Don’t move home – improve your home!

I have spoken to a number of people recently who plan to do home improvements instead of selling up and moving on. No surprises there given the current economic climate. Moving home is an expensive business anyway. The Woolwich reckons it costs around £16,000 to move, and there's also stamp duty and land tax to shell out for too.

So, apart from the fact that it’ll make your living space so much nicer, the right kind of home improvement should also help you retain or even increase the value of your home. Loft conversions, extensions and improving the essentials in your kitchen and bathrooms should help increase the appeal of your property when you do finally come to sell.

Other improvements that can add value include new carpets and laminate or wood flooring.
But remember, if you get it wrong or bodge it, you could knock thousands off the value of your property!

Over 500,000 people in Britain have made such a hash of their DIY they have had to make a claim on their home insurance – ouch! (But this doesn’t surprise me if bad advice is followed – see post underneath!).

Carrying out work on your home can be rewarding but very costly to correct if not done properly.
To avoid costly mistakes, follow these simple rules.

1. Take safety precautions. A simple drilling job could turn into an extremely expensive mistake if electrical wiring is damaged!

2. Make sure your tools are up to scratch. Poor quality tools are dangerous and will never help you achieve a high-quality finish. Ever.

3. If a job is beyond your abilities, hire a professional to do it for you.