71,847 Home Improvement

Give your house a makeover with new windows and doors

Although replacing windows and doors can be quite a project, you’ll be surprised at what a miraculous difference it can make to your home. With old, thin and crumbling windows you’re never going to impress passersby and, worse still, your house will be poorly insulated, letting cold air in and warm air out. New windows can be chosen in a style that appeals to you and maybe look a bit more modern, and they will be well insulated for winter. Changing your external door will complete the exterior makeover, but also changing your internal doors could give your interiors a new lease of life – if the door looks attractive, then what lies behind it could be even better.

Change a room with one lick of paint

A fairly simple and straightforward method of home improvement is to repaint your walls. A new coat of paint can breathe life into a room, and a new paint colour is an easy way to change the theme or style of your decor. Wallpaper has had a resurgence in the wall coverings popularity in recent years, so you could also look at wallpaper instead. A patterned feature wall is one way to add interest to a room and even if you tire of it in a year or so, it will be fairly easy to replace or paint over.

Try some tiles

Tiles are another home improvement item that are fairly easy to install in your home yourself, especially if you’re only tiling a small area such as a splashback, cloakroom or garden path. You can easily order tile samples which will give you an idea of the size, thickness and look of the tiles in your home before installing them permanently. Browse the wide range of different tile types online – you could go for colourful encaustic tiles, sleek metro tiles, small mosaic or large stone tiles for floors.

Finish it off

It’s often the small touches that can finish a room. Hardware such as doorknobs and drawer handles can be easy to change, and adding some architectural details to a room can give it an instant classic charm. Even changing light switches and plug sockets can make a difference, so have a look at the different light switch covers you can find – instead of the normal white you could go for a glam gold or contemporary copper instead.

From designer lighting to the most specific of building materials, hardware and tools, the home improvement section on Houzz is a great place to start if you’re looking for products that will help you improve and customise your home.