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Which way is consumer spending going? Will the home improvement market expand or contract in the months to come?

One school of thought believes that DIY might get a shot in the arm from uncertainty about the housing market, saying that householders are choosing to improve when they can’t move.

If this sounds appealing, then what’s the best approach to take to maximising the value and enjoyment you get from your living space? Here are Times writer Kasia Maciejowska’s tips for 10 great ways to add value to your home:

Top ten: Home improvements

MOVE or improve? A familiar question if you’re faced with lack of space, a growing family or itchy feet. With 58 per cent of us improving our homes over the past year (12 per cent more than the year before), we prefer making do to moving out.

Faced with high house prices, the popular solution is to expand or improve with the aim of adding value – and now younger people are getting involved, with 68 per cent of people between 18 and 34 investing time and money in doing up their home.

So how to achieve that extra £100,000? A fifth of improvers think a kitchen extension will add the most value, although the most common project is redecoration, making up two thirds of all home improvements. Here we give ten of the best projects to make the most of your home.

Valuers at Halifax say an extension is the top option for adding value, as long as work is properly carried out. For structural projects employ a professional to ensure you comply with planning regulations. A good extension should create at least one extra room and be used to bring light into the house.

A loft conversion is the second most profitable option. While maximising existing space, it can increase the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, two key valuation factors. Read full article here…

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Screwfix has got together with publisher Collins to help you sort out your DIY woes. It’s published a series of how-to videos to promote the publication of The Complete DIY Manual and to help you tackle some common jobs around the house.

Below is a tutorial on hanging shelves, but you can view a whole range of other topics including draught-proofing windows, banishing floorboard creaks and repairing damaged plasterboard. View the whole set here. You can also follow that link to win a copy of the manual - competition ends on March 30.

Click here to view shelving products at Screwfix.

It’s National Maintenance Week! But all you DIYers don’t need a special event to encourage you to get on top of home improvements.

We know that you’ve been looking after your properties year-round, and so won’t have a backlog of jobs to do. Well, apart from that niggling little problem you’ve been meaning to solve for a while. Then there’s that thing you knew you needed to get sorted out before it got cold…

And now it’s cold…

The National Maintenance Week website has got a host of tips and advice for anyone looking after a building, especially an old one. So we suggest going along and having a look.

Another great source of seasonal advice is the Wickes Winter Factsheet which points you in the direction of a few necessary jobs you might have missed.

Have fun, and be careful out there.