Has something you've changed in your home made a huge difference?

Ha, I’ve just walked through and taken a look at the bad table.

Add to that list:

A ball of wool
Scissors
Socks waiting to be paired
and a Tilley hat……..

Does it just do the conservatory jamesandjon?

Not an actual alteration or addition but when I got rid of the dining table I bought a large table for the conservatory than the one already in there.
The old one is a cane and glass affair with two upholstered chairs, just right for my H and I when he was alive and well.
When we moved it out it was put in the end of the long through lounge under the front window.
I advertised it free but had no takers.
Charities could take it as the chairs had no fire certificate so it remained and is so well used.
When I eat on my own I use it, my GS uses it for his computer when he stays, frequently, any admin work I need to do I sit at it.
It neither adds to the look of the room but neither does it look odd, we have just got used to it being there and appreciate it’s usefulness.

Charities couldn’t take it…..

henetha

Not sure this counts, but I've just had a new toilet and it gave me the chance to give it a good clean back there. Now that the new toilet is installed it has left me with a problem though. The new cistern is totally a different shape from the old one, so I have to find a way to make that wall look decent. So, paint, tiles, whatever? Help!
This is so interesting, isn't it... not

henetha I was persuaded by the kitchen fitters not to have tiles but panels as splashbacks in the kitchen. I'm still rather unsure about them but at least there's no grout to scrub and they're easy to wipe down. They are cut to shape, stuck on and finished with a small edging.

I'd be inclined to go for paint on the toilet walls actually. If need be - eg if the surface looks a bit uneven - then I still like the idea of colourwashing as a way to paint walls. I guess it's deemed old-fashioned now (think it was a 1980s thing?) but I like the look of it myself and even managed to decorate a room that way myself before now - and, believe me, I'm no-one's idea of a decorator.

My walls are all plain softer white in my current house - as that's what I'm used to seeing in the area I'm from and it was the quickest way to just "blast through the house" and redecorate the lot after I've had it replastered....but I do sometimes wonder....

Very easy one; a mornings work and not expensive.

I had the CH (double) radiator in the shower room replaced with a tall heated towel rail , which also runs from the CH. warm room PLUS all towels warm and dry.

We had a tiled roof put on our conservatory. Before it was baking hot in the Summer and cold in the Winter. Now it is much more comfortable to sit in at any time of Year.

Electric hight adjustable table for my sewing room, no more back ache and it 'remembers' my favourite settings too.

I LOVE IT!!!

mrsmeldrew

18 solar panels and a battery. Never worry about heating bills!

Us too. We have an electric car too so put it on to charge most sunny days and don't pay to drive anywhere during the Summer unless we are doing more than 300 miles, which is rare.

Like Mrs. Meldrew we had solar panels installed on our roof. A big investment, but giving a good return in terms of our own electricity use, and the "extra" electricity which we "sell" to the grid. (The latter comes off our energy bill.)

We adopted a rescue cat a year ago and wanted him to be a housecat. Where we live is too close to traffic. So, we looked into building him a catio. We ended up splurging and having a screened in sunporch built on our deck. I decorated it with a wicker sofa and rocking chair and an outdoor rug. Added accessories to make it cozy. It has been wonderful to sit out with my coffee in the morning and glass of wine in the evening and our sweet cat can come and go out there as he wishes. Also keeps the mosquitos (like midges) and the influx of wasps we get here in southern Ontario, Canada away. We keep wondering why we didn’t do it much sooner.

We had the toilet raised, by our well known plumber, and the difference is enormous - not such a bad back from bending down so low to the toilet. The best thing we have done lately.

Walk in shower replaced bath when knees went . So much more convient.

Skydancer

We had an awning installed right across the back of the house. It’s wonderful. Blocks glaring sun in summer and on a drizzly day I can put my clothes airer under it. We sit under it most days except for real cold.

Yes, we have an awning too all the way across the balcony which runs the length of our living room. It makes a real difference to the heat inside on hot days, and it makes sitting outside in the shade a real pleasure.

Quite a number of years ago when we purchased a flat in The Madrid Capital and had the flooring removed and replaced with stunning wood flooring.

Such an incredible difference.

As a matter of fact, all the flooring treatments were replaced.
The wooden flooring throughout except for the kitchen and "tarima" ( looks like wood ) in the bathroom. All are a blonde oak.

The kitchen has a "pale salmon" tile flooring ..
We were just speaking about re-doing the kitchen flooring. We are together (married( 32 years.

So, I would like to go with a neutral wood - blonde oak as well.

It's interesting to hear what things you have had done that have enhanced the enjoyment of your properties and lives.

We've also just had our kitchen made over (doors, worktops, sink and integrated recycling bin) which cost quite a lot but nowhere near as much as a new kitchen. With that AND the new plinth heater, I'm regaining my love of cooking at a rapid rate!

One other tiny thing that has made such a difference was getting the back door from kitchen to garden fixed. The catch never worked properly, but a nice man who was replacing a pane of glass for us in the double glazing took one look and fixed it properly in minutes. We've had several door specialists have a look at it in the past, but they just bodged it with bigger screws in different places and it was still not shutting properly. The joy of just pulling it to and not having to yank the handle up fiercely every time is beyond words! Little things, but they mean a lot...

Small window in shower room which previously had no daylight - amazing difference!

During lockdown my OH erected a type of car port outside the patio doors of our kitchen ! It is amazing in that we don’t get burnt by the sun anymore: we can sit out in all weathers as it has a polycarbonate roof and we can protect plants over winter! Also our cat stays out all night and is sheltered!!

We changed the doors in our en suite shower from folding to sliding and installed a wonderful huge strong handle to help with stepping in and out. Really worth the slight hassle and the money.

Applegran, I'm claustrophobic and if we've every been in a hotel/holiday accommodation that has a shower room or bathroom with no window, I have to leave the door open when showering. I can fully understand what a difference that daylight has had for you...

ever, not every

Oh yes . I had a hip operation 2 years ago and the new hip dislocated 6 times. Our bathroom had a very old,deep bath which I couldn't get in to. We at last swapped it for a brilliant walk in shower,what a relief.

Our hallway used to be cold – timber flooring on suspended floor. When we changed the carpet for our staircase and landing, we extended the carpet into the hallway.

It makes a huge difference, so much warmer.

Another thing I have done was installing Talk Talk tv box and in doing so, turned our 13 years old television in our living room into a smart tv. I can now watch Netflix, Youtube etc.,

When my ex left I decided to move my workroom upstairs. The downstairs room, having 3 external walls was cold and it also didn't have much natural light.

It was a smaller room upstairs, but got so much more light. I love working up here now, and I can look out the window into the top of a rowan tree and see the garden birds. Well I can see the birds over autumn and winter when the leaves fall.

It's so much warmer up here too and I use my sewing cabinet extension as a computer table so spend more time in here. I often breakfast up here whilst checking emails etc.

A great change and didn't cost me anything but effort. My nephew helped me move the larger storage units and my sewing cabinet.