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Looking for easy and clever ways to update your home or resolve your storage problems? We bring you our top 15 home improvement hacks for inspiration and motivation.

1. Shoe organiser for storage

Too many pairs taking up the bottom of your wardrobe? Use coat hooks in your hallway, but for your shoes. Mount them lower down and keep your most used pairs handy. Hang shoe organisers on the back of your bedroom door to keep the rest neat and tidy.

2. Use a large mirror to fool the eye

Having a small space doesn’t mean you should miss out. Utilise mirrors to create the illusion of a larger room.

3. Dress your windows to make a quick and easy feature

Windows can often be ignored when looking to create style in your home. Enhance with luxury fabrics, shutters or blinds, remembering to let light in but create privacy.

Think of the outside too; would your home benefit from a window box of evergreens or seasonal blooms?

4. Change knobs on drawers and cupboards

Updating small items can really lift a room. Using vintage knobs, such as ceramic, glass, or wood, can instantly transform an older piece of furniture.

5. Utilise your stairs effectively for storage

Staircases can take up a lot of space, but that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from them. Install an under stair cubby for coats and shows, or even a hideaway for reading.

6. Turn your garden shed into a practical space

Is your house getting a tad small for your family? Utilise garden space to create another room. Whether you choose to have an outdoor office or kids’ playroom, it’s a quick and easy way to produce more space.

7. Use walnuts to remove scratches on wooden furniture

An ingenious hack for those looking to freshen up their furniture. Use the innards of a walnut to gently remove marks and scratches. The natural oils penetrate the wood and restore the blemishes.

8. Install shelves towards the top of your walls

Cupboards and bookcases can often take up unnecessary space, so why not fix sturdy shelving towards the top of your walls? This allows you to store books, without taking up floor space.

9. Use drawer organisers

Instead of bundling everything into a drawer, use dividers and organisers to separate your possessions. You will find you’ll save on space and save time because your items are easy to locate.

10. Convert your attic into a guest room

Not so much of a hack, but a project, this is the perfect way to create more space in your home without having to move. Adding an extra bedroom or chill-out area could even increase the price of your home.

11. Use felt pads on your furniture legs to stop scrapes

Simple, but effective. To preserve the life span of both your flooring and your furniture, use felt pads on the feet of your chairs or tables to stop any unnecessary damage.

12. Paint the sides of your doors for an instant uplift

On a tight budget with decorating? Add a pop of colour to any room by painting just the edge of your door. You could even buy a tester paint pot, rather than a full tin.

13. Half paint walls to create height

Again, save on costs by only painting half your walls. This also creates the illusion of height; perfect for those smaller rooms. Keep darker colours to the bottom and use a magnolia or white to blend in with the ceiling.

14. Add towel rails to your bathroom door

If you’re struggling for space in your bathroom or want to keep damp towels out of the way, install towel rails to the back of the door. This is a much more cost effective and space-saving way to hang and dry towels, instead of fitting a heated towel rail.

15. Get your double glazing fixed for a better view

The best home improvement hack for both indoor and outdoor is to have a clear view. If you have failed double glazing that’s ruining your home improvement goals, whether in a standalone window, double glazed door or conservatory, then contact your local Cloudy2Clear branch today for a free quote.

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In our brand new series ‘Ask Louis’, we utilise our operations manager’s double glazing expertise to bring you insightful information into the world of windows. From maintenance to design, there isn’t a lot that Louis doesn’t know about double glazing and, what he does know, he’s willing to share with you.

This month, we’re looking at how double glazing works and the benefits that this brings to your home.

What exactly is double glazing?

Standard double glazed windows consist of two panes of glass separated by a layer of air and then sealed. You can also have triple glazed windows, which follow the same concept, but with three panes of glass.

How does it work?

Double glazing has many benefits over single glazing, where there is just one pane of glass and no air layer. This is because it is far more difficult for heat to escape through the two panes of glass and the air layer, especially as air is a poor conductor of heat.

Does it help me save energy?

Yes – it keeps warm air in, meaning your property is better insulated. This results in fewer draughts and cheaper heating bills as you might not need to heat your home as much as you would if you only had single glazed panes. Over 20% of all heat loss escapes via your windows, so it’s vital to help reduce this.

Energy saving glass is more efficient than standard double glazing, as well as utilising Argon gas to fill in the cavity; this is denser than normal air, so acts as a better insulator. Using thermal spacer bars also act as a better insulator than standard aluminium spacer bars, so it’s good to ask what your options are when requesting quotes for double or triple glazing.

However, when a double or tripled glass pane breaks, for example, it becomes cloudy or steamed up, or seems to have moisture in between the panes, the benefits of the glazing become redundant, so it’s important to get this fixed, as you could continue to lose energy.

Can double glazing reduce sound intrusion?

Yes – double glazing is built to reduce noise and you’ll hear far less sound from outside once it has been installed. This is beneficial for people living on busy main roads or near schools and busy city centres.

Are there any other benefits of double glazing?

Yes – it reduces the amount of condensation on the inside of your windows, which reduces the chance of finding mould or damp within your home. This decreases the risk of any health issues that may be caused.

Double glazing also heightens security for your property because there are two panes of glass to break through, this is far more difficult to access than single glazing. In recent years, even police have experienced difficulty raiding houses because of the installation of double glazing.

If you’re looking for more advice and information on double glazing, or you think you might need a cloudy or steamed up window repair, contact our team on 0800 302 9355. You can also find your local branch of Cloudy2Clear fitters.