''Brighten up your bathroom''

25/03/2008

Homeowners have been urged to brighten up their bathrooms with a few easy tactics that don't cost the earth.

Sarah Beeny, from Channel 4's Property Ladder programme, has suggested that by adding a few simple items, such as floor mats and new toilet seats, families can give their bathrooms a new lease of life.

In addition, it is well worth giving a bathroom a thorough clean in order to ensure that any limescale or scummy marks are removed and the room is a more pleasant place to be, Ms Beeny maintains.

Another inexpensive hint from the TV property expert is to make a feature of any books or magazines that are kept in the bathroom and might otherwise be left strewn across the floor.

Writing in the Mirror recently, she said: "I hate loo brushes! If you're putting in a new bathroom, plan for a little cupboard so you can hide it away. Otherwise, at least buy a new one."

A report last week from Halifax Home Insurance suggested that British men often carry out DIY activities out of a sense of duty rather than from an enthusiasm for the practice.