If you have carpet in your home you will already know how grubby it can get. With dark or heavily patterned carpets you may not notice as much as with lighter carpets. Carpets get especially dirty over the winter months when you may unknowingly tread in dirt from outside. Hallway carpets and high traffic areas often get the worse, especially if you have to go through the house to get to the back. This means if you take your dog a walk, you have to walk them through the house before you can get them to a place that you can clean them off. Although many of us start off with the best intensions of removing shoes when you come in etc, this often gets forgotten over time.

Cleaning your carpets not only brings the colour back to them but can also give that fresh clean smell. It is a great way to add some life back in to a room. It is best to clean your carpets quite often as if you leave it for too long you may find that the marks are a lot harder to come out or will not come out at all.

With many of us still working from home or being on furlough, our houses just cannot seem to stay tidy. It may be that you are working from home and also home-schooling children at the same time, which can be a task by itself let alone trying to keep on top of the house work.

The secret to staying on top of the cleaning is to have a schedule. You should be a bit more used to the routine with school work etc now so try and find a set time in the day when you can do your cleaning. Some people decide to not do much through the week and instead do it all at the weekend which is ok but if something comes up or you are not feeling well, then you could miss out another week.

Often doing a little bit every day allows you to keep on top of it before it becomes a mammoth task. If you live with other people such as a partner or children, you may even decide to do a rota and split some of the jobs up. Even younger children can have some responsibility such as taking their toys away or using a duster.

So many of us have spent a lot longer in our homes than normal. This has been due to the restrictions put in place following the Covid outbreak where people have been forced in to lockdown, working from home and home schooling.

When asked, the general population said that the one thing they had really struggled with during these times was space. There simply wasn’t enough space for everyone to work in. It may be that you just need to rearrange your room or declutter so you can fit in an extra desk, but if you simply do not have the floor space then it may be time to consider if you want to move to a larger home or improve your current one.

Many estate agencies are seeing an increase in traffic to their website and enquiries. At the moment there is also a stamp duty holiday which is due to end at the end of March so people looking to buy a property are keen to get it sorted out prior to this date.

It may be that you decide that you actually really like your home and the location, in which case it is probably worth while looking in to if you can build an extension to give you the extra space needed rather than having to move home.

If you have bought or rent a period property then you may wonder if you need to have everything themed around that. For example, when it comes to the kitchen, do you have to have one that is a more traditional shaker style or can you go for something ultra modern?

Ultra modern in period properties can work well if done correctly. You may wish to use a home interior design company who will be able to tell you what would work well. If the property still has some period features such as floor tiles or a fireplace that you want to keep, they will be able to tell you how to combine it into your design so you do not lose those features.

Often it is more practice to have a modern look as they any appliances you have such as coffee makers or microwaves will not look out of place. The same goes the other way round too. You can have a more traditional kitchen or bedroom on a more modern house. You need to think carefully about flooring, wall coverings and furniture. Do not forget the little fixtures and fittings that can make a huge difference like tapes and lights.

A kitchen is a very important part of the home. Many people do not realise actually how much time they spend in their kitchen every day. It may not only be a place to do cooking and cleaning but it can also be a great place to socialise. Many discussions are had in the kitchen whilst someone is preparing tea or round the table if you have a dinning area or breakfast bar in there.

Sometimes we neglect our kitchens and focus more on rooms which we see as places to relax in such as bedrooms and living rooms, but actually transforming a kitchen can have a hugely positive effect on your life.

Everyone wants to make their life that little bit easier. A fitted kitchen can ensure you have enough room for everything you want and need and it is laid out in such a way that it is not only aesthetically pleasing but also very practical.

Simply having enough worktop space to prepare meals can really help take the stress out of cooking and actually make it enjoyable again. If everything in the kitchen has its own place and is built in to the design it makes it easier to keep it looking clean and fresh.