replacing.

Cracks Caused by Extra Weight

If you notice cracks above doorways and windows or along the tops of walls, it could be caused by additional weight being placed on the steelwork. To fix these cracks, you might need to reinforce the steels before replastering and filling the cracks.

Who Should Fix Cracks?

Speak to a chartered surveyor or a structural engineer, rather than a builder, as they have more experience in fixing and dealing with these types of issues.

Claiming on Insurance

Keep a photo diary of the cracks to submit to your insurance company and be sure to use a chartered surveyor to diagnose the cracks. Be patient, as it might take some time for your claim to come through.

Before Buying

Don’t buy homes built on mine shafts or landfill sites as there’s a good chance the house’s foundations could slip
Get a land search and environmental survey done before purchasing
Be aware that homes built on clay soil are much more likely to move, as the soil will expand and contract

Source: 4Homes

DIY Tips: Top Home Improvement Tips

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Laura F

Discover how to DIY your home like a pro with these simple home improvement tips.

Got an old electric carving knife? Don’t throw it away – you can save it to use as a foam saw.

You can save knocked or dented wood – use a damp cloth and an iron and you should be able to steam out the dent and straighten the wood again.

For a shim or glue spreader (or even putty spreader, paint spreader or smoother) use those pre-approved fake credit cards that come through the post.

Temporarily fasten templates using some double-sided carpet tape without leaving behind any drill holes.

Roughen the face of the hammer using a little bit of sandpaper – that way the hammer will grip the head of the nails more easily and it’ll be less likely to slip from the wall.

Prevent paint rollers and paintbrushes from drying out by wrapping them in a plastic bag between uses. That way, they’ll stay wet and full of paint and you can just use them again. If you’ve finished the job, completely rinse out the roller or brush with running water and leave to dry.

If you’re planning to drill through tile or stone, put a piece of masking tape onto the tile before you drill. It’ll help keep the drill in place.

Make sure that you’re completely confident and competent before getting involved in any plumbing or building project. If you’re not confident and if the project goes wrong, it could cost more than you’d expect.

Get a budget breakdown for every renovation, whether you use a contractor or not, so that you get an accurate idea of how much every material and service costs.

Create recessed spaces in the shower and bathroom area. Look for a space of wall that is without plumbing, pipes or studs. You’ll only be able to see this with the walls open. Cut a 2 x 4 for the bottom and top of each niche and attach to the studs in the wall. Cover with cement or plaster and tile to finish. You could add a light to the top of each recess and use it as a decorative feature or you can use them as extra storage.

If you really like a specific tile, but don’t have the budget for it, buy a few of them to use as an accent tile. You can still get the look you want without having to worry about costs.

Shop at your local reuse and recycle centre. You’ll find offcuts of wood, stone and granite that you might be able to use in your home.

Use an old paint roller to clean your gutters – simply add an extended handle and run it along the gutters of your house to get rid of leaves and junk.

When soldering copper in a small area, put a nail plate behind the pipe so that the heat from the soldering gun only hits the nail plate and nothing else.

Create a divot using the rounded end of a screwdriver in walls or plaster where there is a screw hole that needs to be repaired. Simply press the screwdriver into the hole and fill with compound or spackle to create a smooth surface that can easily be painted.

Add 10 to 15% to all budgets – just in case. If you don’t have to spend the extra money, treat yourself to something new for the house.

Finally, expect the unexpected. If something can go wrong, be it water or termite damage, it probably well. So expect it, be prepared for it and have the patience to work through those problems if they do arise.