If you’re planning a kitchen renovation in Christchurch, Poole or Bournemouth, you may well be replacing your existing kitchen island or considering adding one if you don’t already have this design feature.

We know only too well how exciting a home extension project in Bournemouth, Poole or Christchurch can feel – it’s an opportunity to adapt your home to better suit your needs and make your property into your forever home. However, it’s important that despite your excitement you don’t rush in without properly planning the project.

For those of us with a garden at our homes in Dorset, it can sometimes be difficult to know how to make best use of the space. This can particularly be the case if you have a large garden, where the options seem limitless.

One of the biggest red flags when it comes to DIY advice is anything that involves cutting corners in order to lower costs. While these DIY “hacks” might seem great on the surface, they are likely to do more harm than good – and you could end up spending considerably more than you’ve saved putting any damage you inadvertently cause right.

If you’re planning a bathroom refurbishment then chances are that you’re hoping you won’t have to re-do it all in just a couple of years’ time. Although bathroom refits can appear expensive, it’s much better to spend a little more and do them properly than to rush through the process, only to realise there is more that you need to do just a year or two later.

Loft conversions and home extensions of a certain size and type are already allowed without requiring planning permission under permitted development rules, but housing secretary Michael Gove recently announced that these rules could be relaxed further.