Bunnings home improvement and gardening store - share your best home improvement tips - win £200 voucher NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the 10 MNers who went along to the Grand Opening Weekend of the new Bunnings Warehouse in Milton Keynes on 8/9 July. Thanks so much for going along, we hope you enjoyed it!

Non attendees:
To be in with a chance of winning £200 leisure voucher, please share your best home improvement tip on this thread - everyone who does so will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win the voucher!

Attendees:
Below are a few feedback questions for you to answer - if you have any more comments, please feel free to add them to your response. Do share your feedback - tag @bunnings_uk

Why did you want to visit Bunnings in Milton Keynes?
What did you enjoy about it?
Did it inspire you? If yes, in what ways?
What did you spend your £20 on? Please share a photo of your purchase(s)
Do you think you’d return to the new Bunnings store when you were after home improvement or gardening products?
How would you describe the store to someone who had never been?

All the attendees who share feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will win a £100 leisure voucher voucher.

Thanks, and good luck with the prize draws!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

[LTBiscuit]

Non attendee tip.. I found out the hard way.. cover up sofas/furnishings in dust sheets before painting nearby walls!

[helsrodders]

Non attendee - My best home improvement tip is to go with a neutral colour scheme and then accessorize. That way, you can make changes as your mood takes you without much fuss.

[glennamy]

My best home improvement tip:

If you want a new kitchen consider replacing just the panel doors and the worktops, it will save a fortune! :)

[gd2011]

Non-attendee. Before getting someone in to do a job in the house, check online for guides and videos on how to do it. It could be easier than you think.

[emmav6]

Non attendee - small changes that don't cost the earth can make a big difference - new cupboard doors or handles. Painting tiles looks new and fresh

[emmmaaa26]

Non attendee. The smallest changes can make the biggest impact, so paint a wall and throw a few themed accessories with it.

[user1496053440]

Non attendee - paint your home in light pastel colours, it really makes the room seem bigger

[Gazelda]

Non attendee. Use the best materials and tools you can afford. Look after your tools and they will do a great job time after time. I'm particularly thinking of quality paintbrushes, if you clean them properly, they'll give a great finish and won't leave hairs all over the place!

[Hs2Issue]

Non attendee. When having new carpet fitted put sealant round all the edges first it stops dirt and dust rising and marking the edges of the new carpet - learnt this after having a cream carpet which looked terrible after only a couple of years.

[Ikea1234]

Non attendee - make sure you have everything you need for the project BEFORE you start, rather than realise halfway through you don't have a vital piece of equipment / supplies, and pray all the way to the store that they have what you desperately need in stock. (Trust me, I speak from experience!!)

[Pigeonpea]

Always take time to clean and prep the area you are working on/in, it makes for a better job and less cleaning at the end

[Tonkatol]

It may seem a little disheartening, but don't scrimp on the preparation when decorating. It saves time overall and gives a far better finish to do all the preparation for the room first. Also means that once you start the decorating, you can finish it much quicker.

[IonaAilidh11]

non-attendee, stick to neutral colours and add a splash of colour with decorations

[Blatherskite]

Why did you want to visit Bunnings in Milton Keynes?
I'd spotted the new signs while driving past a few days before I saw the MN request and wondered what was going on. We're currently decorating DS's bedroom which has needed a thorough gutting and rebuild so we've been in full DIY mode for a few weeks now. It was good to go somewhere other than B&Q which is the only real alternative now.

What did you enjoy about it?
It was exciting to be a MN reviewer and nice to get to have a look around the new store. It seemed more chaotic and packed than Homebase ever was but then it was opening weekend. Saw a lot of things which we will go back and look at properly another time - mostly garden things but I can't think about that now until this bedroom is done.

Did it inspire you? If yes, in what ways?
I saw quite a few bits of the garden that I liked the look of. I was amazed at the huge range - I saw garden things, gates, doors, paint, tools, furniture, kitchens and lots, lots more. It was almost overwhelming. I can only do one room at a time otherwise it all gets muddled so I'll be going back to look for bits for each rooms as we tackle it (we moved 9 months ago and it all needs doing!) but it was good to get a feel for what was on offer

What did you spend your £20 on? Please share a photo of your purchase(s)
DS has chosen an orange theme for his room which makes finding things that 'go' quite tough. When I finally managed to find the person I was there to see (after much correcting as the first person I spoke to kept saying 'mumspace' rather than mumsnet! I almost had to break out my long defunct Ambassador card!) he did say I might struggle and I did. We did pick up a couple of plug sockets to replace the old, paint covered ones though which look really smart. We only spent around £10 but we'll go back to spend the rest soon.

Do you think you’d return to the new Bunnings store when you were after home improvement or gardening products?
I would. I definitely feel like Bunnings is a bit more cheap and cheerful than Homebase - or B&Q for that matter - but there's plenty to choose from and the prices seemed reasonable.

How would you describe the store to someone who had never been? It's sort of The Range meets B&Q. Maybe not somewhere to pop into as it's too large to get in and out quick but definitely likely to have what you want.

[badgermum]

Non attendee :

How to fix Peeling Wallpaper -
With a knife, smear wallpaper paste onto a piece of writing paper. Rub the paper against the underside of the peeling section. Press the wallpaper against the wall. Slide the writing paper out and smooth away bubbles with a clean cloth.

If you can’t buy new items, simply paint up old furniture! Shabby chic means you don’t have to get a perfect finish

[AngelwingsPetlamb]

Non attendee - home improvement tip.
Before you start any job that you have in mind write yourself a list of all the items you will need to complete the job and then make sure you have them in hand before you start your job.
This will prevent you starting a job and finding out half way through that you cannot finish because you have forgotten a vital tool.
Remember to measure twice - cut once.

[NeverTwerkNaked]

non attendee - my best tip- choose bright coloured accessories (table cloth; sofa cushions) to make a room really cheerful without being overbearing

[WhosTakingDeHorseToFrance]

Non tester
Wish we still lived close to MK those flowers look fabulous!
My home improvement tip is when painting do the prep mask off and cover surfaces to avoid splashes. Time spent filling and sanding marks in the walls willl make all the difference to the finished job. Cling wrap is your friend when you need to take a break between coats, tightly wrap up your trays, rollers and brushes and they are ready for the next coat. Also it's worth buying good quality paintbrushes as they won't shed hairs and will last if looked after.
I sound like my mum now..arrrgh

[Greeny181gb]

Embrace technology. Echo dot has been amazing

[leanneth]

Non attendee....

White paint can be good- cheap and easy to find! White paint on all walls and ceiling then choose a colour on just one wall or opposite wall too if you wish. It's cheaper and easier than painting every wall in colour but still has a good effect - and is easier to change afterwards too!

[ButterflyOfFreedom]

Non attendee

I've simply learnt that when doing any DIY task expect it to cost twice as much and take twice as long as originally thought!!!!

[sarah861421]

Dont be afraid to ask for advice, wither from B&Q people or from the internet, people are happy to help

[cheekychicken24]

Non attendee

My tip is to label paint cans with the room they were used for (even white for ceilings) that way if you have to touch anything out later on if it gets marked my furniture, pets or kids, there's no doubt which to use!

[pfcpompeysarah]

Non-attendee : I think the little touches really make a home, we hate big lights in our house so we have lots of lovely unique lamps around the house, it makes it so much more homely. I also use old china cups to put plants in, you can get them from car boot sales and the like and it is a real talking point with people, so much better than a bog standard pot.

[MrsDramaQueen]

Home improvement tip - We moved into a new build house so it was a while before we could paint, but my daughter wanted a pink room. You can accessories so that it adds a lot of colour to the room without painting. I also like the small pots of glitter paint you can get, so add some sparkle to a childs room.