It’s not always necessary to spend a fortune and have major work done to improve your home. Often it is the little things that can increase your level of comfort, create a focal point, or give your property more kerb appeal.
Photo by cottonbro studio
Let’s take a look at some small improvements that can make a big impact.
Enhance your lighting
Maximizing natural light should always be a priority in your home as it not only improves your mood but also shows off your home to the best effect. Artificial lights should be layered so that you can choose the right lighting for different moods, tasks, or times of the day. Ceiling or wall lights, floor and table lamps allow you to adjust the lighting to your needs at any time.
A simple way of upgrading and enhancing the lighting in your home is to invest in smart light bulbs. These allow you to change the brightness, color, and hue of the lights in your home from an app on your phone. In the kitchen, under-cabinet lights give a nice ambiance and are very useful for illuminating tasks such as food preparation.
Add window boxes
The addition of colorful window boxes instantly brightens the exterior of your home. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can show off your planting prowess with year-round displays of seasonal plants and flowers.
There are window boxes to suit every style of property from rustic country homes to urban chic apartments. Overflowing with bright colors and lush foliage, a well-planted window box will add kerb appeal to your home and put a smile on visitors’ faces. You will also be doing your bit for the environment by providing bees and butterflies with food.
Whiten tile grout
If the grout in your kitchen or bathroom is looking grimy but still intact, you can whiten it rather than replace it. If you have ever tried to remove old grout, you know how difficult it is so unless your grout is in need of replacement you can freshen it up instead.
There are lots of ways to whiten grout: using a steam cleaner, applying a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, mold remover, or a specific grout reviver. Depending on how grimy the grout is you may have to use more than one of these techniques. But the result will refresh the room and give it a new lease of life with minimal cost to you.
Add a chimney cowl
If you have an open fire or wood burner, a chimney cowl is a wise investment.
Installing a chimney cowl has many benefits. It will improve the draw of the fire below by speeding up and optimizing the flow of air back down the chimney to feed the flames. By improving airflow a chimney cowl disperses smoke and combustion gases more effectively and helps you to burn fuel more efficiently.
A cowl will also stop down draughts which is when smoke is blown back down the chimney. If you have problems with birds or squirrels building nests in your chimney a cowl will prevent them from gaining access without interfering with the flow of air to your fire.
Flush your central heating system
Conserving energy and saving money on heating bills is at the forefront of most of our minds so consider getting your central heating system professionally flushed. It may not sound like the most exciting home improvement but it can significantly increase the performance of your heating system.
Flushing effectively removes sludge from the system which can slow down the circulation of the water in the system causing cold spots in your radiators. This results in rooms that are colder than they should be. It prolongs the life of your heating system and reduces the risk of breakdowns.