With leap year coming around just once every four years, it’s not very often we get to decide what to do with and how to make the extra day memorable. We decided to have a look at this topic and discovered that whilst some of us will be involved in unusual and crazy activities, others holding parties to celebrate or spending an extra evening with friends and family, many more of us leap into home improvements ready for when spring arrives. We’ve put together a short list of cheap, easy and effective DIY home improvements for you and your home to take a leap this February, keep reading for five ideas on home improvements that will transform your home, adding value and style in no time at all.

Natural Light

It probably comes as no surprise that sunlight not only improves the look and feel of a room, but will lift your spirits and bring a smile to your face. Maximising the natural light that enters the room is an easy, effective and well-timed home improvement ready for the spring and summer sunshine to come. Replace heavy curtains for blinds, install skylights where possible, cut back trees and hedge rows that are causing obstruction to your windows and don’t forget the easiest improvement of all is to simply clean your windows inside and out.

Switch your Switch Plates

White plastic switches and plug sockets in modern homes are out, but properties that we’re built some years ago will no-doubt still have the standard and some may say boring white plastic sockets so many of us are now replacing. Whether experienced in DIY or simply enjoy a challenge, you must importantly always turn off the power at the fuse box before switching the switch and plug socket plates. With many finishes now available including chrome, stainless steel or even black nickel it’s quick and easy to modernise your switches and sockets.

Door Handles

A small home improvement that makes a big difference is replacing old door handles with those that are modern . A step further which isn’t much more of a job would be replacing all door furniture including latches and door hinges as well. Easy, cheap and highly effective, fitting new door handles and door furniture throughout your home or just a room at a time will revive tired looking interiors and transform your entrances into those that greet you and guests in style.

Wall Art and Paintings

Colourful wall art is a great way to add an interesting focal point to any room throughout your home, but the arrangement of and hanging each piece is where it can easily go wrong! Two of the most important things to consider are the scale of the piece and at the height it will be positioned. Along with the scale of and checking the central point is at eye-level, before filling your walls with picture hooks and holes use paper placements the same size as the art work to trial on different walls around the room, this will indicate how the master piece will look and avoid the frustration of hanging or placing the art incorrectly.

Shampoo your Carpets

With spring inching closer and the hope of better weather ahead now’s a good time to shampoo your carpets, you’ll be surprised with just how clean your carpets can look. Share the experience and make a day of it with a friend or family member as you’ll need some help with moving furniture anyway. Most machines will tear up an average sized room within half an hour or less, so with the extra day this leap year you’ll not only be able to complete your home but your neighbour’s too.

Read our article Home Interior Design Tips for further great on ideas on improving your home.