Many homeowners wish to improve their home. This may be for the purposes of selling a home or it could be simply for the homeowner to feel better about the home in which they live. Either way there are many low cost ways in which a home can be improved.

Small changes can make big differences

 Many people feel that in order to improve a home to any real extent they’ll need to spend a great deal of money and invest a lot of time and effort. This is simply not true. In fact, it is often the smallest changes within a house that make the biggest difference.

One small way in which to make a big difference to the whole atmosphere of a home is by cleaning, tidying and organising. Any home can be made to feel smaller, cluttered and dirty when littered with mess. Conversely, a home that is thoroughly cleaned and tidied will feel light, airy and a lot more spacious. Mentally, the home will feel so much better once it has had a thorough clean.

By extension, getting rid of any clutter within the home will also leave a home feeling revitalised and refreshed. Many households accumulate lots of junk and clutter over the course of their life and such stuff gets pushed to dark corners out of the line of sight and forgotten about. Clearing out such clutter – perhaps even having a jumble sale to get rid of it – will leave the people inside of the home also feeling refreshed and revitalised.

Another very small change that can be made within any home is a new lick of paint on the walls. Repainting the walls or changing a room’s colour scheme can alter the entire feel and atmosphere of a room. This is one of the simplest ways in which to improve a home on a budget.

Focus on the Important Areas of the Home

It is wise to focus on the most used areas of the home such as the living room and kitchen as well as the most common areas of the home such as the windows. There are windows in virtually every room of the house so paying attention to these and making the most of them will improve the feel of the whole home. Try washing curtains and drapes, investing in beautiful wooden blinds for the windows or changing the colour of the curtains.

Use decor to enliven rooms of the house. Adding throws to beds and sofas can make any room feel more cosy and inviting, as can candles and cushions. Try adding some artwork to the walls of the room – this can either be cheap canvas prints or personal photographs.

Overall it is easy to improve any home for a low cost by implementing just a few simple ideas that do not take a lot of time or effort and yet will all make a big difference to the feel and atmosphere of any home.

This article was written by Stormclad, window installation in Nottingham specialists. To find out more about Stormclad, visit their Twitter page.

When it comes to things that children adore, a playhouse is very near the top of that list. Every child simply loves having a place in their backyard that they can call their very own. One of the best ways to do this is to give them a playhouse. From a simple, low-cost, one room structure, to a massive, multi-room playhouse with all the bells and whistles, building a playhouse can be a fun adventure your children will love!

Before beginning to building your first playhouse, there are some things you will need to consider. First of all, you will have to consider the size of the playhouse you want to build. A good first question is the one that asks, “Do you want it to be a single room or have multiple rooms?” Once you have that little piece of all-important information in place, you can then transition to the second inquiry. Will there be a sweet and highly desired by the children climbing rope or possibly some swings and a slide. These early questions in the playhouse building process may seem as if they could stand to wait until the end but you would be surprised on just how hard it can be to retrofit a playhouse after the fact.

Make certain before you start shopping for playhouse plans, that you have taken a good and reliable measurement of the entire yard. In this way, you can then use the Algebra that you learned in school to the best use. And you thought you would never have to use that silly mathematics ever again!

Making your yard ready for a playhouse is relatively simplistic, as the only real aspect that you must contend with, is the one that is the formulation of the playhouse dimensions, and the yard itself. In layman’s terms, the playhouse must fit with room to spare on all sides in the yard. Another tip that will go a long way in the satisfaction department for the children concerns a level spot. You need to locate one or create one, as there is nothing as frustrating, even for a child, than leaning towards one side when inside the playhouse.

Now that you have some idea as to the dimensions that you have to work with you can now take a kid poll on just what type of playhouse is most desired. Please consider what material you want around the structure as this will be easiest to procure right along with the chosen playhouse design.

Trimming a door to fit might seem like quite a challenge, and if you’re the owner of a prestigious set of oak doors you may be concerned that a misdirected venture will result in damaged doors. However, with the right tools and preparation trimming doors can be one of the simplest DIY jobs to complete.

But why would I need to trim my doors?

The most common reason that drives the need to trim doors is the replacement of flooring. If for instance, flat, laminate flooring is replaced with a thick and fluffy carpet the door may become difficult to open and close.

If a home is adorned with cheaply made doors, the homeowner may simply choose to replace them. However, if you’re the owner of oak doors or a similarly valued wood, replacement is unlikely to be an option; leaving door trimming as the only solution.   

What equipment do I need to trim my doors?

1. Pliers
2. Safety goggles
3. Hammer and punch
4. Metal yard stick or other straight edge
5. Sand paper (medium grit)
6. Circular saw
7. Pencil
8. Masking tape
9. Sawhorses
10. Irwin quick clamps

So what do I need to do

1. After the carpeting is fitted, hang the door as you usually would.

2. Close the door. Lay the straight edge on the carpet and mark the door where the top of the straight edge lies. Do this both on the hinge and handle side of the door.

3. Remove the door and set it on your sawhorses.

4. Measure and mark the distance between the blade on the circular door and the edge of the saw guide.

5. Tightly secure your straight edge to the door using your quick clamps. Ensure they are not going to get in the way.

6. Use your masking tape to place along the cut line of both sides of the door (it’ll stop any parts of your expensive oak doors chipping away while you cut!

7. Cut the door as marked. Don’t forget your safety goggles.

8. Remove the tape and use the sandpaper to smooth any rough edges.

9. Hang the door!

If you value your oak doors too much, or simply aren’t the DIY type, then you may be able to find a professional to complete the trimming for you.

An internet search for something such as ‘trim internal doors UK’ should reveal a number of skilled workmen who will be happy to trim your doors to the perfect fit.

This article was written by Amy Fowler on behalf of UK Oak Doors suppliers of high quality exterior and internal doors UK.

For the nesting box, start with ripping a 2x4x8' plank down the center. You need to make two frames as shown below.

Either purchase some 1x2 post or rip another 2x4x8' plank down the center. Cut as shown and attach to the frame pieces on the inside corners.

Rip pieces of plywood sheet to wrap around three sides. Be sure to measure and layout the cuts to make and be sure they fit flush. Start with the longest sides, cut a rear piece to cover both ends. Attach a handle if you would like.

Cut a dowel to just fit snugly inside the nesting box. Use a rubber mallet or dead-blow hammer to tap the dowel in place just below the top rim of the nesting box. Attach the dowel to plywood with screws through the exterior face of the plywood. Make sure the dowel is BELOW the frame!

Tip the nesting box on its top and cut a piece of plywood to fit the bottom. Attach to the frame with screws. Make sure the bottom is cut to fit (even slightly smaller) so the nesting box will fit in the spaces on the completed coop.

Use a hinge to attach the front piece of plywood to the top, front edge. You will want to attach the hinge to the plywood before attaching the hinge to the nesting box frame. This way you can ensure the nesting box opens and closes properly. Use a hook and eye-pin to lock the nesting box closed.

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