Ok, you’ve decided that your house needs some renovation. some of it structural, some just decoration. CHoosing the colour schemes and wallpaper and lighting and soft furnishes is the easy bit but how do you know when it comes to the structural changes who to ask for help? You see the TV programmes with all the cowboy builders who tend to make homes worse and leave work uncomplete!

So, I’d suggest that the best workmen you can get are those which come from recommendations. At least if you have a friend or family member who have already had work done – you can go and see it for yourself and see the quality and ask about their attitude to gtetting the job done. Afterall you don’t want workmen who spend all day having brews – hard grafters are what you want as they’re the ones that get the job done!

ONe of my friends has recently bought a house with the plan to do it up, sell up and move on.

SO the work has started and the important structural jobs have been done, the windows replaced, even a new kitchen is in theprocess of being installed.

The carpets were disgusting so they’ve been ripped up and the old floorbaords sanded properly and varnished – all things to make the place look good to a buyer,

However, one thing I think they are making is decorating it their own personl taste. Wasting money on expensive wallpaper and lying carpet is, in my opinion, silly, because at he end of teh day whoever ends up buying it form them will only rip the wallpaper off and the newlt laid carpet up if not to their taste.

Keep it simple but fresh – plain white or the good old fashioned magnolia on the walls and let the new occupants spend the money on the last finishing touches!

In Britain the majority of folk have mortgaged themselves up to the eyeballs but the rest of Europe all rent. So why do we have a different way of life in England? I was brought up to believe that you need to save for a deposit for a house and then take out a mortgage as renting ‘was a waste of money’!

At least with a mortgage you end up with something you own – even if it takes 20 years to pay off. But with renting you can pack and move around when the mood suits as you don’t have any ties.

So guess it’s each to your own and if your happy to settle and have the commitment of a mortgage or if you’re more of a traveler and like to move around.

The housing market at the moment is very up and down. Most people are deciding to stay put rather than move so for those that have a house up for sale are finding it very difficult to sell.

For those that are staying put but still need a bigger house are getting planning permission to build an extension. This is what I’ve recently done. My house is only a 2 bedroom terrace and it did only have a lounge with no-where to put a dining table. But with planning permission granted and a few months of living in dust and the freezing cold I now have a very stunning new lounge and dining room and an extra fifteen grand put on the house – crackin!

First impressions are what counts when people arrive at your house for the first time.

What’s going on in the inside, most people can see through and have their own ideas on how they want a home to be. For them to see that you want them to gain a special something from the moment they pull up outside.

It dosen’t have to cost alot of money but just having a tidy up outside can make the world of difference. From washing the cobwebs away from the front door, polishing the doorbell and knockers. making sure the outside light is working, brush up the garden path and driveway, hide the kids toys etc and just make it look really inviting and…yes….homely!