Home improvement tips with Craig Phillips

Before winning the first series of Big Brother in 2000, Craig Phillips ran a successful construction business employing 30 tradesmen and operating with an annual turnover of more than £1million. After Big Brother cast him into the spotlight, Craig went on to combine his knowledge of construction and media savvy to forge a brilliant career as one of the UK’s leading DIY and home improvement experts. His shows include Celebrity DIY With Craig Phillips, If It’s Broke Fix It and 60 Minute Makeover. Craig is also the official ambassador for Heat Holders

Craig’s Home improvement tips
“I strongly believe that maintaining your home regularly is the best home improvement tip I can give to anyone. For most people, buying
a home is the biggest investment you will ever make, so we do have a huge responsibility to look after it.

“Remember, the more you maintain it, the better it looks and
of course, the fewer problems that arise in the future.”

Tips for the outside
“Cleaning and repairing damaged gutters and down spouts is always important and this includes removing blocked leaves from the gutters that could go on to block up the main drains. If your gutter joints or brackets have become loose, they may just need sealing with silicon or the rubber seals changing! These jobs often only take minutes to do but could stop thousands of pounds worth of damage to your property.

“All the wood work outside your home including painted windows and fascia boards, are subject to the British elements. Both the sun and rain can damage them, making them look weatherworn and grotty! By lightly sanding them, undercoating them and finishing them with the correct external gloss paints, they will not only look great and add value to your home, but it will also make them last a lot longer.”

Tips for indoors
“Again, painting the walls and ceiling regularly is such a quick and simple way of making your home look and feel great. I’ve recently been using the Wall Perfect paint sprayer from Wagner – it’s a quick, simple way of painting through a house. All you need to do is spend a bit of extra time masking up the areas where you don’t want the paint to go, like. If you’re doing the walls and ceiling, then mask up the skirting boards, doors and windows. This way, you can fly though the painting in no time and get a true professional finish, far better than if you used a roller and brush.”