Which home improvements do you LOVE? Post Reply

[Longlastingjoy]

Hi
We're looking at a new fixer-upper in SW London and earlier today I had a bit of an ephinany.

We've been in our current home for a while and there are some things that have aged really really well and others that really haven't. We did this place about ten years ago so would love to know what you have on your list.

These aren't just things that you're pleased with aesthetic wise but things that still look good years later.

Things that aged well:

1. Wooden floors in downstairs rooms
2. Big tiles in the kitchen
3. Bifold doors onto garden

Things that haven't:

1. carpet - we didn't get a hardwearing enough one
2. decking - it deteriorates quite quickly

Can you add to the list so I can steal for new house.

Thank you!

[supergirl]

Aged well
Natural stones floor throughout the ground floor
Wooden floor in drawing room
Quooker tap
The kicthen i designed - amazing space
The pantry - amazing too
Steam oven
Bookshelves made to measure and bespoke
The drop down screen amd projector
The tiles in all the bathrooms
Etc

Didnt aged well
Painting the stairs as I hate runners and carpets in stairs. I need to research what i m going to do with the stairs

Good luck on the reno

[Longlastingjoy]

Thank you S.

Where is the projector and do you use it as your "main" tv?

[Longlastingjoy]

Read the Which reviews and for £600 I can get a decent projector - now looking at electric drop down screens.

Thanks again S.!

[supergirl]

Drop down screen is in the big kitchen dining living but isnt the main tv although it is now considered the main one… we also have a tv in the drawing room.
Screen was my husband toy!

A few things to consider
- it needs to go up as soon as you turn the TV off so it isnt an eye sore
- you either need to box it off to hide the screen or better still have a builder create a trench in the ceiling to hide it when up. We couldnt too much cables in the ceiling.
- you need a lot of speakers we have: 3 on the wall (again if planned get them in the wall) and 4 in the ceiling
- you also need an optimal distance between the screen the sitting and the height. Due to that we had to have ours made bespoke.

It was super expensive and i was meh at the time (but rugby matches needed a mega screen ) but really love it now. And love all the fun when we watch the rugby with friends or when the kids are having movie parties or sitting as a family or even cooking while watching crap (me )

Not cheap though

[CyclingLondon]

Things I love...

1. mains socket on the back of your front garden wall. Means that hoovering you car out is no longer a pain with cables out of windows 
2. Hot and cold taps in front garden and in back garden. Again no traipsing for window cleaners or car washers
3. mains sockets in back garden against a fence post. 

All of these made life so much easier.



 

[Helen_nguyen]

It's great to see these home improvement tips. Thanks all!
@supergirl - I've been having the same idea regarding carpet and runner in stairs as I simply do not like them. If you find any tips on how to pain stairs then I'd be grateful if you could share further ☺
Your dropdown screen and project tip is indeed eye-opening!

Painting the stairs as I hate runners and carpets in stairs. I need to research what i m going to do with the stairs

[Longlastingjoy]

Ok another question.

I always found our fridge is too cramped. Rocket salad hidden behind the tomatoes, left-overs going off because they're not visible.

I think that the solution to this is the biggest fridge possible so everyone can SEE what is there but I know I may be wrong.

How do others cope with this?

And what is the BIGGEST upright fridge/freezer once can buy?

Thanks

[BHG]

I think Sub Zero do the biggest but they are VERY expensive. The easiest solution is to have more than one fridge! We have a large fridge for the usual stuff, a smaller one in the utility room for overspill, cans of beer etc and then a drawer fridge which we use for milk and wine but you can use it for pretty much anything you want to keep cool. Fischer and Paykel make them. It’s built-in so just looks like a kitchen drawer.

[PreventBankScam]

Any votes for Quooker taps? Those super hot water ones?

Love the idea but they seem spenny.

[SW18_Dad]

Incredibly useful.

Great for blanching, rinsing etc.

Perfect for using with an induction hob - pans of boiling water bubbling in under a minute etc.

As you say it is a pricey item. You do need the pre filter to go with it to prevent lime scale - this can go in a separate cupboard or even in a basement area remotely. Reason I say that is otherwise you won’t have much space in your under sink cupboard with the descaling tank and the boiling water tank.

[supergirl]

It's great to see these home improvement tips. Thanks all!
@supergirl - I've been having the same idea regarding carpet and runner in stairs as I simply do not like them. If you find any tips on how to pain stairs then I'd be grateful if you could share further ☺
Your dropdown screen and project tip is indeed eye-opening!

Painting the stairs as I hate runners and carpets in stairs. I need to research what i m going to do with the stairs

I found the solution re stairs being painted. I m interior architect. So what i will do is 2 coats of primer, sand between each coats. Then 6/7 coats of a very good quality matt eggshell sanded in between each.
My decorator will do it when we are away during our summer holidays so i ll post the pictures then. I cant wait!!!

[Helen_nguyen]

@supergirl.
Thanks for sharing further.
I can't wait to see the photos.