Advice
Latest
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How to make Christmas decorations
Making your own Christmas decorations will give you a unique look and is a fun festive craft activity. Here we show you how
By Melanie Griffiths •
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12 of the best wreaths for Christmas
Whether you are into glam and gold or lush and leafy, we’ve done the legwork and found you the best Christmas wreaths of 2018
By Hebe Hatton •
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How much does it cost to renovate a house?
Find out how to budget accurately for your renovation and trim costs at the same time with our guide to estimating for key projects
By Liz Walker •
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A beginner's guide to rendering walls
Refresh your home's exterior with a coat of render. Find out how to render in our easy to follow guide by DIY and renovation expert Michael Holmes
By Michael Holmes •
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How to create the perfect traditional bedroom
Find out how to create the perfect traditional bedroom, from selecting the ideal bed to choosing furniture, flooring and window dressings
By Jacob Ingram •
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10 reasons why you need smart assistants
Find out how to put digital assistants to best use with our expert guide
By Gerald Lynch •
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How to renovate a house: an expert guide
Planning a home renovation project for the first time – or after a long gap? Follow these practical steps before starting your renovation project to ensure it runs safely, smoothly and to budget
By Lindsey Davis •
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How to extend your home: the ultimate guide
From costing and designing extensions to permitted development and building regulations, find out everything you need to know here
By Sarah Warwick •
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Restoring and cleaning encaustic floor tiles
DIY expert Helaine Clare offers a step-by-step guide to restoring and cleaning encaustic hallway floor tiles in Victorian and Edwardian homes
By Helaine Clare •
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How to patch and repair plaster in an old home
Making alterations to an old house always requires some patching up afterwards. Helaine Clare shows how to remedy a niggling area of damaged plasterwork in eight simple steps. Plus a full list of the tools and equipment you will need for the job
By Helaine Clare •
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10 ways to cut the cost of your new kitchen
Whether you’re extending to add a new kitchen or simply renovating your existing space, our experts explain how to get the best value for your money
By Laura Crombie •
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Underfloor heating: the complete guide to in-floor heating
Considering installing underfloor heating in one room, throughout a ground floor, or everywhere in your home? We’ve asked the experts to answer all your questions on UFH
By Sarah Warwick •
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How to extend a Victorian house
Do you live in a terraced or semi-detached Victorian house? Want to create more living space? Find out how with this essential guide to extending your home
By Ian Rock •
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Extension cost calculator: how much does it cost to extend your home in 2018?
Use our free extension cost calculator to help you work out a budget for the likely costs of your home improvement project
By Real Homes Magazine •
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How to deal with damp and rot
Problems with damp and rot are a common curse, particularly in older properties, where inadvisable remedial work can make it worse. Here, we look at the causes of damp – and its solutions
By Ian Rock •
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How to clean a woodburning stove
It’s important to give your woodburning or solid fuel stove a maintenance check every year to clean it, repair any rust spots, touch up the paintwork and order new parts. Helaine Clare shows the essential things to fix in her eight-step project
By Helaine Clare •
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How to paint kitchen cabinets
Painted kitchens cabinets remain to be a popular choice in our homes and painting the cupboards yourself is an affordable way to update old units. We show you how with this step-by-step guide
By Melanie Griffiths •
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9 ways to transform your home's exterior
Want to give your home a whole new look? From new windows to a simple coat of paint, the changes you make to your home's exterior can be transformative. Here's how
By Michael Holmes •
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Planning, designing and costing a single storey extension 2018
Improve the layout and how you live in your home with our expert advice on planning and budgeting for a single storey extension
By Sarah Warwick •
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How to insulate floors in old homes
Are your floors draughty, damp or cold to the touch? Find out how to insulate them without damaging their integrity
By Roger Hunt •
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How to create a cottage garden
You can achieve a romantic English cottage garden style wherever you live. Find out how with this advice on planning your plot, to old fashioned favourites to include in the planting scheme
By Leigh Clapp •
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How to heat your home: from central heating, radiators, stoves, fireplaces to underfloor heating
Updating your heating system to stay warmer while spending less? Want to know which system’s best for a new home? Get the lowdown on central heating, stoves, fireplaces and other alternatives
By Sarah Warwick •
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Planning, designing and costing a two storey extension
A cost-effective two storey extension could make more sense than moving if you need more space. Expert renovator Michael Holmes shares tips for getting yours right…
By Michael Holmes •
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House extensions for budgets between £30,000 to £50,000
Got a budget of £30,000 and £50,000 to spend on a new extension? Expert renovator Michael Holmes takes a look at the types of house extension projects you could achieve
By Michael Holmes •
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10 expert tips for getting your loft conversion right
A loft conversion could create the extra space you need cost-effectively. Use our at-a-glance guide to find how what you should know – before you start
By Laura Crombie •
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How to plan and design a kitchen extension
Confused about where to start with your kitchen extension project? From budgeting to planning permission, this article will tell you all you need to know
By Sarah Warwick •
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How old is your house?
Uncovering a home's history is one of the joys of owning it, and working out which era it belongs to will help influence the way you care for and improve it. Emma Lawrence, head of casework at SPAB, explains how to date a property
By Period Living •
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The ultimate guide to exterior cladding and render
Transforming your home's exterior? Fresh cladding, render or paint in the latest finishes will modernise it and add a practical weatherproofing guard
By Lucy Searle •
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House extensions for every budget: £20,000 to £30,000
An extension is a great way to add more space to your home, but just how far will a budget of £20,000 to £30,000 stretch? Renovation expert Michael Holmes looks at what's possible
By Michael Holmes •
