By Martin Hart on Fri 01 January 2021
As we head into the new year, you might be thinking of all the things you could be doing to kick your year off right. Whether it’s losing weight, quitting smoking or taking up a new hobby, there are plenty of resolutions you can make to ensure you have the best year possible.
And speaking of hobbies for the new year, why not take up some DIY? DIY is a fantastic way to do up your home on the cheap, learning new skills and getting the exact look you're hoping for without having to get people into your home to do it for you.
Does DIY sound daunting? Well, don't worry. We've compiled a list of simple, easy-to-do DIY jobs that you can undertake to transform your home with ease.
Get yourself some paint tester pots in the kind of colours you might like for your room and paint small sections with each one so you can get a good idea of how the colour looks when it's dried on the wall. When you're ready to start, move or cover all the furniture in the room and get painting.
Neutral colours are a great way to bring more light into a room and gives you more scope to choose colourful, patterned furniture and fixtures.
New fittings are a great way to liven up a space and give your bathroom a whole new look. So if your tap heads are looking tired and dull, swap them out for some shiny new ones to give new life to your bathroom. You can choose from various colours and metals depending on what kind of look you're after.
If you want to do more than just change up the shades, you can change the fixtures entirely to give you more lighting options, such as ceiling-mounted, pendants, spotlights, wall sconces and cove lighting. However, make sure you cut off the room's electricity before undertaking any electrical work, and ensure you know what you're doing - otherwise you may need an electrician to help.
If you want something more advanced for your garden, you could consider installing a water feature, building a summer house or a shed, adding raised beds and stone walls or even building a patio. These ideas might be a bit too complex for people with no experience, so make sure you seek guidance either from online tutorials or a friend or family member who knows what they're doing.
Does DIY sound daunting? Well, don't worry. We've compiled a list of simple, easy-to-do DIY jobs that you can undertake to transform your home with ease.
Paint the Walls
A fresh coat of paint can completely transform any room, especially if you have some grotty, outdated wallpaper that needs taking down. Painting a room can easily be done by virtually anyone, and there are so many tutorials online that can help guide you through the process.Get yourself some paint tester pots in the kind of colours you might like for your room and paint small sections with each one so you can get a good idea of how the colour looks when it's dried on the wall. When you're ready to start, move or cover all the furniture in the room and get painting.
Neutral colours are a great way to bring more light into a room and gives you more scope to choose colourful, patterned furniture and fixtures.
Add Bathroom Storage
Bathrooms are always in need of more storage for all those toiletries and cleaning products. Rather than continuing to cram all those shampoo bottles onto the windowsill, consider building a bathroom cupboard or installing a set of floating shelves to not only create more storage space, but provide a wonderfully decorative way to display your items.Replace the Taps
Did you know that fitting new hardware into your bathroom can be a straightforward and cheap way to make some home improvements? Replacing the taps in your bathroom basin or bathtub can be as simple as unscrewing the old one and screwing on a new one.New fittings are a great way to liven up a space and give your bathroom a whole new look. So if your tap heads are looking tired and dull, swap them out for some shiny new ones to give new life to your bathroom. You can choose from various colours and metals depending on what kind of look you're after.
New Lights
Do you have old, tired lampshades in your rooms? A new light can completely change the way a room looks. Lights can draw the eye, so make sure you pick shades, chandeliers or fixtures that really open the room up and create the kind of style you're after.If you want to do more than just change up the shades, you can change the fixtures entirely to give you more lighting options, such as ceiling-mounted, pendants, spotlights, wall sconces and cove lighting. However, make sure you cut off the room's electricity before undertaking any electrical work, and ensure you know what you're doing - otherwise you may need an electrician to help.
Hang Mirrors
For a simple DIY job that requires minimal effort but with a significant impact, any room can be enhanced with mirrors. Mirrors are great for opening up a space to make a small or narrow room appear bigger. If you have limited lighting in a space due to a lack of windows, mirrors can help reflect light in the space, making it appear brighter. If you have a blank wall and nothing to put there, consider hanging a mirror to open up the room.Basic Landscaping
Fancy some basic DIY outside of the house? Sorting out your garden can really do wonders for the appearance of your home; after all, it's the first thing people see when they arrive. The first step is basic garden maintenance such as pulling weeds, cutting the grass and planting some colourful flower beds.If you want something more advanced for your garden, you could consider installing a water feature, building a summer house or a shed, adding raised beds and stone walls or even building a patio. These ideas might be a bit too complex for people with no experience, so make sure you seek guidance either from online tutorials or a friend or family member who knows what they're doing.