Make Your House Your Home

I am certain that you will agree with me when I say:

If you are one of the many people who feel underwhelmed and frustrated by your house, then you are not alone. Many people strive to ensure that their home is as beautiful and welcoming as possible, essentially a reflection of themselves.

However, the cost of living and the strain of those hidden expenses ensure that we are neglecting our most valuable possession, our homes.

If you are looking for ways to ensure that your home is a true reflection of yourself and actually does you justice, then take a look at these cost-effective ideas to ensure that you have the home that you are your family deserve, without having to go through the painful process of re-mortgaging or taking out an excessively expensive loan.

Your house is the focal point of your life; it is where you retire to at the end of a hard day, it is where you bond and come together with your family and it is where you can distance yourself from the stress and strain of everyday life.

Essentially it is an extension of yourself.

If you are noticing that your home is leaving you feeling overwhelmed and somewhat claustrophobic, then it may well be due to the fact that you are over-cluttering your home. While each room is representative of your life in some way or another, those photos on the wall and items on the shelves are objects that help to tell the story of your life, the people you have met and the places you have visited. However, there is a saturation point that turns your possessions into clutter, taking up valuable space and undermining your personal well-being.

Keep reading to learn how to improve your house and at the same time, yourself.

Make Your Kitchen The Focal Point

There are plenty of cost-effective ways to make your kitchen both more psychologically and aesthetically pleasing. In today’s modern society more and more people are finally starting to recycle their waste. However, you would be surprised at the number of households that simply divide their recycling with plastic bags or cardboard boxes. Not only does this look unsightly but it is also a great place for bacteria to fester. Ensure that you remove any clutter from the floor with a well-organised and affordable recycling holder, Ikea is a great place to start looking.

It is indeed possible to create a more visually-appealing kitchen without breaking the bank. Many people choose to purchase a smaller, luxurious item as opposed to a full kitchen refurbishment. This could include items such as Franke taps or high-end kitchen ceiling lights to give the kitchen that extra little something.

Let’s Go Outside

Your garden will make you & your family happier

Now that we are coming towards the end of the summer, it is the ideal time to take stock of your garden and decide whether or not there is room for improvement; most of the time this will certainly be the case.

If you have continually neglected your garden over the years, then it is probably looking somewhat barren and lacking in colour. We are all aware of the positive effect nature can have on our overall mood and well-being. If you have children and you have continually not invested your time and energy into improving your garden, then you are missing the chance to make happier and to spend quality time together as a family.

Ideally you want to encourage as much wildlife to enter your garden as possible, there are items on the market that will do this for you but a bit of careful and strategic planning will do this for you. Encourage birds to come into the garden by putting up sturdy, solid hedges; a pond is also an excellent way of encouraging wildlife, if you would like to make your garden extra visually appealing, opt for a more formal design and enjoy the compliments that will soon come your way.

Wait: That’s Not All!

One of the main joys of having green fingers is the pleasure in growing and gathering food from your garden. Imagine the joy of picking your own strawberries from your garden and then laying down on the grass to enjoy them with your children.

Take the time to identify some space that you could utilise an area for growing fruit and vegetables. This is also a great activity to do as a family and goes someway to encouraging healthy eating to your children. You should also look to create some kind of outside eating space to really enjoy those summer months in the garden; a great long-term goal could be to install a permanent, outdoor BBQ.

Get The Ideal Surface

If you take a look at the majority of gardens you will notice that a lot of them have neglected to invest in quality surfaces and instead rely on cheap concrete that looks unsightly and fails to do the garden justice.

If you are able to invest the money, then opt for patterned concentre tiles; this design idea was incredibly popular during the Victorian times where gardens would have colourfully tiled front paths to their houses. If you have uneven ground then gravel is a great way of avoiding costly levelling, however, ensure that it is laid properly so that it does not look unsightly.