Increase the Value of Your Home for Less

Selling your home can be a frustrating process and if the house is a state of disrepair the situation could drag on for far longer than you ever expected. When you are considering selling up you should carry out a few simple tasks that will improve the overall value of your home without breaking the bank. Taking out a small loan to do the work is often a wise investment and you can find the best deals for loans and other financial products at www.moneysupermarket.com

The Decor

The place to start is the walls. Any holes in the interior walls should be filled and repainted using a good filler and, of course, paint that matches the rest of the wall. If this is not possible you will need to consider painting the whole of the wall again. The filled holes should be sanded to perfection so that they do not show up once the area is repainted.

You could also consider adding a few little extras, which while not costing too much money could make a big difference. For example, brighten up a plain-looking room by adding a wall border. This is a fairly simple and cheap task but you will be surprised at the difference it could make. In addition, while you will no doubt take them with you when you leave, replacing your old curtains with a stylish new set will do wonders for those first impressions.

The Kitchen

For many, the kitchen will be the first place they look. After all this is generally considered to be the heart of the home. Make sure all your units match up. If they don’t, then order new front panels. These will not be too expensive and will have an enormous impact on the overall look of your kitchen.

Items such as door handles and cabinet handles could also be replaced without costing a fortune. Try going for a whole matching set and your kitchen will look up to date, well maintained and clean.

The Bathroom

After the kitchen, the bathroom is probably the most important room in the house. As with kitchens, they can be effectively updated without having to spend a fortune. For example, replacing the toilet seat is a relatively simple and cheap task as is re-grouting the tiling. However, the effect will be impressive. In addition, laying a vinyl covering over the old tatty flooring is easy and cheap but will make a massive difference.

The Carpets

Perhaps the most effective task you could carry out is having the carpets cleaned. A house with clean, fresh-looking carpets will make all the difference to any prospective buyers. You can pay a professional company to do the job for you or simply hire a carpet cleaning machine and do the job yourself since it’s not that complicated. If the carpet has areas which are beyond cleaning, some strategically placed rugs will do the job.
These are just a few simple ideas that will improve the overall value of your home without costing you a fortune. While potential buyers may end up replacing all aspects of you interior decor, including the carpets, first impressions are vital and if your home looks fresh and well maintained you stand a good chance of selling at the right price.

A review of Dulux Trade Diamond Matt

“A tough, washable matt emulsion with 10 times the durability of silk emulsions” – quote Dulux Trade

I was recently asked by TradeXpress to review the Dulux Trade Diamond Matt, Pure Brilliant White emulsion; I used this product both on a ceiling and walls to review this product.

As I opened the tin I thought it had more odour then the normal trade paint, but maybe that’s just me. It isn’t a strong smell and doesn’t linger so wasn’t an issue. I was impressed by the opacity and how it covered the artexed ceiling I painted. I was also impressed with the whiteness, it certainly was a pure brilliant white.

The paint went on well; the coverage is on par with normal Matt emulsion although slightly less at 16m² per litre. However, drying time is increased with a recoat time of 4-6 hours compared to 2-4 hours of vinyl matt. Touch dry will obviously depend on the conditions in which you are working but for me it took around 3 hours for each coat to fully dry.

Durability and Stain Resistance

The big selling point of this paint is of course it’s durability and stain resistance and the fact you can wash marks off without getting that ‘buffed sheen’ look you normally get from vinyl matt emulsions. I have tried rubbing a small area of the wall I painted and I couldn’t see any obvious signs of a sheen appearing.

The Dulux Trade datasheet (447) for this product states it is suitable for use in Kitchens and Bathrooms due to it’s moisture resistant properties. For this review I used Dulux Trade Diamond Matt Pure Brilliant White on a Kitchen ceiling and walls in a cupboard. I am confident this paint will hold up well in the area’s I used it.

The Product comes in 2.5 and 5 litre cans and of course you can have any colour mixed with colour tinting.

The only downside I can see would be it’s price, at over £15 per 5L can more than traditional Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt and the colour mixing prices at around £70 for 5 litres. However, saying that, I feel if the job calls for a tough durable stain resistant paint I would use this product.

For more information see the TradeXpress website or find them on Facebook: TradeXpress UK or Twitter @TradeXpress.