When you move into a house you naturally want to put your own stamp on it. You can do this in a number of ways, and just putting your own furniture in will change it straightaway.

Sometimes when you take on a house, it can be really nicely decorated and in good order. But to make it feel like yours it’s sometimes better to start again. Decorate one room at a time – this will give you plenty of room to live normally, without being in a state of flux, and you can start and complete each room before moving the paintbrushes and wallpapering table onto the next area.

Something that can be difficult to do is remove old wallpaper, especially if you buy an older house where the paper has been in place for a number of years. Begin tackling it with a wallpaper scraper and if you’re lucky this will do the job. If not, you have to get tough!

Cover the floor with plastic sheeting – as you’re going to get it wet in order to shift the paper. Use a wallpaper scorer or craft knife to score diagonal lines over the old paper. Then use a sponge to apply some soapy hot water all over the paper (the reason for the plastic sheeting). Leave it to soak in for at least fifteen minutes and then try scraping the paper off again. If it doesn’t come off, put some more soapy water on and leave it to soak again. Then try the scraper one more time.

If you’re still having no luck moving the old paper then you may have to go down to the DIY shop and get yourself a steam stripper which will definitely take the paper off. You’ll need to leave the wall to dry out thoroughly before you repaper or paint it.

Take advantage of the downtime to check out some sofa sales and see whether you can find some nice new furniture for your living room. There’s some great cheap furniture available both online and on the high street, so you’ll be spoilt for choice when making your home your own.

Choosing a new bathroom is nearly as exciting as picking out a new kitchen. There are less gadgets and appliances to consider however so hopefully it will be a little bit easier. If you are wondering how to pick the best shower for your new bathroom then there are a few things you might like to know. Have a read of this checklist for a few handy pointers…

1. What kind of shower? Make sure you know who will be using it and what their requirements are. Are there mobility issues to consider in which case you will need to look at mobility showers, or is your choice going to be based around environmental impact?

2. What do you want to spend? Like anything else your choice as a consumer is limited by your spending power alone. Sort out specific needs with Mobility Plus first and then see what is left in the budget.

3. How big is your bathroom? Plan carefully to make sure you maximise the space available. And think carefully before removing the bath to make room for a large shower – if you come to sell the house a lack of bath could put some buyers off.

4. What is your plumbing and boiler like? Know your system or find someone that does – be practical about water pressure and volumes before you make any purchases.

5. What kind of shower do you dream of? Is it also a steam room with a little seat, an overhead drenching from an oversized shower head or maybe a system which blasts you from all sides?!

6. Finishing touches. Do you want a shower curtain or a glass screen, shelves for shampoo etc or a space on the windowsill? Is the shower over the bath or in its own cubicle, or even wet room? The choice is yours!

Not only do windows bring light and air into your home, and keep out the cold and noise of the streets outside, they also make a big difference to the character of your house. A change of windows makes a property better heat-insulated (saving on energy bills) and sound-proofed, and can update it in an instant. Nothing says unkempt like dingy windows with rotting sills.

If your windows are reflecting badly on your house, then it’s time to make a change. But buying and installing windows – particularly double-glazing – has always been seen as an expensive job which must be left to the professionals. Maybe, like many home-owners, you’re saving up to replace the guest beds in the spare room, the units in the kitchen or the shower in the en-suite. New windows, however, are not necessarily out of budget, if you do the job yourself.

Before you start altering any windows, ensure the new ones will comply with any regulations regarding fire escapes and safety issues. In addition to this, the success or failure of your installation will depend on your measurements. Measuring from the outside, find the narrowest point and then deduct 5mm from the width and height. Make sure you include the sill thickness (normally 30mm), and include details about this when you order the windows. Choose your supplier carefully. Just as if you were buying a new king size bed, you’d go to a reputable firm like Bensons For Beds, make sure you go to a supplier whose products are guaranteed and have reasonable delivery charges.

Fit the frame from the outside. Handling the frame should not be too difficult as most frames when not glazed, are fairly light. However, it is always helpful to have another pair of hands, particularly if the window-frame is large. Screw the frame into the brick or block-work, using 6” frame-fixers. Next, fit the glass into the frame. Packers are used to lift the glass so water can freely drain out of the frame. A common cause of unit failure is water freezing around the bottom seal. Fill any large gaps between the frame and the wall with expandable foam. Don’t do the gap-filling before fitting the glass, as it can distort the frame and then the glass would not fit. Then, using a quality silicon and plenty of kitchen towel to clean up as you go along, finish the edges around the window frame, and you’re done.

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