With many of us struggling to get a mortgage or take the next step up the property ladder, more and more people are looking to improve their homes rather than move house.

A survey by Sainsbury’s Finance found that one in five loans taken out this year has been for home improvement projects. However estate agents have warned that improvement work does not always increase the value of a property, so be careful before splashing the cash.

Before rushing into grand home improvement projects, it is worth thinking about the small changes you can make to your home that will make a big difference. You can save money by carefully researching, planning and calculating improvements rather than rushing headlong into large projects, such as converting the loft or installing a new bathroom or kitchen.

Two cheap and reliable ways of improving your property without breaking the bank are installing new blinds and new lighting.

For example, rather than spend money on a new bathroom suite consider upgrading the lighting in your bathroom. Ambient lighting in a bathroom creates a lovely relaxing atmosphere for long soaks in the bath and easily disguises tired looking bathroom suites and tiles. You can add spot lighting for areas where you do your make-up or shave to avoid mishaps!

Blinds can make a huge difference to a room, instantly upgrading your decor and creating a new look. There is a huge range available at www.directblinds.co.uk to choose from.

Rather than spending lots of money on decorating and new furniture, installing blinds is a quick, hassle-free and exciting way to change the colour scheme and upgrade your decor.

Roller blinds are easy to use and install. They are incredibly practical and are available in a variety of colours, textures and patterns to complement your decor. You can also get moisture resistant and wipe-clean blinds for kitchen and bathrooms, or black out blinds for the bedroom to ensure a great night’s sleep.

Venetian blinds are a good choice if you want to easily adjust the amount of light entering the room and classic wooden blinds have the added bonus of providing extra insulation in winter.

At www.directblinds.co.uk we also offer the latest solar control blinds and energy saving blinds which will save you even more money on your energy bills.