Home design and renovation

When roof gutters are overflowing because they are clogged up with debris, it’s time to give them a good clean out. This is to prevent the walls beneath them becoming waterlogged, which would cause serious damage to the brickwork and cement joints. Following is a useful guide to DIY gutter cleaning , for those out there who want to save some money by doing the job themselves, rather than call in a company of professionals.  Things you need There are a few simple items that you will need to clean your gutters out properly, and these include: • A small gardening trowel • A prodding stick • A bucket • A length of stiff wire • A ladder Once you have all the necessary items together, you need think about how you are going to go about doing the job of cleaning your gutters. Since you will be using a ladder and working high up, this is a job that needs to be taken seriously because of the dangers involved. As long as you do things safely, then you shouldn’t have any problems at all...

Your garden is one of the most common areas of your home that frequently attracts attention. Because of this, it’s only important that you spend enough time to keep it in top shape. You don’t necessarily have to spend a good amount of cash making extensive renovations all the time. In fact, these 8 DIY projects can be enough to add appeal to your garden. 1. Create a pallet garden tool holder Leaving your garden tools on your lawn can make it look messy. Apart from that, they can also cause accidents and injuries. One good way to make sure they don’t hurt anyone is to keep them tucked in an upcycled pallet. It’s technically cheap as you can find a lot of stores willing to dispose pallets for free. 2. Be crafty with jar storage Keep your nails and screws secured by creating special jar storage for them. Using empty peanut butter jars is a good idea since you can easily see through them. Just screw their lids under your cabinet or working table to get them out of the way. 3. Get a new swi...

For a landlord, owning and maintaining an apartment is always a business decision rather than a labor of love. That can be frustrating for renters, because unless something will add value to an apartment, a landlord is unlikely to act. That means many apartment dwellers are living in outdated spaces that aren't as functional as renters might like. You needn't be one of them if you follow these tips that can help convince your landlord to make upgrades to your apartment. Offer to DIY Image via  Flickr  by jawcey Your landlord is financially responsible for any expenses related to upgrading the apartment. That means that in most cases, you'll need to convince your landlord to spend money on materials and labor. If the upgrade is small or you have proven DIY skills, you can cut your landlord's cost, and make a more persuasive case, by supplying the labor. For example, you could strip wall paper, paint walls, tear up old carpet and add storage systems to your apartment...