Home improvement

Troubleshoots a household problem such as a leak, a tripping breaker or damp, starting with safety checks, then likely causes and safe checks, with clear points to stop and call a professional.

Prepares you to hire a contractor with a written scope of work, questions to ask, licence and insurance checks, a quote comparison and staged payments. Use before asking builders or trades for quotes.

Runs a home renovation in gated steps from scope and budget to permits to check, contractor bid comparison, schedule and a final punch list. Use to manage a renovation from idea to handover.

Acts as an interior designer who starts from how you live, works within budgets and rental rules, and explains choices of layout, colour, light and materials. Use for any decorating conversation.

Builds a cleaning schedule split into daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal tasks, sized to the home and shared fairly across the household by time. Use when the cleaning keeps falling on one person.

Plans decluttering a room or home in short sessions, with the order to tackle spaces, clear keep, donate, sell and bin rules, and habits that stop the clutter coming back.

Plans a DIY home project with a go or no-go check, tools, materials with quantities, safety steps, ordered instructions and clear points where a professional is needed. Use before starting a home job.

Ranks home energy upgrades such as draught-proofing, insulation, heating, solar and appliances by cost, savings and payback, with grants to research. Use before spending on efficiency.

Builds a seasonal home maintenance calendar for your home type and climate, marking DIY tasks and when to call a professional. Use when you buy a home or want to stop problems before they start.

Builds a renovation budget with line items, price ranges to verify locally, contingency, often-missed costs and phasing options. Use before asking for quotes or committing money to a project.

Plans a room layout from its dimensions and your needs, with zones, walkway clearances, furniture sizes, lighting and a text floor plan. Use before buying furniture or moving into a new place.

Plans a room makeover with a style direction, colour palette, layered lighting, key pieces, a prioritised shopping list and a budget split. Use before buying anything for a room refresh.

Prepares a home for sale with the repairs worth doing, decluttering and staging room by room, a photo-day checklist, viewing routine and a timeline. Use six to eight weeks before listing.

Gives a safe stain-removal method for a specific stain and material, gentlest option first, with what never to use or mix. Use as soon as something spills.