However, if you want to make sure the externals of your house is looking it’s best, you have to invest some money in it. Decorating the outside of your home doesn’t have to cost the earth, and in fact, you can do it rather cheaply. And here’s how…

If like myself, you have moved into a fairly old property, chances are the outside of your house has been painted at some point in its life. Brick houses built around the industrial revolution would turn black with the amount of soot in the air, and after the war, there was great boom in painting the outside of houses, to brighten the aesthetics as part of the clean up Britain initiative.

Paying for decorators to pay the outside of your house can cost an absolute fortune, and I opted to set some weekends aside and do it myself. I advise it is not for the faint hearted as it requires a lot of ladder work, but if you’re lucky enough to have some friendly neighbours or friends and family who are okay with heights, you can get a standard  3/4 bed detached brick house painted in a shorter period than you think. Purchasing external housing paints from local sources rather than brands such as B&Q helped save a lot of money, as well as renting ladders instead of buying.

Unfortunately the house I myself moved into, had a dogy roof, and it was something that I knew would cost a lot of money. Fortunately for me though, a friend recommended a local company in nearby Cumbria, Slates UK, who had some excellent quotes and prices for the type of house I had just purchased. An adviser came to my property to assess what needed to be done, as well as bringing along some roof slates and other sample materials for my preference. I didn’t have to venture to their showroom once, it was done very professionally and didn’t cost the earth.

This left me more of my budget to focus on the front garden. I managed to source some privacy bushes from a local garden centre and with tips from a friend, managed to haggle the price as I was buying in bulk. Planting the hedges took a weekend, and a lot of elbow grease, but the final result is steadily coming along, and within just half a year, the size of the bushes has almost doubled in size.

I would recommend if you are on a budget to doing gardening yourself, and perhaps roping in the help of some willing friends and family members. Local garden centres are your best bet for buying in bulk and getting a good price for doing so.

Lastly, the front door of my property was a lovely design but horrible colour. Forking out the money for a new door was too pricey for myself, so i opted for another venture and got my front door stripped and re painted. I found a reputable online company, DipNStrip who although didn’t cover my area, agreed to put me on their list. They were very professional and my door was done within the day, completed with a complimentary sand and all weather varnish.

All in all, if you’re looking to sprucing up the outside of your house for as low coast as possible, then the best recommendation is to do the grafting yourself. Yes time consuming, but once done, will save a lot of hard work for man years, meaning you can focus on the fun side of decorating inside your home.

When I was a child, my love of fire was the promise of kneeling down onto the fabric grass of a rag rug in front of my Grandma’s old fireplace, watching as she absentmindedly stoked it, as though she was simply reaching out to stroke the cat. I thought my Grandma was the bravest lady alive. Black and deep orange stripes of heat like a riled tiger, rearing and growling within the stone alcove at the heart of our humble cottage lounge.

Twenty years later, I’d sit by the cold metal slab of radiator and dream about that fire place. But things have changed. When I suggested to my partner we ‘get a fire’, his reply was to lambaste the artifice of plastic coals and plug-in burners. I knew what he meant, but I couldn’t quite give up on the idea of fire so easily. I’d return to the memory of my Grandma’s cottage, staring into the blank wall where I just knew our own fireplace should be, until my partner discovered Bio Ethanol Fireplaces from Smartfire.

I still can’t believe I got a fire for my last birthday! Maybe it is hyperbolic to say I now know that first caveman’s awe when a lightning bolt punched the earth, leaving a flame like a crumb of the sun behind (my partner thinks so), but when I sit before the smokeless flames produced by this magical and renewable liquid fuel, I feel pretty good. So good in fact, I’ve even began making my own rag rug, thinking now, not back into my own memories, but forward to the thought that one day my own children might curl up in front of this fire. I don’t know what my partner’s most scared about, the thought of a rag rug laid across the modern lounge he’s taken four years to assemble, piece-by-piece, or the thought of what I want to sit on the rug, one day.

With only a three-piece couch, the first item on our list was a set of bean bags. You can find a good bean bag if you look hard enough in the markets and bigger stores, but we didn’t have time to go rooting through all the stalls, so we ordered them from Beanbag Bazaar. ‘Why bother lugging a beanbag around town when we can have one delivered to our door?’ we all thought. We were preparing to leave for town when I stumbled on a solution to our TV problem. We already had a pair of cheap but nice TVs in our online basket, so investing in TV wall mounts like these from TV Brackets 4 U, was a stroke of genius on my part. So now we had free space, better seats, and we hadn’t even left the house yet.

An hour later and we had everything. We hadn’t left our couch; instead we had just ordered everything we wanted from websites. In the following days, our items were delivered and we transformed our living room into a centre of relaxation and entertainment. I think the only sad part about it all was that we didn’t have that sense of adventure you get from trekking round town with all your bags finding cool stuff in stores you’ve never been to before. If it hadn’t have been for all the money we saved, I’d feel a little more nostalgic. If you’re a little more serious about the look of your living room, try these tips. Or, if you’re a little more old-fashioned, you can spend the day in town, I know which one I’d rather do.

A general rule of thumb is that your television should be 1.5 or 3 times the distance as the diagonal length of the screen. This should give you some idea of how far back you want your TV. Once that is decided you’ll be able to position it accordingly. Another factor to consider is the height of your screen. People say that the bottom third of the screen should be at eye-level. This makes sense, as tilting your heads upwards or downwards for extended periods of time can put strain on the neck as it is having to support the weight of your head in an unnatural position. So a TV on the floor in the corner of your room isn’t a good idea, and depending on the distance of your television, a TV cabinet doesn’t always cut it either. More and more people are beginning to install TV wall brackets for mounting their televisions; this ensures a good height for the TV which won’t strain your neck or eyes.

In terms of size, that’s really dependent on the type of programmes you watch. If you watch a lot of HD television, such as nature documentaries or action films, it’s better to get a larger television so that you can see everything in detail. However, if you’re the type to enjoy a lot of ‘background television’ (undemanding programmes that play in the background without really being watched. A good example is ITV’s This Morning) it’s better to have a smaller television that still has a clear picture but doesn’t dominate the entire room.

The best way of testing the size and distance of your television is, ultimately, experimenting. Go to a TV store and simply have a look at the different sized televisions. Once you have the perfect sized TV, decide where to mount it by trying different distances. Remember to sit on the sofa as you test – you could decide on the perfect height for your television, screw the brackets into the wall then realise you won’t be standing up when watching television! Enjoy testing it out and ultimately enjoy watching your television from the perfect distance!

There are now seven dedicated show areas which cover much more than just the home, which for means that this is the perfect place for many different brands to exhibit. There are sections for interiors, home improvement, gardens, gadgets, food and home wares, shopping and then a ‘woman’ section which opens up the floor to a wide range of candidates.

If you are interested in having a stall there are still openings, you just need to email, call or fill out the enquiry form that you will find here.

If you are setting up a stall then you are going to need to stand out from the crowd to attract attention to your products. Use a little imagination to create attractive displays that people will want to look at. It is important that you make the best use of all available space in your booth. Don’t leave walls plain, stick up banners, information, even your products if they are small enough. You are paying to advertise, so make sure that you do it effectively otherwise you are wasting your money. Use strong graphics and don’t forget that you can use the whole height of the wall.

Don’t be afraid to be bold, be colourful and don’t forget to take samples or promotional items so that people remember you, and finally – don’t forget to be friendly! I don’t want to patronise anyone, far from it, yet every time I go to an event like this I will find at least 3 or 4 different businesses that will never see a pound of my money simply because they failed to interact with me- or worse, were blatantly rude or surly. Overall, people will be looking for you to show a little bit of passion about your business, so give it a go and see where it gets you. Good luck!

Clutter is a problem that builds and builds

The garage is a great addition of space to the home, but it is all too often filled with useless rubbish and left largely to rot. When you have items that you don’t want to throw out, the first place you put them is into the garage or the loft, usually never to be seen again. Many of us can’t even fit our cars into our own garages because the space is filled with too much junk. if you are considering a serious spring clean this year, your first de-cluttering project should be your garage. One day spent clearing out all of the items that are left in there will free up so much room for other uses within it.

A well organised garage is a dream

The key to this clear out is to be ruthless, it can help to place a time limit on the items that you have placed in there for storage; if you haven’t used the item in over a year, it could very well be time to get rid of it. Throwing out heirlooms is obviously a terrible idea, but it is important to sort out the precious from the simply old. In fact, the fewer nostalgic items you hold onto, the more precious they become, your children’s old drawings or school reports shouldn’t be sat under the mountain of old deck chairs or the ping pong table you never use. These forgotten items are left there with the feeling that you will one day use them again, but can it really be worth holding onto them and taking up space like this? Even if the time eventually comes that you want to throw a picnic or a barbecue one year, it can be much more worthwhile to make the payment and buy new, or borrow from friends because what you will be gifted with in the meantime is a great deal more space in your home. You could probably find someone wanting to get rid of theirs on gumtree or similar sites, which could be a great place for you to get rid of your own garage clutter in the first place.

Once you have unforgivingly cleared out the clutter from your garage, you can start maintaining it again. Deep cleaning the grime from the inside can transform the space into an almost liveable condition, certainly a place where you would be happy to park your car or work with your tools. Once you know what you need, the organisation and the space will make it a much more valuable and useful area to work in.

A nice garage door will add value to your house

From here you can work on the appearance of the garage itself, a lick of paint, or just a good clean can do wonders for a garage that has been in disuse for years. But if you really want to revitalise your property, you can buy a new garage door and see the transformation of your entire house. The aesthetic appeal of the front of your house will be much more improved by a new garage than it would with an extension or a solar panel. If you in the market, www.lakesdoors.com provide some fantastic models that can come with automation, stylish panels or even a wood finish. Changing the style of your garage door can change the style of your entire house and make you the envy of your neighbours.

It makes no sense to continue to neglect your garage on the outside or on the inside, you walk past it every single day on the way to your front door, and realistically you wouldn’t allow your lawn or your doorstep to fall into the same state of disrepair that we all seem to allow of our garages. Imagine it like another room in your house, you would never let your living room fill with the same type of clutter, old furniture or wood on the floor. Win back your garage and you’ll never remember why you let it get so bad in the first place.

People who want to buy a house around the Christmas period usually want to be moved in and settled before Christmas itself. Christmas could actually be the perfect time to sell your house as the social engagements and decorations could complement your house and adds warmth that is not accessible throughout the rest of the year. You are likely to have more people around this time of year so often home owners go that little bit further to impress.

If you are going to be selling your home over the Christmas period then there really is no harm in being a little extravagant with the Christmas decorations this year. Instead of a plastic Christmas tree buy the real deal, it really makes a room feel more open and airy, many people opt for the alternative due to less mess but I have found throughout my many years of experience that this actually has an adverse effect on the feel of the room. Take precautions when selling over this period though, it may be in your best interest to communicate over the internet rather than letters at this busy time of year. It also pays to ensure that your estate agent is reliable and can be contacted throughout the Christmas period; otherwise potential offers may fall through. Should you be looking for a reliable estate agent who can help you through this scenario then I can testify for the services of Simmons and Sons (www.simmonsandsons.com) who helped me through this very same process last year.

If you are lucky enough to be moving out of your home over this Christmas then you should also make steps to ensure that the post office is made aware that you have changed address. This way all of your Christmas post can reach you uninterrupted. Of course, whilst you should take advantage of this period whilst you can, those that are not lucky enough to sell should tidy up accordingly once the festive season is over.

After a quick session online ordering items such as new cupboards and Wall Tiles I was anxiously awaiting their arrival, luckily they were delivered on my husband’s day off so we could get straight on with the job. After a lot of shouting, swearing and many, many broke tiles we were really beginning to get somewhere with the renovation and my new shiny white kitchen was beginning to take shape. A fortnight later and it was done, the first meal that I cooked in there really highlighted the fact that I would need to keep on top of the cleaning as white tiles with tomato sauce on them are a major eyesore.

After living with my new white kitchen for a while I am so glad I chose such a bright colour as it really does give the kitchen an incredibly positive aspect and it is a very pleasant space to spend time in. Now I have a nice new glass table in there it is even brighter and meals at the kitchen table are a real treat. So if you are thinking of re-decorating your kitchen and want something very bright and airy, and you’re not scared of having to keep it clean then why not go for the classic white, its classic for a good reason.

After several exhaustive trips to several music shops I found that it hadn’t just been a fault with my bench and was actually a common theme between all benches, to allow for freedom of movement they are flat and un-inhibitive and as a consequence unsupportive. As I have a fairly wide reach I found that I didn’t really need a specific piano bench to allow me to reach all of the keys and started to look for a more supportive alternative. After measuring the perfect height for me to sit I found that Tub Chairs sat at the perfect height and their attractive and supportive design made them the perfect option to accommodate hours of playing.

After a short shop I found one in a beautiful antiqued leather that really suited my ancient but beloved Schimmel and fell instantly in love, a few minutes later I had bought it and rushed home to see if I could finally master the Turkish Rondo in my new chair. Unfortunately it hasn’t improved my playing especially but I’m sure that the hours of practice that it facilitates will have me impressing myself anytime now. So if you are sick of having to put up with a bench then why not treat yourself to a nice supportive tub chair, it’s like a big hug for your backside after years of numbness. One tip to bear in mind though is to get one that swivels and avoid the less than delicate exit that anyone over 30 will have to make from a fixed tub chair.

There are many images that evoke Christmas here. Famous ones include snow dustings over an idyllic village, a spectacularly decorated Christmas tree, carol singers, the famous nativity scene, mass amounts of food and of course, chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

Whilst we can’t always rely on snow in rainy Britain, I’m making sure the rest of these traditions are ticked off my Christmas checklist to make sure Father Christmas comes down my chimney this year

My Christmas tree this year is decked to absolute oblivion and in rustic reds and greens harking back to past fashions but with a modern twist.  Other trends this year include monochrome trees according to House and Home magazine.  I opted for the traditional red and green since I am so intent on having the most traditional Christmas possible, but their modern incarnations are beautiful too

This year I also opted out of the material aspect of Christmas and instead of gifts for the sake of it and the mad rush of Christmas shopping, I choose to make a lot of my gifts combining two Christmas traditions together- food and presents! A lot of the food gifts ideas I got from a Telegraph article which details how to make delicious seasonal jams and chutneys, spiced cakes and velvety smooth jars of parfaits and pates.

The jars and hamper baskets were relatively cheap as I purchased them online and hunted around for the best offers.  It also means my gifts are super personal this year and I’ve decorated each with ribbons, labels and a suitable amount of Christmas sparkle.

Sadly, thanks to the invention of central heating, chestnuts roasting on an open fire is a traditional Christmas image that’s becoming one of myth in many homes.

However, I can hand on heart say my Christmas is going to be the most traditional Christmas ever thanks to my new fireplace.   The beautiful stove I purchased as an indulgent Christmas present  to myself not only means I can roast as many chestnuts as I want, filling my house with that delicious Christmas scent, but we can spend those long winter nights in front of the fire watching Christmas classics such as The Snowman and Home Alone.

My wood burning stove came courtesy of Father Christmas in collaboration with www.realflame.co.uk who professionally installed my stove in no time at all and ensured that I was going to have the most traditional Christmas I have had to date.