With so many of us having busy and hectic lives, we often find ourselves looking for ways to make our lives easier and save time. Whether you’re working long hours and short on time, or you’ve got pets and little ones running around, our homes need to be practical for our lifestyles. If you’re looking for some inspiration to make some practical changes around your home, then take a look at our guide below. We’ve listed some hints and tips for how to make your living spaces both indoors and outdoors more practical for busy lives. Keep reading to find out more.
Open Up Spaces
Small, cramped rooms can sometimes make a home feel claustrophobic and cluttered. Knocking down a couple of walls and opening up living spaces can really help make a home feel more open and airier. You could choose to do this with a kitchen-diner or have a complete open-plan with a kitchen, diner, and living room in one. This makes it easier to move between different places in the house, and gives a better, more practical flow through the house.
Reconfigure Furniture
If you’re not willing to make such drastic changes, you could have a look at the way in which your furniture is currently situated. Are there ways you could move it around that would allow a better flow through the space and open up more room? Try not to position furniture so that it’s blocking doorways and windows as this will make the room less practical and block out natural light.
Heat Saving Tips
During the coldest months, heating bills can be expensive and the last thing you want is to be wasting heat throughout your home. It’s worth investing in better glazing on your windows and installing a better heating system to help keep your home warm and save you money in the long run. Smaller changes such as resealing gaps in windows and doors and buying thick curtains can also help trap in heat.
Keeping Your House Cooler In The Summer
It can be difficult to keep UK homes cool during the summer as it’s not a standard feature to have air conditioning installed. If you don’t have the budget for air-con, there are a few simple steps you can take to take the edge off the heat. Contrary to what you might believe, it can actually help to keep windows closed to prevent warm air from entering the house. You could also use blinds and curtains to block out sunlight and keep rooms shaded. Switching to LED bulbs instead of halogen can help reduce heat being produced when lights are on and use less energy and save you money.
Swap Out Carpets
Although carpets can be nice to make a room feel cosier and warmer, they trap dirt and are difficult to deep clean. If it’s more practical to do so, swap out carpets for laminate, vinyl, or ceramic flooring instead. These types of floors are easy to keep clean with just a quick wipe or mop, and can help brighten and freshen up a space that previously had carpet.
Change Up Your Furniture
Sometimes the wrong type of furniture can make your home less practical. For example, having fabric sofas can see more wear and tear from use than leather sofas. If you’re thinking of replacing your current sofas, visit Leather Sofa World to discover some great options to choose from. Browsing from sellers such as this helps expand your search for the right sofa, and create the comfy room you’re dreaming of.
Fake Grass
If you’re struggling to maintain the grass in your garden or don’t enjoy being green fingered, then you could consider replacing it with fake grass. Not only does fake grass not require maintenance, it can be hosed down and cleaned, perfect if you have pets. There are plenty of options to choose from now as fake grass is becoming increasingly popular, although they range in price. Some options are incredibly realistic and look identical to real grass.
Cheat By Using Fake Plants
Another idea if you want the look of plants in your garden but don’t enjoy gardening, is to have fake plants potted around. You could also mix them in with existing real plants to help thicken out borders and make your garden look lusher.
Garden Storage
If you’re struggling to find extra space inside your home to install storage space, then you could consider adding storage to your garden. Depending on how much storage you need, there are plenty of different options to choose from. For example, if you need office space, you could look at summer houses and outdoor offices. If it’s simply for storage of garden tools or outdoor furniture, you could choose a wooden or plastic shed. There are also smaller storage options too should you only have a small outdoor space or balcony.