Collectively, British homeowners have spent £40 billion improving their properties in the past five years, equating to around £2,000 per household.
 
The Gazette highlighted the research conducted by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), which found that redecorating, garden landscaping and installing new flooring are the most common things we spend our money on.
 
NAEA chief executive Mark Hayward said that there are many reasons why people are choosing to make improvements to their property.
 
“It may be because they have realised the value and sale potential it can add, or they cannot afford to move and are looking to make the most of what they’ve already got,” he suggested.
 
If you’re hoping to make improvements that will make it easier to sell your home, it’s best to focus on things that improve its appearance or create more space, Mr Hayward advised.
 
One area that you should always pay attention to if you’re going to put your house on the market is how it appears from the street. Kerb appeal is an important factor in selling homes and you should make sure that yours looks as good as possible to prospective buyers. That may mean paying for external house painting in London to give the right impression. 
 
You should also clean your windows and make sure that the front door is in a good state of repair and looks welcoming.
 
LancasterOnline recently offered some advice on the jobs you should do if you’re selling your home, which included finding the time to do those little DIY projects you’ve been putting off and decluttering rooms as much as you can. 

Trust is top of the agenda when booking a tradesperson to carry out your home improvement.
 
According to a YouGov survey for John Lewis Home Solutions reported in DIYweek.net, feeling happy to leave the job in the hands of an expert was the most important thing for 83 per cent of respondents, followed by value for money (76 per cent), credentials (76 per cent), ease of booking (41 per cent) and recommendations from previous customers (38 per cent).
 
Indeed, 65 per cent of people have sought the opinion of family or friends before hiring a professional to carry out jobs such as external house painting for their London property.
 
The capital city is, according to the survey, the place where people feel least comfortable carrying out home improvements on their own such as changing a fuse or fixing a leaky tap, and nationwide, 63 per cent of people said they are not at ease with the idea of completing tasks such as plumbing themselves.
 
This is a growing sentiment among British householders, with more and more people admitting to FOMU (fear of messing up) - and one-third (32 per cent) of respondents said they would be more likely to turn to a professional today than they were five years ago,
 
Opting for a professional rather than attempting the job yourself is just as popular among men as it is women, with the YouGov report revealing women are just as likely to book a tradesmen for their home improvement needs as men. 

If you’ve decided that it’s time to sell your home you’ll no doubt be looking to get the best possible price for your abode.
 
To realise its full potential, there are a few things you should do to ensure that you not only attract buyers, but that they’re prepared to offer your asking price, or possibly even higher. With fewer people in the UK moving home at the moment, it’s a seller’s market so you should make the most of it.
 
LancasterOnline recently offered some advice on what home improvement tasks you should tackle before you list your property for sale.
 
First up is making sure the outside of your home looks the part. A good first impression counts for a lot, so tidy up the garden, mow the lawn and consider putting some pretty potted plants by the front door to make it look welcoming.
 
If the outside of your house is looking a little worse for wear, you may decide it’s worth paying for external house painting to ensure it looks fresh and inviting to any potential buyers.
 
Taking care of any of those little DIY projects you haven’t yet got round to is also advisable, as is making sure you tidy up as much of the clutter in every room in your home as possible.
 
Checking the outside of your home to see if it could do with any work isn’t just something you should do if you’re selling up though. Realtor recently suggested that now is the perfect time to give your property a once-over to see if there are any maintenance jobs that need tackling after winter.
 
Doing a visual inspection of the outside of your home will allow you to spot any cracks, holes in the paint work or other damage that needs to be fixed, the site added. 

Everyone knows that purchasing a property can be a stressful process, but you’d hope that once you’ve moved in things will calm down.
 
However, new research by Which? shows that for many new homeowners there can be a host of problems waiting for them once they’ve completed the purchase and made the move. According to the organisation, 37 per cent of homeowners uncover significant problems after they’ve moved into their new abode.
 
Damp, which can be costly to fix, was the third most common issue found by people shortly after moving, with 22 per cent of people reporting that this is a problem they have to deal with.
 
Top of the list are plumbing issues among 28 per cent, and problems with fixtures and fittings, among 23 per cent.
 
The consumer rights organisation pointed out that having a comprehensive survey carried out is important to identify any potential issues before you’ve completed, so that you can either walk away or negotiate a lower price to allow for the cost of repairs.
 
If you do discover damp in your home, it’s vital that you contact experts in damp proofing in Surrey as soon as you can, to minimise the damage caused and prevent the issue from getting worse.
 
Finding costly problems that need to be fixed after moving into a new home can be challenging financially, and with research from Lloyds recently showing that second steppers typically need to find around £136,000 to move up the property ladder and purchase a bigger abode it seems they’re unlikely to have much cash to spare to rectify issues like damp.