Research styles before home improving

Consumers considering carrying out design work on their properties – which could include the installation of kitchen extensions or lean-to conservatories – should perform research before making any firm decisions, it has been asserted.

Interior designer Maria Leupelt makes her comments in the online pages of publication the Vancouver Sun, suggesting that people study magazines and websites to find the styles that appeal to them the most.

She also suggests that the scale of a project should be thoroughly considered before undertaking it, adding that the qualifications of those carrying out the work should also be taken into account.

"Youre not going to be as demanding about a designers qualifications in a small project but if you want half of your house gutted and theres structural work involved, you want someone who has the resources to see a job through," she adds.

Meanwhile, Kathleen Bruno, sales and marketing director for property developer George Wimpey in north Scotland, suggests that the amount of space available in the kitchen of a property is of growing concern to many consumers.