Our episode of DIY SOS aired this Wednesday (19/3/14). If you missed it fear not! It’s currently live on BBC iPlayer until next Wednesday (26/3/14). We help a lovely local family in Manchester transform their home. Link here.
windows
Double Glazing: Is It Worth It?
You’ve been thinking about upgrading your old windows to brand new double glazed windows, but Is it really worth it? Will it really save you money in the long run? Here’s the lowdown:
Energy saving – Up to 18% of your homes heat could be lost through your windows. The following graphic breaks it down by U value. A U value is a measure of heat loss. The higher the U value the worse the thermal performance of your window, hence a low U value usually indicates high levels of insulation and heat retention.
If you swapped all the single-glazed windows in a three-bedroom house you would save around £165 a year on your heating bills – thats well over £3000 in 20 years!
“I live in a listed building that doesn’t allow double glazing. What can I do?” Secondary glazing is the next best thing. Secondary glazing works by fitting a second layer of glass inside your existing windows. It may not be as effective as double glazing, but it could still save you around £105 a year on your heating bills.
To sum up, the benefits of double glazed over single glazed windows:
1. Energy efficiency and reduced heating bills
2. Heat retention
3. Noise reduction
4. Increased security
5. Reduced condensation
5 Ways to Save Money at DIY Stores
We all love DIY home improvements but they can sometimes prove expensive. Here’s our best tips on how to save money at DIY stores, so that you can finally make those much needed home improvements!
1. Buy in bulk – if you’re buying something you will use often, such as lightbulbs, you can often but them in bulk at a reduced price. Be sure to check the price per item on the shelf label.
2. Compare prices online – there are plenty of price comparison sites out there to help you find the best deals. We recommend Idealo or Price Runner. You might even find a better deal online on sites such as eBay!
3. Hunt for coupons – if you’re going to a specific store or are looking for a specific item, try a simple Google search for a discount code or offer. For example B&Q are currently holding a ‘15% off Bathroom Orders Over £200’ deal – but hurry! These offers often end fast.
4. Measure, don’t guess! – You’re undertaking a DIY project that requires screws, but you have no idea what size so you just guess and end up buying more than necessary. Does that sound familiar? Taking exact measurements and sizes beforehand could save you both time and money!
5. Paint samples – You want an exact colour match to paint over the cracks on your wall? Some stores will give out small paint samples for free, but if you have to buy them they will definitely save you money.
5 ways to insulate your home
1. Your Attic – It is essential to insulate your attic as a quarter of your homes heat can be lost through the roof. Not only will this make your home warmer but it will also save you money on your energy bills.
2. Windows – As the weather gets colder; you might start to notice the cold is entering your bedrooms, living room and kitchen. An upgrade to double or triple glazed windows will make a big difference. To further prevent any heat from escaping you could also purchase some window insulation film.
3. Doors – To help you find the draught that is coming from your door, light a candle and use it to find the source. The flame will flicker when it indicates a draught. Also, there is an easier option which is a draught excluder or stopper. These are used to eliminate cold draught and heat loss. The draught excluder should be placed at the bottom of your door.
4. Walls – 35% of heat escapes through your walls. Cavity wall insulation is a good way to keep warmth in your home. Was your home built after 1920? Is so, your walls are most likely be made of two layers with a gap or cavity. If you decide to purchase cavity wall insulation this will fill the gaps in and enable the heat to stay in your home.
5. Flooring – Did you know that 15% of your homes heat can escape through your floors? Insulating and draught proofing the floors in your house can be cost effective. If you don’t have a rug maybe it’s something you could invest in, it won’t solve all your problems but putting a rug on top of your floor will help to maintain some of the draught that might be escaping.
5 Home Improvements That Add Value to Your Property
1. Kitchen – The focal point of any home: Larger adjustments such as replacing old units, tiles and worktops. Minor adjustments such as giving your kitchen appliances a good clean so that they look brand new.
2. Attic/Loft Conversion – Not only does it conveniently add more space, perhaps for an extra bedroom, a loft conversion can increase the value of your home by 10% – 15%.
3. Garden – You wouldn’t let someone look around your messy house, would you? Simply keeping your garden tidy can make a huge difference. Be sure to keep your lawn trim and all plants looking healthy. A clean garden can go a long way.
4. Painting – Similarly to your garden, a fresh coat of paint can make any home look good. Stay neutral though – no bright yellow walls please!
5. Windows and doors – replacing your windows and doors could provide a 70% return on investment.
Mid-Movember Update
Just a quick update to let everyone know how the Movember team are getting along two weeks in to the month. So far we’ve raised £90 for testicular cancer – not bad – but we can definitely do better! If you would like to donate please visit moteam.co/homesafe. All donations are greatly appreciated, no matter how big or small, they could make a significant difference!
Now for the moustaches! Here’s how mobro’s at HomeSafe are getting along…
L-R: John, Nick and Martin looking rather ridiculous….but it’s for a good cause!
Stay tuned for our final Movember blog post at the end of the month. We promise you some wacky moustaches – there may be some pink dye involved! We may also have new addition to the team this week. Keep up to date via our twitter @HomeSafeInfo
Once again thank you for your donations! 🙂
See our previous Movember post here
HomeSafe in the media
We have been lucky enough to get a two page feature in the Local Life magazine for Hindley, Hindley Green & Aspull in Wigan. We’re really pleased with the results and would like to thank Frank from Local Life for writing such a fantastic article. Check it out & let us know what you think!
Join us for Movember
Since 2004 Movember has been an annual, month-long event across the globe, raising awareness for male health charities. This year HomeSafe MD John Jones will be representing the HomeSafe Movember team, along with friends Nickie Howarth, Martin Parr & Mark Rigby.
Each year in the UK, around 2,100 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer. It usually affects young or middle-aged men. We want to raise awareness of this and raise some money to support those suffering with testicular cancer. Is there a better way to do so than growing unique and wacky moustaches? Definitely not!
So please join us on our mission to beat testicular cancer!
Everyone is welcome to join our HomeSafe team on moteam.co/homesafe. If growing a wacky moustache is not your thing then any donations would be greatly appreciated & could make a huge difference.
Here are some pre-movember snaps of the team:
Follow our progress on this blog to see how our moustaches are getting along!
Do you have a moustache style recommendation? Tweet us @HomeSafeInfo
Thank you for your donations!
Wigan Business Expo 2013
Happy Wednesday everyone, to celebrate here is a new blog post – yay!
It’s been 5 days since the team here at HomeSafe attended the Wigan Business Expo, and what a superb day it was! First things first, we would like to thank everyone involved in the making of the day at the DW Stadium in Wigan. We can’t wait for next years expo already!
Our day started at around 8am as we began to set up camp on stand B23 in the Hughes Brothers Exhibition Lounge. The expo was a fantastic opportunity to engage and develop relationships with fellow businesses. The opportunity to meet face-to-face is one not to be missed. We were delighted by the amount of interest in our home improvements, maybe it was the free cinnamon rolls? Nevertheless we think the day was a huge success for all!
If you didn’t get to meet us at the expo, but would like to know more about our home improvement services, give us a call on 01942 522 283 or visit our website homesafeimprovements.co.uk
Follow us on twitter @HomeSafeInfo
We met Kevin McCloud!
Last Friday we were lucky enough to attend Grand Designs Live at the NEC in Birmingham. Firstly I would like to say thanks to everybody involved in making the event so spectacular, we had a great time and can’t wait to visit again next year! There were some fantastic products on show and we managed to grab some great bargains.
Not forgetting our favourite part of the day, no not the free food, the moment we met mr Grand Designs himself Kevin McCloud, and what a lovely guy he was!
Until next time, I leave you with some pictures from the NEC. Follow us on twitter for even more pictures to come…
John getting stuck-in!
HomeSafe Improvements Blog 