Lifestyle

Over the years there have been a number of ‘light touches’ touted as a way to impress potential property buyers. The aroma of freshly baked bread and brewing coffee? Great for making your property feel homely and masking less attractive whiffs. A neatly-folded pile of clean, fluffy towels in the bathroom? An easy way to give off five-star hotel vibes. Fresh flowers and a fully-stocked fruit bowl? They draw attention away from less desirable areas and add colour to a drab space.

Earlier this year, it became apparent that home buyers aren’t that fussed about finding the ‘perfect’ property. A Rightmove survey of 34,000 home movers found 73% of those leaving rented accommodation viewed fixer uppers as a more affordable route to property ownership. Additionally, 73% of existing homeowners wanted to buy a property that needed work in order to create their dream home.

Avid readers may remember our blog on colour drenching – the interior design trend that sees every surface in one room – walls, ceiling, woodwork and radiators – painted in the same colour.

Described by House Beautiful as ‘the secret to a calm and clutter-free home’, biophilic decluttering is a trend we can really get behind. It merges two interior aspects that are hugely important when selling a home – presenting a property that’s clear and streamlined, and dressing a home so it is visually appealing.

Green is the colour that continues to dominate interior design but with such a wide spectrum of shades available, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the choice.

While the cost to set up a new tenancy is far lower than buying a property, recent research found 1 in 5 tenants are getting into debt to pay for a deposit. The findings were the result of a survey by Reposit, who questioned 1,000 current renters from all age brackets in each UK region.

Did you know purchasers will pay more for a smart home? The claim was contained in the latest Smart Home Buyers Index produced by Samsung. If you want to know just how much more a smart home is worth, the tech giant’s research found buyers will pay a 7.7% premium.

Earlier in the year we reported on indoor air quality and it’s such a hot topic that Which? has conducted further research into the matter. Its most recent area of analysis concerned gas hobs – an appliance found in millions of UK homes.

You’re telling us to paint or wallpaper the ceiling? Have you gone mad? The answer, surprisingly, is no. One of the hottest interior design trends for 2025 is decorating our ceilings with something more than a lick of magnolia.

Winter is a time for creating a warm, cosy atmosphere inside but how we heat, light and fragrance our homes during the colder months could be slowly poisoning us.

The colour experts have spoken and the Pantone Colour of the Year 2025 is……Mocha Mousse. This annual choice is described as a colour that ‘captures the global zeitgeist’, and is a shade we expect to see in fashion, advertising and in our homes.

November is when winter really arrived. Dark mornings, dark nights, a touch of frost, even a layer of snow. It is also the month many of us will have fired up the central heating for the first time this season.