This Leeds home improvement ideas and advice blog shares our renovation and refurbishment experience for homeowners, landlords and those who:
Want their homes to look and feel great and work for them and their lifestyles
Know that something needs doing, though are unsure where to begin
Want to spend their money wisely to get the best value and most effective home improvements to transform their rooms and home
It will suggest incremental home improvements starting from the easiest and cheapest (think DIY) through to those requiring a larger investment. (And unless you’re highly skilled and competent at home improvements – please don’t think DIY!)
So will your home improvement ideas involve getting the builders in?
Probably best not initially.
Our last blog on painting and decorating advised against rushing out and buying the first tin of emulsion you get your hands on. Instead suggesting careful planning and preparation, to ensure a neat, professionally painted finish and best results.
In contrast (and at the other end of the home improvements scale), this blog will initially advise against watching the myriad of TV property programmes, and then thinking the only way to get your dream home is by spending hundreds of thousands on a two storey wrap around extension.
So what Leeds home improvements will work for you and your lifestyle?
A good starting point is to go round your home room by room (and include family members and others that you live with that are effected by the property) and write down:
The rooms current use (e.g. living room) and what you have got in each room (e.g. sofa, curtains, carpet, fireplace etc.)
What is currently working and you like about the space
What is not working and you would like to alter or improve
Some 'love' this stage and may already have a vision and the creativity as to how they would like to improve their homes. Great.
While others, through living there, may be too emotionally involved. They perhaps know that their space isn’t quite working, but are struggling to pinpoint what it is.
Well help is at hand and there are many home improvement professionals in Leeds who should (Love Your Home Leeds certainly would) be more than happy to get involved at the earliest stage to offer home improvements design ideas and advice to help get a place that works for you, your family and your guests… and more on that later (below)…
So firstly let's start with some:
Home improvements in Leeds - without getting the professionals in
Clearly the clients had slightly different home improvement ideas...
Above we talked about a home improvements scale (think of it from a £10 tin of paint through to a £100k+ extension). But I’ve got even better news for those reluctant to spend £10 on emulsion! There’s often a ‘cheaper’ and very effective home improvement idea one can do before needing to decorate and that is:
Improve your home by: cleaning and decluttering
Tools needed: duster, cloth, hoover, mop etc. etc.
Yes, one of the simplest, most effective and often overlooked projects to give your home an improved look is to clean from top to bottom and declutter. (Think ‘deep’ clean: tops of tall furniture, backs of sofas, windows, under beds, ovens etc.)
Top tip: sometimes getting any fingerprints or scuff marks from any glossed woodwork (doors, windows, frames, skirtings etc.) is enough to breath new life into them. I find Cif cream (other good brands are available) to be particularly good at removing stubborn marks.
A pristine, clean, organised home, where everything has a place and you can easily put your hands on things when you need, can be a joy to live in.
Just because this is one of the lowest cost ways to get your rooms looking neat and more spacious, do not underestimate the time (and physical energy) investment needed if this exercise is to be done properly. For those with busy lives it might be more realistic to focus on one room every weekend say, than trying to do everything in one go…
I.e. don’t cheat and pat yourself on the back because you’ve decluttered some shelves, kitchen cupboards, or a wardrobe only to ‘create another problem’ by cramming all the unwanted items under the stairs or in a garage. (The time ‘will’ come when you need something from under the stairs or your garage and you wish that that was clear and organised too).
In addition to cleaning products and above cleaning equipment, you’ll also need some cardboard (or equivalent) boxes, or bin bags to put your unwanted items in.
Some ideas for any unwanted items can be:
Find a use or home in another room
(As above) and or upcycle any item(s)
Gift the items to a friend, or donate to a charity shop
Or you could try selling the items (think car boot or Ebay etc.)
Or (where possible) recycle at your local council recycling centre
Also don’t be so busy admiring your sparkling new rooms that you neglect your outside space. And similarly a good prune, sweep and mow can get any garden space looking neat and tidy.
Even if you’re planning more ambitious home improvements, a clean, tidy, organised home will help any home improvements be carried out in a more efficient and safer way. Which leads to the next level of home improvements ideas and advice:
Home improvement ideas of: Painting and decorating
Painting and decorating (and particularly in the above project incorporating designer wallpaper) can deliver a big bang for your buck...
Yes, your guests may wow at your new kitchen, or bathroom, or beautifully designed Leeds landscaped garden, but imho the biggest ‘bang for your buck’ in terms of immediate transformation and changing the look and feel of a room is by simply redecorating.
(When I say ‘simply’ redecorating, I mean relative to larger renovation projects. Plus to do this properly with all the painting and decorating planning and preparation can take days – see previous blog for all the necessary steps to obtaining great decorating results)
There are many reasons why people want to decorate:
Perhaps you’ve just moved in and want to put your own personality and stamp on the place
Perhaps you’ve lived there for years and you fancy a change of mood and a new colour scheme
(As above) maybe you like the current décor, but it is marked or worn, so needs refreshing
Perhaps you’re looking to depersonalise your rooms to help broaden your homes appeal to help sell, or Landlords to help rent
Decorating is one of those (towards the slightly easier end of the scale) projects that are sometimes attempted by a competent DIYer. Though many see the advantages of hiring a professional Leeds painter and decorator for time saving and ensuring the neatest finish and professional results (and the above previous blog has more on this).
The next level up advice on home improvements ideas from ‘simply’ painting and decorating would be:
Ideas of improving your rooms and home by: Interior design
Good interior design ideas can help totally transform a room
Just as painting and decorating can give the biggest bang for your buck: employing a good interior designer imho can be the best investment in terms of getting the right look and feel for your rooms and homes that work for you and your lifestyle.
Top tip: Although for this blogs purposes, interior design appears higher up the home improvement scale (in terms of complexity and investment), than simply painting and decorating. Interior design ideas should 'always' be considered first, even if you are DIYing the design.
Creating an interior design mood board, and shopping list, at the outset of your home improvements, of your colour scheme for your walls and any furniture and furnishings will increase the chances of your project running smoothly, and achieving a harmonious and co-ordinated result. You do not want to rush out and paint bright yellow emulsion on all your walls, and then be stuck because the colour of the sofa or curtains you’ve now found doesn’t match.
Again, maybe you’re creative and full of interior design ideas. And or you’ve been on Google images, or Pinterest and know exactly the scheme and theme for your space. Or maybe you’d like to employ the services of a professional Leeds interior designer to create a beautiful organised home that is a joy to live in.
In any case, good interior design is pivotal in the success of any home improvement and can help with some or all from:
You get rooms that work for you and your lifestyle
Rooms that look and feel good
(Your stay at that hotel does not feel good by ‘chance’, and the hotel group will have employed 'top' interior designers (most probably on 'top' interior designer rates!) to achieve a relaxing, welcoming feel and high end look to their rooms, corridors leading to the rooms, reception and bar and dining areas)
Co-ordinated colour schemes that work for each room, and or throughout your entire home
Good storage solutions – from shelves to publicly display your books and ornaments etc., though to more concealed storage, such as the bespoke interiors of wardrobes
Beautiful furniture – from seating for yourselves and for guests. To create areas to work or to relax
Beautiful furnishings (some to accessorise the furniture) – such as cushions, throws and rugs
New window treatments – such as curtains, blinds, nets – can change the look and feel of a room
Displays for any ornaments or sentimental items
Any photos or art on show, or as a feature on your walls
Good lighting – is a critical element in your interior design. Whether it’s stunning ceiling pendants, an opulent chandelier, downlights, LED’s, or a table or floor lamp. Lighting serves both a practical use and can really set the mood
A good Leeds interior designer could even save you money
Yes, I know, counter-intuitive at first thought, but if (you’ve been watching the property programmes) and you feel your only option is to build-out, then an interior designer may be able to help you reconfigure your existing rooms to more meet your needs. (Dual purpose rooms or sofa bed anybody?)
OK, so still under the umbrella of interior design, but distinct enough (due to the size and complexity of the home improvement and investment) to warrant a separate mention... so the next level up (in terms of complexity and investment) would be the:
Home improvement ideas of: New kitchens and bathrooms
OK tools down!
This blog is titled ‘simple and effective Leeds home improvement ideas to help transform your space’ . So yes, a good deep clean and declutter, a new colour or fancy wallpaper on the walls, which - by design - compliments your new ‘accent colour’ cushions and furnishings – and all blog promises met and boxes ticked.
So admittedly some (especially new) kitchens and bathrooms now falls into the category of ‘more complicated’ and effective Leeds home improvement ideas. Budgets can now be into thousands (and tens of thousands for high spec, high end designs).
Due to the electrical and gas elements of a new kitchen and bathroom, this should always be left to professional kitchen fitters, (I was being literal when I said 'tools down'). At Love Your Home Leeds we use trusted and qualified Gas Safe plumbers and NICEIC electricians for any kitchen and bathroom work we fit.
Well planned and designed kitchens and bathrooms definitely tick the box of transforming your space and can transform your cooking and entertaining experience, and can give you a luxurious and relaxing experience, respectively. If you want more kitchen and bathroom ideas and advice then find out more here…
However, sometimes (and again this is where good planning and interior design ideas at the outset can help) there is another way:
Kitchens and bathrooms - simple and effective home improvements on a budget
That said, staying true to our 'simple and effective' blog theme there is sometimes an option to lift a space (without going down the full renovation and refurbishment route). And here is how we helped a recent client save money and get great results:
Simple and effective: the new metro tiles splashback has lifted this kitchen area
Simple and effective: new tiles and a new mirror has transformed this downstairs loo
There is only one stage up [short of a new build] bigger than internal alterations such as new kitchens and bathrooms fitted and that is:
The biggest home improvement ideas undertaking of: extending your property
As above, if you’re looking for more than ‘simple and effective’ home improvement ideas and you’re after the TV property programmes ‘new wing’ bolted onto your property then maybe it’s time to call the builders… Think ‘complicated and effective’ home improvements…
[For those who have not had the pleasure of watching some of the ‘grander’ design programmes: when they’re trying to ship a prefabricated house (all the way from Germany) down a single file winding county lane. Or the couple have gone massively over budget, missed three Christmas deadlines and still haven’t completed the build, then think very ‘complicated’].
If you’re baulking at the idea of spending tens or (often on the TV) hundreds of thousands on an extension, then a lower cost - and often better value - in terms of price per square metre option could be:
Building a garden room – for more space to work or play
Or converting a garage – for another room
A Leeds garden room or garage conversion can create more space to work or play
- and often works out better value than an extension
Going full circle and back to ‘simple and effective’ Leeds home improvements ideas
So yes, a huge rear kitchen diner extension can add a ‘wow’ onto your home. But likewise it can often be the small changes: the fresh coat of paint, the new curtains that match the new bedding, or even a new floor lamp that gives a cosy feel to the (now spotlessly clean, decluttered and organised) room. The 'little things' that can add to your sense of enjoyment and loving your home...
Love Your Home Leeds are a reliable and recommended home improvements service based in Moortown LS17 and mostly help homeowners and landlords in and around North Leeds area. Whether it’s simple and effective, or complex and effective - for any Leeds home improvements ideas or advice to help lift and transform your rooms and home please get in touch.
Comments