Is there anything worse than a neglected home? Your property might have been radiant when you first bought it, but as time has gone on it has begun to look more and more dilapidated. This can be very disheartening for you and your family, but the fact of the matter is, the quality of your home lies with you. Of course, working full-time and having children to care for doesn't mean you usually have that much spare time to dedicate to your home. But you don't need to embark on a full-scale renovation in order to breathe a bit of life back into your house. Just making a few small changes can brighten the place up and before you know it, you'll be falling in love with your home once more.

Keeping your home clean and tidy when you have young children is never an easy task, and you've probably lost count of a number of stains appearing on your carpets and surfaces. It might seem like there is a new one every week! You may not think they account for much, but as the stains and marks build up, your whole home can start to look unkempt. Take action by putting the afflicted areas through a deep clean to get them looking brand new again. Some of these jobs you may be able to do yourself, but others - such as a heavily stained carpet - might need professional care. If you have wooden surfaces in your home, treat them after cleaning with a uv resistant wood finish. This will add a little bit of extra sparkle to your furniture, as though it's fresh out of the store.

 Take a look at the decor in your house at the moment, and be honest with yourself. If your wallpaper, carpets, furniture and decor look like they wouldn't be too amiss in an episode of Dallas, it might be time to rethink your design! Interiors that are too dated can make a home look unloved, as it shows it hasn't moved with the times. Read some interior blogs to garner some inspiration for your new-look home, and set about bringing your vision to life. Sometimes all you'll need is a lick of paint to freshen the place up - opt for a light, neutral color, so you have more room for decorative manoeuvre.