As England endures a third national lockdown, almost 10 million people are relying on the government’s furlough scheme to help them ride out the storm. While retailers of big-budget items such as flooring and new kitchens have taken a hit during the pandemic, sales of DIY and gardening products have soared as people trapped at home for months on end seek useful ways to spend their time.

So, what are the best low- to mid-budget home improvements to invest in if you find yourself at home with time on your hands this year? What jobs can you safely and confidently take care of without inviting tradespeople into your home? And which DIY projects will deliver the most bang for your buck when it comes to selling your home fast and for a good price?

Whether you’re preparing your home for an imminent sale or you want to make improvements that will pay off down the line, check out our top five home improvements to keep you busy during furlough.

 

• Painting and Decorating

 

Furlough won’t last forever and you’ll probably be back at work before you know it, so focus on home improvements that you can complete in a couple of weeks. It’s always possible to find a new project if you’re off work for longer than expected, but having to return to the daily routine with a half-finished DIY project underway will be frustrating, stressful and inconvenient.

Adding a fresh lick of paint or new wallpaper to rooms is a perfect home-improvement project to undertake while on furlough. View each room as a mini-project — if you have time to move on to the next, great! Replacing highly personalised decor with more neutral designs and shades can help a potential buyer imagine themselves living in your house as their home, increasing the chances of a sale. If you’re hoping to sell your house quickly, research on-trend colours and shades — currently, blue accounts for 55% of the most popular paint colours available from leading suppliers. 

• Spruce Up the Garden

 

Admittedly, this is likely to be somewhat weather-dependent during the early months of the year, but properties with gardens are more in-demand than ever before, so it’s worth braving the cold to make yours look its best ahead of viewings or photography shoots. Even if you have no immediate plans to sell, why not seize the moment to make your garden an enjoyable space to spend time in when spring arrives? 

Painting fencing and garden furniture can add an attractive pop of colour that will freshen up a tired-looking outside space. Weeding and cutting back overgrown plants and hedges is a simple and effective way to maximise the space available. And adding features such as a wooden bin store to conceal ugly plastic containers or erecting a small shed can add real value to a garden. These small changes may not reflect on the sale price, but they will make your home more appealing to potential buyers. If your outside space extends beyond the main garden, don’t forget the smaller areas, especially if you have a garden at the front of your property. When it comes to selling houses, first impressions count!

• Make Minor Repairs

 

You know that “to do” list of household repairs that sits gathering dust and continues to grow? Now is the time to start checking off some low-hanging fruit. Dripping taps? A broken curtain rail? Missing kitchen cabinet door handles? A well-maintained house is much more pleasant to live in and much easier to sell. These small repairs take minimum time, effort and money to rectify but they can make a dramatic difference to your home’s appearance.

Take a tour of your home and note down any items that need repairing, then list them in order of priority. You’ll be surprised how satisfying it is to tick a job off the list each day.

• Do a Deep Clean

 

Okay, so strictly speaking, this may not be a “home improvement” as there is no DIY involved, but a deep clean will make your home look and feel its best. In the blur of day-to-day working life, few of us have time to do more than a cursory surface-level house clean. Furlough presents the perfect opportunity to roll up your sleeves and clean the house from top to bottom.

Hire or borrow a carpet cleaner and give the flooring in each room a thorough wash — you’ll be amazed at the gunk that comes out! Scrub away any limescale that has built up on taps, basins and showerheads. Move furniture and hoover, dust or sweep away the debris and dirt that accumulates over months or years of neglect. A deep clean has the added advantage of providing the opportunity for clearing out unnecessary furniture and household items, creating extra living space.

• Update the Exterior of Your Home

 

Many homeowners forget about the outside of their property when prioritising home improvements. Yet this is one of the most critical aspects of your home when the time comes to sell. Many potential buyers will drive by a property to check it out before booking a viewing. Even if they don’t, a shabby front door and rotting window frames could be enough to put a buyer off your home before they set foot inside. As property sales move online — more common than ever since COVID-19 landed on our shores — your property’s appearance in photographs and videos has become a vital component of the sales process. 

Consider repainting your front door in an attractive colour, repairing rotten window frames and freshening up the fencing. Adding a potted plant, a cheery house number plaque or security lighting are simple ways to create a homely, welcoming feel.

 

Being furloughed doesn’t have to mean wasted time, boredom and frustration. Make the most of this unprecedented freedom to check off some of those niggling home improvement “to-dos” that have been awaiting your attention for months or even years. 

 

There are plenty of small DIY projects that you can do without professional help in a short space of time, yet these “small” changes can make a dramatic difference to the look and feel of your home. Make 2021 the year you make your home look its best!