Homes & Gardens

Keep the kids entertained in the garden this summer

Turn your garden into a sensory playground this summer

Simple plants, herbs and games can help children explore nature through touch, smell and taste during the school holidays

Parents searching for screen-free ways to entertain children this summer can transform even the...

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4 Ways to Reduce Stress During a Home Renovation

Most people feel a mix of emotions during a home renovation, varying from excitement to frustration. After all, you might love the thought of a beautiful new kitchen, a spacious extension, or a loft conversion. However, you might dread the dust, debris, and delays that are an inevitable part of the process.

Rather than allowing the stress to get the best of you, there are steps you...

How to Work Out Square Metres: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Whether you're laying new flooring, painting a wall, buying furniture, or planning a home renovation, knowing how to work out square metres is an essential skill. This comprehensive guide walks you through everything you need to know — from basic calculations to tricky room shapes — so you can measure any space with confidence.

What Is a Square Metre?

A square metre is the area of a...

How Precision Engineering Is Unlocking Challenging Residential Plots in the UK

We seem to be in a perpetual housing crisis; a concerted push toward overcoming some shortage in any given part of the country, at any given time of the year. That’s why it’s generally safe to assume that every leftover piece of land sitting in UK towns and cities right now is usually available for a reason: someone took one look at the sheer incline, the dodgy clay soil, the six-foot gap...

How to Adapt Your Home So You Can Stay There for Longer

Staying in the same home into later life usually depends on how well the building works day to day, rather than on how attached you are to it. Most UK housing was designed around fit adults, which shows up in narrow doorways, steep stairs, high bath rims and switches placed where nobody with failing eyesight would put them. Changes made early cost less and cause less upheaval than the same...

How indoor air quality can affect your sleep

A comfortable mattress and a regular bedtime routine can help, but the environment in your bedroom also shapes how well you rest. The air you breathe throughout the night can influence everything from how easily you drift off to whether you wake feeling refreshed or frustrated by interrupted sleep.

Why the air in your bedroom matters for sleep

Your body rests best when your...

What Every Property Owner Should Know About Fire Protection

Fire protection is one of the most important responsibilities that comes with owning or managing a property. Whether it's a residential building, office, retail space, or industrial facility, effective fire safety measures help protect lives, minimise damage, and support compliance with legal obligations.

While fire alarms and extinguishers are widely recognised, comprehensive fire...

Meet the UK’s noise complaint capitals

From late-night music to barking dogs and endless DIY, noisy neighbours can make life miserable – and a new study has revealed where people are most desperate for some peace and quiet

Worcester has been named the UK’s noise complaint capital after recording the highest rate of Google searches linked to troublesome neighbours.

Research by acoustic specialists DECIBEL examined...

Hosting Like the Pros: What a Private Chef or Butler Can Teach You About Entertaining at Home

There's a particular kind of panic that sets in about an hour before guests arrive: the table isn't set, something's overcooked, and you're still in your dressing gown wondering how anyone makes this look effortless. The truth is, the people who do make it look effortless usually have help. And no, we don't mean a caterer showing up with trays of vol-au-vents. We mean the quiet, highly...

How to Make City Flats Feel Fresher, Calmer and Easier to Live In

Estate listings sell city flats by pointing to what sits outside them, from the station and park to the high street. Once you’re living there, the daily test is more domestic. Can you cook without the whole flat holding the smell, dry laundry without damp corners, and switch off after work?

A compact home doesn’t need a full redesign to feel better. It usually needs sharper...

Why a hosepipe ban is the wrong time to mow your lawn

Five UK water companies have now introduced hosepipe bans as hot, dry weather continues to put pressure on water supplies, affecting millions of households across England.

With the UK experiencing another hot summer, several water companies, including Anglian Water, have introduced hosepipe bans and water restrictions. The measures present a challenge for gardeners across the country...