The new year is the perfect time to start some home renovation projects. We’ve just moved into a new house. With the help of a mortgage calculator to figure out what I could and couldn’t afford and graphs to work out my loan repayments I’ve been able to budget correctly to allow me to renovate parts of our new home. Citizen’s Advice has also been extremely helpful with lots of home owner advice as it’s a pretty daunting thing!
The first step after moving was finding the best home security system to ensure we were as safe as possible. Having a home alarm system has really put my mind at ease and allowed me to focus on the rest of our renovations.
I’ve already had some work done to the house so I’m very pleased with how it’s looking. Here’s some of the things I’ve got done already along with some plans for the rest of the year!
Windows – My number one priority for the house before moving in was to get some good double glazed upvc windows. The house had previously had single glazed windows which meant it was very cold. The double glazed windows keep the heat in and are going to make such a difference to my energy bill. Getting new windows was certainly quite an outlay but I compared prices and got a good deal and know I’ll be saving money in the long term.
Doors – I also got new doors for all the rooms in the house to prevent any drafts and keep the heat in whenever the gas is turned on. My next project is to get the porch redone and get new sliding doors as mine could do with a little TLC.
Painting – A fresh lick of paint always makes a room look better so I’ve repainted all the rooms in the house white. It means that all my rooms are a completely neutral palette ready to decorate however I wish. The white paint also makes the rooms look much bigger and more spacious.
Structure – I’m not sure it’ll happen this year, though a girl can dream! I’d love to add a conservatory onto the back of the house. We now have a beautiful and very big back garden that I want to make the most of and I can just picture myself sitting cosy on the sofa in a conservatory watching Theodore playing in the garden when he’s older!