Hello Wanderer UK

Top 8 Design Details That Add Serious Value To Your Property

Whether you are looking to move or wanting to stay put we all want our properties to look their best. When it comes to adding value to our properties there are many things that we can do without investing huge chunks of cash. So if you are looking for a little inspiration on how you can improve your home and add value to it, read on for our top tips on how to do just that.

Loft Conversions

Finding extra space in your loft and utilising it, is one of the best ways that you can add value to your property. Whether you need an extra bedroom or bathroom or even a home office, the empty, unused space up in in your attic is just sitting there waiting to be taken advantage of.

The best place to start with any loft conversion is to call in a specialist who will be able to survey the area. They will be able to make sure that the space is structurally sound, will be able to advise you on the best use of the space and the type of work that you will need to be taking on to transform this space into a beautiful new living space. Research online to find out more information about what a loft conversion entails and whether this is a good way for you to add value to your property.

Updating Flooring

Dated flooring can easily drag down the look and feeling of any home so if you have had the same carpets for many years and they are starting to look tatty and drab then a change of flooring could be just the facelift that your home needs. Wooden and laminate flooring is more affordable than ever and is a desirable feature for buyers as they are so easy to clean and maintain. Putting down laminate and wooden flooring is even something that you can do yourself, which will save you money by not having to hire someone to fit it in for you. Spend time going through tutorials, if you want to do it yourself however to ensure that you do a good job and don’t end up wishing you’d not been so bold and had just paid for someone to do if for you.

Renovating Bathrooms

One room in the house that has become incredibly important, over recent years, is the bathroom. So if you have a small and dated bathroom you should be considering renovating this room and seeing how you can improve and build on this space. Research bathroom renovation projects to inspire you how you can really bring this room to life, so that it is not letting your property down overall. If you are happy with the layout and size of your bathroom, then it may just be a case of changing some of the smaller details. So simply look at replacing some of the important bathroom features like taps, towel rails, doors and perhaps even putting a nice, easy to maintain, wooden floor in.

Conservatory

Extending your home out into your outside space is always a good idea when it comes to adding value to your property. Be mindful when considering building a conservatory to avoid it looking like a building that has just been bolted onto the end of the house. So you want to be creating a conservatory that has a natural flow from the rest of your house, but allows you to feel more connected with your outdoor space.

Change Your Floorplan

Sometimes all that is necessary in your home, to update it and bring it into the modern day, is by moving around your floor plan. Looking around your home and seeing if you are making the best use of the space available to you is a really good idea to see if you can’t move things round a little bit and start to redefine certain rooms in your house. Kitchens can look great with breakfast islands and they are pretty easy to fit in, so this could be a consideration for your kitchen. Bedrooms and living rooms can be completely transformed by simply moving existing furniture around to make the rooms look more spacious or more cosy and inviting. So play around a little and experiment with the little changes that you can make to your existing floor plans.

Door Canopies and Shelters

One design details that many people don’t think of are door canopies. As the entrance of our home is the first thing we see when we get home it is a really important part of our home to look its best. Also if you have people over to your home a lot then thinking about door canopies to keep your guests sheltered whilst they wait for you to come to the door is another bonus to this design feature. Getting a door canopy added onto your front door is surprisingly affordable and can instantly improve the facade of your building so they are well worth looking into.

Getting Rid of the Garage

This one may surprise you, but recent surveys have recently revealed that over 80% of garages are empty, unused and therefore just a waste of space. Garages these days, are being used more as dumping grounds for surplus home items which is most certainly not the best use of the space. Therefore think about getting rid of your garage and turning it into another bedroom or another living space in order to add substantial value to your property.

Give the Front Garden some TLC

Our front gardens can certainly be one of the more neglected areas of our homes, however as they are the first impressions of our homes they are super important to keep pristine and stylish. If you don’t have the time for pruning and gardening this area then consider paving it over and just having flower beds around the side for a pop of nature and colour which will really open up the entrance to your home.

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, by Chloe

What Exploring The World Can Do For You - And How To Boost It

Keen travellers are usually well aware of the many benefits of travelling, and you don’t really need to sell them on it. But if you are someone who would consider themselves on the fence, as it were, then you might be surprised to hear about some of the many benefits that travelling can afford you. Extensive travelling can do a lot for the mind and body, and much of what it does can also be boosted if you approach it in the right way. To explore the world, certain things need to happen, and many of them end up being for your benefit. Without further ado, let’s look at some of the things that travelling might do for you, and how you can make it do those things even more.

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Improve Your Understanding Of The World

So this first one is obvious enough, but we couldn’t really go without mentioning it at all. When you travel a lot, your understanding of the world improves hugely. The thing about this is that you know this even before you do any travelling, but you can’t really grasp the fullness of it until you are out there, doing it. You can’t appreciate exactly the way in which the actual experience of travelling improves what you know about the world - but if you think about it, it makes sense. You can have an idea of Indian life, but you can only experience it by going there.

The way to get even more of this kind of boost out of travelling is obvious enough: travel to many more places, always looking wider and furthering your horizons. The more you travel, the more your mind will open, and there is no limit on that process. If you want to understand more about the world, go and see it.

Get In Shape

Inevitably, travelling does certain things to your body as well as your mind. One of the most common effects is that you will be likely to get in shape pretty quickly, and that is something that a lot of explorers do get out of travelling, and which plenty of people actively seek. It is certainly no bad thing to be able to lose a lot of weight fast, and travelling is one of the most effective way to do so. You will tone, beef up and slim down all in one, all while seeing the world as well.

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So how do you slim down even more while travelling? By paying attention to what you put in your body, just as you would at home. You can pack products from your favourite weight loss shake company, protein bars, or you can just ensure you only snack on whole foods for the duration of the trip. However you do it, it is a great way to get even more out of the journey, and will make you feel a lot better about the whole experience too.

Build A Resilience

No matter where you go travelling if you do enough of it it is bound to give you something of a thick skin. The nature of exploration is that you don’t know what’s around the corner, and that can mean that you end up facing a lot of circumstances which are surprisingly challenging, and which give you pause for thought. Sometimes you will find yourself doing things you never thought was possible, and it is those experiences which tend to really build you up as a person. If you travel enough, you will develop a resilience the likes of which you had never expected of yourself, and that in turn will make you feel like a stronger and more rounded individual.

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In order to make travelling give you even more of a resilience, you simply need to tune up the challenge factor a little. Go to the more daring locations and destinations, take a hike through the less favourable areas, take the occasional risk. If you do this enough, you will develop that thick skin much more quickly, and you will feel a lot more human for it. It can be challenging making it work, bu in fact the challenge is the whole point. It is that which actually moulds you into a better person, so you should actively go out and seek the challenges as best as you can.

The above are all things which any travelling trip will give you, and if you actively seek them out then even more so. Alone they are reason enough to go travelling, but if you’re not convinced it is still worth just giving it a go. You might be surprised at how it changes you.

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, by Chloe

Island Hopping In Greece: How To Do It Right!

The islands of Greece have something magical about them; perhaps it’s the myths and legends behind them, or maybe it’s simply their sheer beauty. Whatever it is that makes the islands of Greece so magical; it’s working as these islands are irresistible to travelers.

Think sun-soaked, white sand beaches, warm seas, whitewashed cubic houses with blue roofs, a culture that is like no other, and a food scene that is out of this world, and that’s just part of what the Greek islands have to offer their visitors.

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Home to roughly 3000 islands, Greece isn’t a small country. However, when it comes to island hopping, only 227 of these islands are inhabited, which narrows down your choices a bit. That being said, there are still over 200 places to choose from, which can make trip planning a little tricky. There are seven islands ground in Greece; these are The Ionian Islands, The Saronic Gulf Islands, The Sporades Islands, The Cycladic Islands, The Dodecanese Islands, The North Aegean Islands, and Crete, the biggest Greek island and practically a country of its own.

There are plenty of options when it comes to planning an island hopping trip to Greece, but how can you determine what the best options are for you? To make the process of planning an island hopping trip around Greece easier, below are some tips and pieces of advice to take note of.

Which islands are best to explore?

This depends on the type of trip that you hope to have. For a trip that’s steeped in culture, heritage, and beautiful beaches, starting on Hendra and then hopping to Athens and Peloponnese could be ideal. Or, for a break that includes plenty of fine dining, luxurious bars, and watersports activities, then starting in Kos and going to Patmos, Lipsi, Leros and then back to Kos again could work well. If you are starting from Athens, both Santorini and Mykonos are close enough by to travel to; these are two of the most popular Greek islands. Mykonos has both a tranquil side and a party side, which is what makes it so popular. Santorini, on the other hand, is famous for its picturesque landscapes, including a volcano. Wherever you pick to island hop to in Greece, you won’t be disappointed, that’s for sure. The islands with the largest cities include Corfu, Crete, and Rhodes, all the other islands have at least one main town or city, but they may not be as big as the ones on these islands.

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How should you get around?

Most travelers choose to fly to their initial island, such as Kos, Crete, Rhodes, or Corfu and then get around by passenger ferry from there. If you plan on traveling via ferry, you will need to look up schedules beforehand and map out your trip, as some ferries run as little as once a week, so you don’t want to miss your connection. Another option could be to look at chartering a yacht and sailing from island to island under your own steam, companies like The Big Sail yacht holidays offer these kinds of trips. By opting to sail on a private yacht, you can see the islands at your own pace, and don’t have to rush around from place to place.

What is unmissable?

Each Greek island has its own unmissable sights and attractions. However, most Greek islands will boast beautiful beaches and warm seas, seaside towns, delicious seafood dishes, as well as an array of unique Greek cuisine. When you are exploring each Greek island, take the time to read up about its history and heritage, to see what makes it unique.

There you have it, your guide to island hopping in Greece done right.