GUIDES & TIPS

All how-to guides

Every guide I’ve written. Quick, honest walkthroughs of the jobs I do most weeks across London.

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📺

How to hang a TV on the wall

From a 32" bedroom set to a 75" living-room beast — the right bracket, the right anchors, and a level finish that won't tilt in 3 months.

Read the full guide →
Want it done by lunchtime? Get a quote →
🪡

How to hang curtains the right way

Floor-skimming, wall-to-wall, perfectly level. The trick is in where you fix the brackets — not the curtains themselves.

Read the full guide →
Got a tricky bay window? Send me a photo →
🎨

How to paint a room properly

90% of a great paint job is prep. Skimp on filling and sanding and the new colour just shows every flaw the old one was hiding.

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Whole room or just touch-ups? Quick quote →
🔩

Plasterboard anchors: which ones actually hold

Why your last shelf came down with a chunk of wall attached — and the four anchor types that won't.

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Wall job in mind? Send a photo →
🔔

Install a Ring doorbell or floodlight cam

Wired or battery? Mounting heights, Wi-Fi planning and the angle mistakes that ruin a Ring install.

Read the full guide →
Planning a Ring install? Quote →
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Plan a home CCTV system before you buy

Camera positions, system types, cable routes and night vision — the planning that decides whether the kit works.

Read the full guide →
Need a planning visit? Quote →
🔌

Run ethernet around a London flat

Five hidden-cable routes for wired internet between rooms — without major works.

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Need Cat6 between rooms? Quote →
🍳

Cooker hood: vented vs. recirculating

Ducting, hood height, power supply, external venting — how to make a kitchen hood actually pull steam.

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Need a cooker hood fitted? Quote →
🚿

Fit a shower screen without leaks

Tray levelling, tile drilling, silicone technique — the steps that stop a shower screen leaking onto the floor.

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Got a screen to fit? Quote →
📚

Floating shelves that don't pull out

Bracket choice, plasterboard vs. stud, load ratings — how to fit shelves that still hold a decade later.

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Shelves to put up? Quote →
🛡️

Why an alarm install matters more than the brand

Stop arguing over Ring vs. SimpliSafe vs. Verisure. The install details decide whether it catches break-ins.

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Planning an alarm install? Quote →
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5 things to check before mounting a TV in a rental

Tenancy clauses, hidden pipes, reversible cable management and how to leave the wall perfect at check-out.

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Renting and want a TV up? Quote →
💷

What a London handyman actually charges

Hourly, fixed, day rate? Honest ballpark prices for common jobs and hidden costs to watch for.

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Want a number for a job? Quote →
📐

TV tilting on the wall: causes and fixes

Leaning forward, sliding sideways or sagging on a cantilever arm? Diagnose and fix it before it falls.

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TV looking suspect? Quote →
🚪

Why your IKEA wardrobe doors won't close

Three little hinge screws fix 90% of Pax door alignment problems. Here's how to find and turn them.

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Doors driving you mad? Quote →
🧱

How to tell if a wall is hollow before drilling

Tap, scan and pilot-test your way to knowing what's behind that plaster — brick, stud, dot-and-dab or concrete.

Read the full guide →
Not sure what you're drilling into? Quote →
🪟

Curtain rod sagging in the middle? Here's the fix

A centre support bracket fixes a drooping pole in under an hour. Why it sags and how to stop it.

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Curtain to sort? Quote →

These guides are based on 8+ years of doing these jobs across London homes. They cover the safe, professional approach — but every property is different, especially older London builds. If anything looks unusual (lath-and-plaster, asbestos artex, undersized lintels) stop and ask.