Home decorating can be stressful for those with little time or imagination, so here are five top tips for improving the look and feel of your home without any mess or fuss:

1. If your walls are looking dull and drab there is no need to paint if you hang good quality framed pictures and photos. A unique artwork will draw attention away from the paint and you can take it with you when you leave!
2. Good lighting can totally change the mood and look of a room. Add a dimmer or some elegant lamps and watch your lounge transform into a cosy, comfortable wonderland. Adding a lighting effect to just one part of the room can improve the ambience, for example focusing a spotlight on just one painting.
3. Creating a focal point in a room is the key to decorating. Creating a centre piece which fulfils the room’s function (a great couch in the lounge, a fabulous hob in the kitchen, a designer shower in the bathroom) will bring out the functionality of the room as well as give it focus.
4. Get home and content insurance. Many home owners underestimate the necessity of good home and content insurance cover and find themselves devastated or even penniless after a house fire or natural disaster unexpectedly strikes. And you will breathe easier knowing you are safe in your home, which will immediately make it look and feel better!
5. Accessibility is another vital aspect of home decorating. Don’t make it necessary to climb over things or stumble around furniture when moving through your home. An easy flow of people, air and light makes any home a joy to live in.

Visit Wimmex Home Improvement’s blog for a wide variety of other helpful home improvement tips.

Every year flooding causes millions of pounds worth of damage to UK homes and properties. The Environment Agency's most recent flood risk estimate revealed that 16% of English homes are at risk of flooding. Over 5 million people in England and Wales live and work in properties that are at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. When combined with the fact that 10% of UK holiday home owners do not have a holiday home insurance policy in place, this poses a significant financial risk.

Common causes of flooding include river flooding, coastal flooding and surface water flooding. Surface water flooding occurs when heavy rainfall overwhelms the drainage capacity of the local area and is more difficult to predict or pinpoint.

Home insurance  protects homeowners from the financial implications of damage caused by explosions, fire, floods, lightning and storms. However, not all insurance providers provide cover for gardens. UK home insurance provider Prudential’s household insurance includes flood related cover, under both their buildings and contents insurance policies.

Research has shown that the average garden shed can often contain around £900 worth of equipment and furniture. Choosing a policy that makes provision for garden and shed cover is therefore essential to mitigate the potential financial impact of flood damage or theft.

Global warming has been proven to cause more extreme meteorological conditions. Climate change may well lead to more unpredictable weather and extreme flooding in the UK, making adequate insurance essential.

About Prudential Insurance

Prudential is a UK provider of affordable home insurance. Their home insurance policies offer protection against damage caused by explosions, fire, floods, lightning and storms. Visit www.pru.co.uk <http://www.pru.co.uk/insurance_protection/home_insurance/> for more information or a free home insurance quote.

New research conducted by a prominent UK home insurance company suggests Britons should think twice before undertaking DIY home improvement jobs themselves. Despite being one of the country’s favourite pastimes – over 80% of UK men enjoy DIY work around the house – the research has shown that botched DIY jobs could reduce a home’s value by up to 5% (as at 1 May , 2010).

As the UK housing market appears to be strengthening, many Britons are turning to DIY home improvements to increase the value of their property. Structural building projects such as loft conversions can add as much as 8% to the selling price, provided they are completed successfully.

However, estate agents find that this is not always the case and recommend that homeowners who hope to increase their property’s value consult the professionals before attempting any DIY work. This also applies to smaller jobs such as renovating a kitchen or servicing a boiler.

A similar home insurance survey found that 500,000 homeowners were prepared to try their own hand at potentially dangerous tasks, despite nearly 90% of the people surveyed admitting to knowing that jobs such as gas work should be left to the professionals.

A bungled DIY job could also potentially invalidate the home insurance cover in place, leaving homeowners out of pocket if something were to go awry. Research also revealed disappointing returns on investment, even when DIY work has been done well.

While 20% of people surveyed believed that redecorating would add the most value to their home, 70% of estate agents said that it would make no difference. According to 20% of estate agents surveyed, a new kitchen would have little impact on potential offers. An additional 64% of estate agents believed that garden improvements would be a waste of time.

About Prudential Insurance

Prudential is a UK provider of affordable home insurance. Their home insurance policies offer up to £250 towards the cost of emergency repairs in the home – without affecting no-claims bonuses. Visit http://www.pru.co.uk/insurance_protection/home_insurance/ for more information or a free home insurance quote.