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You might want to consider taking on a project yourself – or doing a DIY job.

The credit crunch has made home renovations a luxury that few can afford. If you aren’t one to bend in the face of adversity, then embracing a DIY solution could be right for you. Home ‘greening’, minimising energy consumption and bright and breezy paint jobs are the top DIY projects of the season, according to industry experts. Read on for more of their DIY advice.

Saving money with eco-friendly alterations

Andrew Skipwith, CEO and founder of Ratedpeople.com – a UK-based trade recommendation service – told responcesource.com that ‘2010 is likely to be a strong year for the DIY industry, as many home owners do DIY as a way of saving money and adding value to their property.’

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Top of the DIY projects list, says Skipwith, is eco-friendly alterations that reduce carbon footprint and save homeowners energy and money. As an example, he mentions the UK government’s recent proposal for a new boiler scrappage scheme, where home owners with G-rated boilers can now save around £400 on the cost of a new boiler whilst cutting their emissions by as much as 30 per cent. Other ‘green’ alterations that Skipwith predicts include alternative energy sources such as solar power, the use of low-toxin paints, or simply growing a vegetable patch.

Cut down energy bills

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On this topic, there are several things homeowners can do to cut down winter energy bills, according to Scott Byrom, utilities manager with moneysupermarket.com in an interview with DIY News. According to the article, people have been told to look at ‘getting insulation fitted, undertake draught exclusion around the home and consider getting double-glazing installed in an attempt to slash energy bills.’ Lets-do-DIY.com has fantastic DIY advice on how to insulate a loft, rafters and lagging pipes, radiators and cylinders, if you’re up to tackling this on your own.

Funky paint

On the lighter side, funky paint DIY projects are tipped to be another hot trend in British homes for 2010, according to DIY advice from Pittsburgh Paints. In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, they said to expect ‘splashes of exotic bright and classic neutral colours around properties in the new year, including deep grey-browns and blues, as well as spicy oranges.There is however DIY advice on how to choose the right colours for your abode.

Tags: diy