If you are shopping for a living room blind, you will usually need a large blind to cover the main window, or a series of matching small blinds if it is a bay window. Measure as precisely as possible; it is essential to get this right. Vertical blinds are a common choice for taller windows and come in PVC, metal, real wood and in a range of colours. The slats can easily be adjusted according to how much light you want to let into the room.

Blackout blinds are more common for use in bedrooms as they ensure that very little light comes through once they are rolled down.  Great if you are an easily disturbed sleeper.  They come in a range of colours.

Kitchens and bathrooms, which sometimes have smaller windows, are the most suitable rooms to fit roller blinds into, as they do not react badly to humidity and varied heat levels. These kinds of blinds also allow for maximum privacy once they are rolled down.

Once you have a clear idea of the blinds you want for each room and have taken careful measurements, shop around for the best designs and best deals. There are often good deals if you buy more than one blind, if you are furnishing a whole house for example. Customer service assistants will always be happy to help if you are stuck on what kind of design – roman blinds or vertical blinds – or what finish to choose for a particular room’s window?

Start by brushing the bristles hard over the lip of the paint tin to squeeze excess paint off, and then squeeze as much paint off the brush as you can in an old cloth.

Using rubber gloves, stir the brush in a solution of water and washing up liquid (for emulsion paints) or a glass jar of white spirit (for oil or gloss paints).  Don’t use a plastic container for this, as the spirit may make it leak.  Keep changing the solution as more paint comes off the brush, and push down on the handle of the brush to fan out the bristles and remove paint that is between them.

Rinse the brush under lots of clean water until the water runs clear, and dry the brush immediately on an old towel or cloth.  Keep the brushes with the bristles upright in another clean jar.  You may want to help to keep the bristles together by fixing an elastic band around them once dry.

•    Check for leaks in outdoor pipes.  The pipes in older properties may be particularly susceptible to cracking and need replacing.

•    Make sure your pipes and fittings aren’t corroded.  Look for green stains around copper and brass pipes/fittings.  If left untreated this corrosion can lead to leaks.

•    Check every sink, shower, and bath drain regularly for signs of clogging.  There may be a blockage and water will take longer to drain.

•    Make sure toilets flush properly and all the parts are fastened securely.

•    Check the washing machine pipes and hoses regularly for signs of wear and leakage.

•    Open up showerheads and ensure there is no loose sediment or clogging.  This can be a major cause of low pressure, causing water to flow slowly and potentially damaging the showerhead.

•    Make certain that the boiler flame is blue.  If it is yellow, it could be a problem with the jets, which may need cleaning.  This could affect the hot water supply if not taken care of quickly.

Picturesque Plymouth

This maritime city is going through some redevelopment, with new shopping centres, and with more than 30,000 new homes planned. Now is a good time to make a move there if you are looking to invest in an up-and-coming area.

Plymouth boasts lots of handsome, period properties, and for around £260,000 you can snap up a detached, 4 bedroom family home in Plymouth Hoe area.

The Hoe also offers roomy, family-sized terraces for around the same price, a short walk from the seafront.

With the River Plym and the Tamar flowing down into its harbour, Plymouth and the nearby villages offer luxury properties with stunning views and fabulous settings.

Buzzing Brighton

Brighton is one of those cities that is all things to all men. It has a buzzing atmosphere, a fantastic arts scene, good restaurants and great beach life.

Its historic buildings, like the Brighton Pavilion and the Palace Pier, have a wonderful sense of grandeur, and property for rent is in plentiful supply in the city itself, as it is in sought-after outskirts like Portslade and Hove.

If you don’t want to buy a house then you should have a look at flats to rent in Brighton. The elegant Victorian crescents, which sweep up from the promenade to the main thoroughfare from Hove to Brighton, are always in demand. An unfurnished studio flat in one of those can set you back £390 per month, while the average rental price of a one bedroom flat in Brighton is around £730 per month.

What are you waiting for?

Before you start you must make sure that the surface is clean, dust free and dry.  Any dirt, grease or dampness will hinder the adhesion of the sticker.  If you are using multiple stickers, carefully plan where each will go, you can do this by using a little bit of blu-tack and attaching them to the wall.

Once you are happy, carefully remove the backing paper and apply the sticker to the wall, or chosen surface.  Next smooth it out using a soft clean cloth; this is to ensure there are no air bubbles trapped underneath.  Once you are satisfied, you can move onto the next one.  If you are not happy simply warm the sticker using a hairdryer and peel off and replace.

The first step is always to prepare the area of damage. For this, use a club hammer and a bolster chisel to remove all the material that has come loose as a result of the damage, and also from around the immediate area affected, and undercut the edges as well. Then use a sturdy wire brush to roughly brush the underlying brickwork to remove the last vestiges of loose material.

The next step is to mix the new plaster. Use the manufacturer’s instructions to do this, and use a gauging trowel to sprinkle powder onto the water whilst at the same time stirring the thickening mixture with an old stick. When a thick, creamy mixture has been achieved, turn it out onto a dampened board.

Dampen the area that you are going to plaster, and use the plastering trowel to get a decent amount onto the plasterer’s hawk.

As you stand close up to the damaged area, tilt the hawk slightly towards you and use a continuous movement to lift about half of the plaster onto the trowel.

As you hold the trowel horizontally, press plaster firmly into the patch and at the same time move the trowel up the wall to give a flattened finish. Try to avoid flattening it too aggressively as this will cause a suction effect and the plaster will be lifted off the wall as you remove the trowel.

Keep repeating this process until the patch is a bit overfilled and then smooth it off flush with the surface. Allow to set for about an hour, and when dry sand it down with emery paper, starting with the roughest grade and working to smoothest.

Problems of household space are growing as more of us choose to stay put in our homes instead of taking on bigger residences and the financial burden they bring.

If you need extra space for a playroom, office space, gym or games room, artist studio or garden music room- you should consider erecting a building in your garden.

Garden studios are becoming increasingly popular as the stylish, affordable and practical solution to household space problems. Forget summer-houses, ramshackle sheds that are only operational in the warmest months. Garden studios are built to exacting standards and are available in styles to fit all pockets and tastes. Garden offices and studios can be fully erected and installed with data-point packages, electrics, super-efficient insulation and double-glazing. Most suppliers offer bespoke services where you can specify your exact requirements. Alternatively, for a more cost-effective way forward, off-the-peg pre-fabricated models are widely available.

Contemporary garden office buildings enable you to work or relax in a peaceful environment, away from the main hubbub of the household. Planning issues are not usually a problem unless you reside in a conservation area or the building is close to a boundary. Expert advice will be on hand from the garden office company, who often offer comprehensive services encompassing all installation, planning and project management issues.

The first thing you need to do is plan your herb garden.  Think about where you want to place it in your garden, the amount of available space, and whether the area is sunny or shady.  Remember that some herbs can take up a lot of space (labels on seed packages will tell you how big they can grow), so think about how much space you are willing to give to them.

Examine your plot and note the type of soil and what the average conditions are.  Is it very sunny or wet?  What is the soil type?  Some herbs prefer clay, while others will need rich compost with lots of fertiliser.  Research the herbs you are interested in growing and look at the conditions they thrive in.  Herbs from hardier areas will be more used to cold than varieties from warmer climates.  Prepare the soil in the autumn, ensuring it is rich in nutrients.

Choose your varieties and start growing.  If you are stuck for space, make a small herb garden in your kitchen, or think about planting herbs in hanging pots.  There are lots of ways to grow these versatile plants.

Start by measuring the length of the track or pole above the windows.  It’s always best to fit the track or pole first and then measure that, as measuring the windows won’t allow for the extra fabric to hang either side of the window.  Ideally, a pole or track should be fitted around 15cm above a window and extend around 15cm either side.

Measure the total length of the pole or track, excluding any finials on the ends, and then add around 2.5 centimetres to allow for overlap in the middle.  Then you need to measure the drop – the distance from the pole or track to where you would like the curtains to end below the window.  This will be just below the sill or to the floor for full length windows.

When buying curtains, the curtains will normally come in pairs, with the measurement on the pack being just for one curtain.  Normally, the total width of the two curtains should be around 2 to 2.5 times the width of the track or pole.  So if your track measures 2 metres, you should look to buy curtains that are a total of around 4 to 5 metres wide, with the appropriate drop.

If you are starting out and are looking for somewhere to buy your first home, the current housing market in Belfast is starting to look very exciting.  This year reports show that house prices are gradually starting to rise and the Ulster Bank confirms that the Belfast property market is starting to look more positive.

Property for sale in Belfast and the county of Antrim comes in all sizes and budgets.  If you want to buy an apartment right in the newly developed Victoria Square neighbourhood you could explore the possibility of a two-bedroom modern flat with views over the city and to the Antrim hills on the horizon.

Some of the luxury houses just outside the city come with a heftier price tag but compared to mainland UK the value for money is truly amazing.  A six-bedroom detached house in Malone, one of the city’s more upscale areas, would only set you back around £500,000.  For those who prefer a modern house, there are many developments both within the city and just outside the city limits, although most contemporary accommodation tends to be restricted to flats, with modernised older houses making up the bulk of the housing stock.  There are around 70 estate agents to choose from in the city and current low prices place the house buyer in an ideal position.