Two DIY lovers created a stunning playroom by removing a bulky old fireplace to turn a former snug into a child-friendly space on a budget.

The room previously looked like a time warp into the 80s. However, it has been completely transformed with lots of playful playroom ideas including a mural, kids’ kitchen, and upcycled storage solutions.

Modern playroom makeover

Laura Crombie and her husband Rian, who live in a four-bed detached house in Worcestershire with daughter, Sophie, 3, are both serial renovators. They wanted to have a space in the house that would house Sophie’s toys, but also be a space that would grow with her.

Before

Image credit: Laura Crombie

The couple did all the work themselves, and a lot of work was needed before it could be transformed into the dream modern playroom makeover it is now. The original space featured yellow textured wallpaper and a bulky brick fireplace.

Laura and Rain got to work stripping the wallpaper, adding new skirting and foam coving, and even moving light fittings and sockets to create a blank canvas to work on.

‘Stripping the wallpaper from every surface was the worst as it’d been painted over so many times!’ Laura told Ideal Home.

After

Image credit: Laura Crombie

Laura and Rian removed the fireplace to make it safer for Sophie, but this can easily be reversed in the future as it’s just boarded over. Once the room had been stripped back the fun part starts, decorating it with the best children’s room ideas.

The couple opted for a playful feature wall idea with a safari-themed mural from Munks & Me. The rest of the walls were painted in a dusty pink to complement the mural and give the space a colourful but modern finish.

Image credit: Laura Crombie

The thrifty pair not only saved money on the playroom makeover by doing all the work themselves but shopped smart to keep the project on budget. They started buying items in the sale 12 months before the room was finished to save money, picking up the wall lights and the large Berber-style rug from Made.com last Black Friday.

They also made the most of the items they already had, upcycling a sideboard with turquoise paint to create a handy toy storage solution. The house desk, available at Sklum is the perfect playful finish to the smart playroom.

Tidlo Wooden Country Play Kitchen |£144.99, at Amazon
Kids will love this country-style play kitchen, designed with a taller work surface for years of play.
With an oven and hob, click dials, cupboard, sink, and clock, little ones will have hours of fun cooking up their own delicacies.

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Laura adds that the pocket door system was one of the best things they did while renovating their entire house. ‘It takes 10cm off the kitchen-diner, but means we don’t have doors opening into the room,’ Laura explains.

Image credit: Laura Crombie

This is a great option with kids, as the doors slide away into the new wall cavity when not in use. The playroom leads off from their open-plan kitchen-diner so the glass doors mean they can keep an eye on Sophie while she plays.

It just goes to show that sometimes an old fireplace just needs to go so you can make the most of the space you have. Have you been inspired to give your kids’ room or playroom a refresh?

The post Removing a fireplace transformed this tired space into a colourful modern playroom appeared first on Ideal Home.

Wondering how to connect an HP printer to WiFi? If so, you’re in the right place. So much for the paperless office! Life still demands that we use the printed word some of the time. We love digital tickets and QR codes on our phones. But if you’re rushing for a flight or a theatre booking, it can be reassuring to have your ticket on paper, just in case the tech lets you down at the wrong moment.

‘Work sometimes demands reading that’s easier to digest and annotate on the printed page. And schools, whether that’s home learning or permission slips, routinely expect us to be able to print at home,’ says Ideal Home’s Amy Cutmore. ‘Thankfully, the latest printers designed for home use are small and affordable. And they’re easier than ever to set up, too.’

Of course, before you start, it’s worth checking you’re on the best broadband deal, since a poor connection could be the cause of your issues. Plus, no one should be paying more for WiFi than needs be.

How to connect an HP printer to WiFi with HP+

We’ve focussed on how to get a new HP printer working because it’s the UK’s best-selling home printer brand. But the advice for setting up other brands, such as Canon, Epson and Brother, is very similar.

‘Wireless printers offer a huge number of benefits, like the ability to print from wherever you are using your smartphone or tablet. They also avoid the need for a messy series of cables,’ says an HP spokesperson.

You can plug your printer directly to your laptop (USB cable) or into your WiFi router (Ethernet cable). But there really is no need these days. Wireless is reliable and printers with built-in WiFi make it easy to print wirelessly over broadband.

Image credit: Dominic Blackmore

1. Unpack your printer and plug it into a power source

Unpack your printer. Remove all the packaging (look out for tape holding things in place), plug in the power cables and follow the setup instructions. This will include inserting the ink cartridges and may also include printing an alignment page.

2. See if your printer is HP+ enabled

HP outlines all the various ways to set up wireless printing on its website. We spoke to its experts though, and they said that the best and easiest option is via the app. Just choose an HP printer that’s HP+ enabled.

HP+ is currently only available on the following printer models: HP DeskJet 2000, 4000 series, ENVY 6000 series, OfficeJet Pro 8000, 9000 series and HP LaserJet M200 series. If your printer is brand new, it’s likely to be HP+ enabled. If you’re still unsure, check the product code. Every HP+ printer will have a small letter ‘e’ at the end of the code.

‘Our latest printers are equipped to connect wirelessly to your phone, laptop or PC via the HP Smart app. All you need is an internet connection. The app will then guide you through the simple set-up process,’ says HP.

3. Download the app

Download HP Smart from the HP website or your mobile app store. It’s available for PC, Mac, Android or iOS. For iPhones and iPads, go to the iOS app store and search ‘HP Smart’. For Google smartphones and tablets, go to the Play Store and search ‘HP Smart’.

4. Look up your Wi-Fi router’s password

Your device – whether it’s a PC, Mac, tablet or phone – needs to be on the home WiFi network that you want to connect the printer to. And you’ll need to know your router’s Wi-Fi password.

To find the default password, check the sticker on the router box. It’s usually on the back of the box and contains the wireless network name (SSID) and the password (WEP, WPA or WPA2).

If you changed your WiFi password but can’t remember it, you can reset it. To do this, look for a small ‘reset’ button on the router. Most likely, it will be located at the back and will be recessed so you can’t press it accidentally. Our tips on how to change your WiFi password might also be useful here.

Using the end of a paperclip, press the reset button for around 10 seconds. Once you release it, the router should reset to its default settings and you will be able to use the password provided on the back of the router.

5. Enter the router password

Use the HP Smart app to find your printer and then select your home WiFi network and type in the password for it. This will connect the printer directly to WiFi. If you’re home’s WiFi is unreliable, this can be improved with some of the best WiFi extenders on the market.

6. Test by printing something

It really is that simple. You can now print directly from the HP Smart app. But also the printer is on your home WiFi network, so other devices connected to the network should be able to see it too. For example, children should find that it appears as a printer on their devices so you no longer need to be the homework print shop.

A spokesperson from HP outlines how to print from the app: ‘Tap either the Print Photos or Print Documents tile, depending on the content you would like to print from your device. It’s that easy! The HP Smart app also gives users the ability to scan and print physical documents, all from their mobile device.’

7. Print from anywhere

Using the app, you can then print to your HP+ home printer from anywhere, even when you’re away from home. Sensitive documents? There is also a clever feature called Private Pickup which ensures documents aren’t printed until you’re physically near the printer.

How to connect an HP printer to WiFi with Auto Wireless Connect software

Alternatively, your printer may have been supplied with Auto Wireless Connect software. This means you can connect your printer to a wireless network automatically without connecting any cables or entering your wireless network settings (network name and password). Many newer HP printers will have this capability during the standard software installation process.

To use Auto Wireless Connect, follow these steps:

1. Unpack your printer and plug it into a power source. If it’s Auto Wireless Connect compatible, this set-up option will be offered during installation. Your printer will then be in Auto Wireless Connect mode.
2. Install the software for your printer. To do this, visit the HP website and select ‘software and drivers’, then ‘printers’, and then enter your printer model. Follow the instructions until you are prompted for ‘connection type’.
3. When prompted, select the ‘Network (Ethernet/Wireless)’ connection type. Then choose ‘Yes, send my wireless settings to the printer (recommended)’. After that, your printer will do the rest!

If your computer or network configuration is not compatible with Auto Wireless Connect, you will be offered an alternative wireless set-up method.

How to connect an HP printer to WiFi through the Wireless Setup Wizard (for touch display models)

The Wireless Setup Wizard runs from the printer’s control panel. Follow these steps:

1. Make sure you know your WiFi router’s network name and password. If you are unsure, follow the steps outlined above.
2. On the printer’s display screen, go to the ‘Network’ menu or touch the ‘wireless’ icon and go to ‘settings’. Select ‘Wireless Setup Wizard’ and this will display a list of nearby wireless networks.
3. Select your wireless network name from the list. If you can’t see it listed, scroll down to the bottom and enter it manually. Make sure you enter the name exactly how it is displayed on your router, taking care to input the correct upper and lowercase characters.
4. Then enter your WiFi router password. Your printer should then connect to your WiFi network.

If you are unable to connect after following these steps, your printer will give you the opportunity to print a Wireless Network Test report. This should help you find out what is wrong.

How to connect an HP printer to WiFi through a USB cable

If your HP printer does not have a touch display screen, you can use a USB cable during your printer software installation. Do not plug the USB cable in until the software instructs you to do so. Follow these steps:

1. First, make sure your laptop or PC is already connected to the WiFi network you want to connect your printer to.
2. Next, you need to install the correct software onto your computer and printer. You can do this by visiting the HP website and select ‘software and drivers’, then ‘printers’, and then enter your printer model. Follow the instructions until you are prompted for ‘connection type’.
3. Then select either ‘through the network’, ‘network’, or ‘wireless’. The wording will differ slightly depending on the model of your printer.
4. Follow the instructions. You will be guided through creating a wireless connection for the printer.
5. When prompted, connect your laptop or PC to your printer using a USB cable. The USB port can be found at the back of your printer.
6. Finish following the instructions and your printer should now be connected to your WiFi network.

Why is my HP printer not connecting to my WiFi?

Many people may wonder how to connect an HP printer to WiFi. And even when following these simple steps, problems still might need troubleshooting. We asked HP’s experts and they said the most common issue is the printer and device not being connected to the same WiFi network.

1. Your signal is too weak

If you regularly struggle, one of the ways to boost a WiFi signal is to try moving your printer nearer to the router for a better connection. Or add a WiFi extender to improve the signal in your home.

2. Your printer and computer are connected to different networks

‘If you’re experiencing connection issues, it’s important to remember that the computer and printer need to be connected to the same network for them to work together. If connection is lost, there are several things the user can do to get their wireless printer re-connected.’

Image credit: Future Plc

3. You’ve changed your Wi-Fi password

If you changed your password and can’t remember it, you’ll need to go through the reset process detailed below and enter your new password.

How to reset your HP printer connection

There are three different methods for resetting the printer’s network settings, according to HP:

1. Turn it off and on again

It’s a classic that all gadget-lovers swear by: ‘turning it off and on again’. It worked for The IT Crowd and it should work for you.

‘With the printer on, disconnect the power cord from the printer and the wall socket,’ HP explains. Once disconnected, leave the printer for 30 seconds and then plug it back in. The lights should then come back on. Press and hold the ‘resume’ button for 10-20 seconds and then release it.

2. Press ‘wireless’ and ‘cancel’

‘For printers without a touch display, simply press and hold the ‘wireless’ and ‘cancel’ buttons together for 5 seconds – that’s it! The network settings will be reset successfully and you can reconnect your network via the HP Smart app.’

3. Use the touch display shortcut

‘If your device has a touch display, in the wireless or network settings menu find and select ‘Restore Network Defaults’ or ‘Restore Network Settings’. Some devices will have a dedicated wireless button. In which case you can simply press and hold the button until the network resets,’ says HP.

The post How to connect an HP printer to WiFi – a step-by-step guide appeared first on Ideal Home.

If you’re wondering how much does home insurance cost, you’re probably not alone. One in four UK households have no home insurance according to personal finance comparison site, Finder.com, leaving them with no protection for their most important and valuable asset.

Home insurance may seem like just another cost to put up with. But it is a policy you really shouldn’t be without. If your home is burgled or a burst pipe causes a flood, you’ll be glad you paid the premiums. And if something worse happens, like a devastating fire, you could be in real trouble without proper insurance.

With many policies costing less than £150 a year, skipping home insurance can prove to be a false economy. The average claim on home insurance comes in at £3,690, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). This is money that most people won’t have to spare.

Let alone the £32,000 average cost of a flood claim. And by shopping around, you can get a good deal, as long as you understand what you’re buying.

How much does home insurance cost?

Buildings and contents cover

The term home insurance actually covers two different types of cover, though you can often buy them together.

First, buildings insurance covers the bricks and mortar in your home, including floors, ceilings and permanent fittings, such as fitted kitchens and bathroom suites. It usually also covers ‘outbuildings’ like your garage, shed and greenhouse. This policy pays out if, for example, your roof is damaged during a storm.

By contrast, home contents insurance covers your personal possessions. This is basically everything you’d take with you if you moved, including furniture, electronics, and personal items such as jewellery, ornaments and clothes.

Both types of insurance are intended to cover the cost of repairing or replacing items if they’re damaged, destroyed or stolen, by events including fire, flooding or burglary.

Do you need insurance?

Image credit: Future Plc/Colin Poole

You’re probably wondering do I need home insurance? There is no legal requirement to have buildings or contents insurance – it’s usually your choice. Although if you have a mortgage on your home, the lender may make taking out adequate buildings cover a condition of your loan.

Even if that isn’t the case, or if you’ve paid off your mortgage, buildings insurance makes sense. Could you fund the cost of repairing major damage from your own savings?

However, if you’re renting, you don’t need buildings insurance. This is because your landlord will be responsible for protecting the property they own.

Are you wondering what is contents insurance? It’s always optional so you don’t need to get it. But again, think about the cost of replacing your possessions. Research from the ABI shows the average three bedroom home has £55,000 worth of stuff. You might cope with a burglary in which you lose £300 worth of items, but what if everything you own is destroyed in a fire?

Cost of home insurance

The cost of home insurance depends on the size of your property, the value of your possessions, where you live and the cover you need.

You can buy building and contents insurance separately. The average cost of a buildings policy is £110 a year according to price comparison site Moneysupermarket.com, against £56 for contents. If you need both, you can often save money buying combined cover, which costs an average of £141.

Home insurance cover levels

Don’t assume the cheapest policy is the best for you. Above all, make sure you have sufficient cover or you could still be out of pocket in the event of a claim. With contents policies, most insurers offer ‘block’ levels of cover – up to £50,000 or £75,000, say.

Some, including LV=, the AA and Swinton have ‘contents calculators’ on their website with dropdown menus for each room. These can help you work out the replacement value of big items along with bedding, curtains, TVs, free standing kitchen appliances and personal items.

With buildings cover, it’s not the potential sale price of your property you need to insure for It’s the rebuilding cost, which should be lower. Insurers will usually calculate this cost for you as part of the quotation process. But you can do this for yourself with the ABI’s free rebuilding tool.

Don’t be tempted to skimp on cover levels. Even if you make a small claim, you can still lose out. If your insurer thinks your possessions are worth £100,000, say, but you’re only insured for £50,000, it might try to downgrade claims in the same proportion. It might only settle £500 of a £1,000 claim, for example.

Home insurance extras

Image credit: Future Plc/Dominic Blackmore

In addition to your basic cover, most insurers offer optional extras. These are worth considering, but may not be essential.

‘Accidental damage and personal possessions are the primary additional covers that people need,’ says Nicola McCheyne, head of personal lines technical underwriting at Zurich UK. Accidental damage covers you if you have an accident and break something in the property. For example, if you knock a TV off a stand and smash the screen.

‘Most home policies do give an element of accidental damage within the standard policy, like fixing glass, sanitary ware or underground pipes or cables on buildings. Also on contents, for glass in furniture, mirrors, TVs or audio/electrical equipment,’ McCheyne explains.

However, buying additional accidental damage cover extends this. For example, you’ll be able to claim if you knock a tin of paint over your carpet while decorating.

As for personal possessions cover, this is where you need to check whether you are insured for personal items you take outside your home, like your laptop or jewellery you wear.

Most policies set a ‘single article limit’. This is the maximum payout per item, and typically around £1,500. For higher value items, such as technology gadgets or pieces of jewellery, you should give insurers details of each item separately. This may incur an extra fee.

Dodgy DIY can void your policy

Image credit: Future Plc/David Brittain

While home insurance offers protection from unexpected costs, it’s not blanket cover for every emergency. And keeping your home in a good state of repair is usually a condition of most policies.

‘Insurers can refuse accidental damage claims if the event was caused by poor workmanship or faulty materials,’ warns Ryan Fulthorpe, GoCompare’s Home Insurance Expert. ‘For example tackling jobs you’re not qualified for could invalidate your home insurance, leaving you liable for the cost of repairing any damage caused.’

How to get the best deal

Shopping around on comparison sites can save you money, although not all providers are listed. Always compare ‘like for like’ cover, as policy terms, along with any excess, can vary between insurers. So while you may find a cheaper premium, if it means a much higher excess in the event of a claim, you need to weigh up if it’s worth the saving.

Avoid setting your policy to ‘auto renew’, as you may miss out on better deals. Also always pay for insurance in one go if you can, rather than splitting payments. Insurers offer the chance to pay monthly, but this can cost up to 40% more. One option, if you can’t afford to pay upfront, is to use a credit card with a 0% deal on ‘new purchases’ and pay it off interest free.

The post How much does home insurance cost? An all-you-need-to-know guide appeared first on Ideal Home.

Think you have to wait until your current mortgage deal is finished before you look to move home? Not the case! It’s possible to pack up your mortgage and take it with you. This is what is known in the property finance industry as, ‘porting your mortgage.’

That way, you get to keep your current mortgage when buying a house, rather than waiting to pay it off or, for your current package, whatever your mortgage rate, to end.

Porting your mortgage, explained

Image credit: Foxtons

Taking your mortgage with you, from one property to the next, is known as ‘porting’. It can save you money if you’re paying a low rate of interest. Or, if you are tied into a deal, porting your mortgage can leapfrog you out of a hefty early repayment charge, (ERC), if you decide to leave.

How does porting your mortgage work?

A Portable Mortgage seems like an easy, convenient option. However, it may not be such a good idea if you’re currently paying a high rate, or have a small mortgage and are looking to borrow more.

There are some practical hoops to jump through.

‘Don’t assume that your port is a done deal,’ says Rosie Fish, a mortgage expert at online mortgage broker Habito.

‘There’s still a process to go through. You need a new offer letter, your lender will give you another credit check and look at your income. They’ll also get a house valuation of the property you want to buy. If your credit rating has changed since your original offer, (for example, if you’ve missed a couple of mortgage payments), it might reduce the chance of getting your port signed off.’

Lenders base your borrowing potential on affordability criteria. This includes your income, but also your non-mortgage outgoings. If your household income is now less than when you secured your existing loan, porting your mortgage may not be an option. The same is true if you have higher monthly outgoings; you may not qualify for the same deal.

Does porting your mortgage come with costs and charges?

Image credit: Katie Jane Watson

Doing your sums is key, including any costs incurred with porting. Look at the cost of setting up a new mortgage, with your current lender or a new provider, compared to porting your existing deal.

The good news is lenders do not usually charge a porting fee. However, if you’re making any changes to your mortgage, there can be other costs. Charges vary between lenders.

‘If you’re borrowing additional funds and need a top up to your mortgage, there could be fees on the new deal, such as a £995 arrangement fee,’ says Karina Hutchins, head of Home by OpenMoney, a money advice service.

Although the mortgage is the same, the house you are buying is not. Therefore, a new house valuation will need to be conducted on the new property. ‘Most lenders offer a free valuation on properties under £1 million. Those that don’t, charge around £300,’ continues Karina.

‘If a lender won’t let you port, it’s usually because you don’t fit with their lending criteria. This means they won’t offer you a new deal. You will then have to pay its early redemption penalty, as you will need to change lender and repay this mortgage early, triggering the penalty.’

By comparison, starting over with a new lender can mean incurring mortgage arrangement fees (also known as product fees), and valuation costs. According to MoneyHelper, the Government money advice website, you can pay anything from nothing to £2,000 with mortgage arrangement fees. Also expect to pay from £250 up to £1,500 for the valuation.

Early repayment charges

If you want to leave a mortgage deal ‘early’, say you’re moving home part way through a fix, and want to start over with a new lender and mortgage deal, you’ll usually pay penalty fees in the form of an Early Redemption Charge, (ERC). An ERC is typically a percentage of the outstanding balance owed. It can run into thousands of pounds, so porting is a way for homeowners to avoid these charges.

With ERCs, ‘the rule of thumb is that it’s 1% of your mortgage balance for however long your deal is. So, with a five year fix, you’d pay 5% in the first year, 4% in year four, 3% in year three and so on,’ says Karina Hutchins. Based on a £150,000 mortgage, leaving during year three, means you’re looking at a fee of £4,500, which isn’t small change; hence Porting can save you money.

If you’ve got a smaller loan and nearing the end of a deal when you move, any early repayment fees can be relatively minimal. For example, £500 if you’ve got one year left and £50,000 outstanding.

Even if there’s no ERC to pay, if you leave your current lender, it’s worth knowing most charge an ‘exit fee’ to officially close down your mortgage account. This can range from around £50 – £300, which should also be factored into your sums when working out if Porting can save you money and is the right decision for you.

Porting when borrowing more

Image credit: Future Plc/Tom Meadows

If you’re moving up the property ladder and want to borrow more, it’s up to your lender whether it will offer you the same deal on a bigger loan.

Most fixed or tracker deals come with a maximum ‘loan to value’ (LTV). LTV is the maximum percentage of the purchase price they’ll lend. This means if you port, your lender may offer a top up mortgage to cover the additional borrowing. This can be separate from your existing deal.

In this case, even if your lender agrees to porting, you may be charged a different, (and probably higher), interest rate, or even the lender’s standard variable rate, on the extra chunk of cash borrowed.

Porting when downsizing

This can be a chance to repay a chunk of cash to your lender and reduce your mortgage loan. Depending on the terms of your mortgage contract, doing this can incur early repayment charges.

Most lenders typically allow you to overpay by 10% of the outstanding balance each year, penalty free. But if you go beyond this limit, you can be clobbered with fees.

Once again, it is vital to factor this into your sums when working out if porting is your best option.

How to make a start porting your mortgage

Image credit: Future Plc

Contact your lender before going house hunting to check their rules on porting, along with any costs.

Check your credit report, in case anything shows up that’s wrong and can be rectified, before you risk being turned down for porting or even a new loan. Then shop around to see what other mortgage deals are available.

Getting advice

It’s worth using the services of a specialist mortgage broker to check out your options. Trussle, Habito, or London & Country, all offer fee free advice.

Always check whether an adviser is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You can check their credentials on the Financial Services Register on the FCA website.

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