Home & Garden Improvements

Depending on your budget, your renovation project may be entirely DIY and cosmetic or more thorough and structural at the opposite end of the scale, a project that would require expert building know-how. Whatever the scope of the work required, in midst of a credit crunch, every penny you can save will count, no matter what your overall budget. Here are just a few suggestions.

A £5,000 budget really means a painting and decorating overhaul, from top to bottom. Go for new storage units and new shelving and if you can, renew kitchen worktops and cupboard doors. Some new wall and floor tiling can definitely help lift the face of a tired but functional kitchen, too. Have a good tidy up, clutter looks like, well … clutter. It makes everything looked crowded and small.

You could also contemplate joining two small rooms together into one larger one by knocking through a dividing wall. Clearly, to obtain a professional finish, you’ll need to get some plastering done as well as painting, but the end result can look stunning. Another excellent investment would be to have your cavity walls and loft insulated, it’ll save you lots of money, as a £500 outlay will pay for itself in three years.

With £10,000 you’ve got some structural options, perhaps a new kitchen, maybe a new bathroom, though both would need to be on the ‘budget’ side. Alternatively, you could extend the kitchen or dining room; even a modest lean-to extension would look terrific and make a massive visual difference.

Leave the £20,000 – £40,000 options until the crunch is over, you’ll probably need architects for these projects.