Collocations Decorating and home improvement

Decorating and home improvement

Houses

refurbish/​renovate/ (British English) do up a building/​a house

convert a building/​house/​room into homes/​offices/(especially North American English) apartments/(British English) flats

extend/​enlarge a house/​building/​room/​kitchen

build (British English) an extension (to the back/​rear of a house)/(North American English) an addition (on/​to something)/(British English) a conservatory

knock down/​demolish a house/​home/​building/​wall

knock out/​through the wall separating two rooms

Decoration

furnish/​paint/ (especially British English) decorate a home/​a house/​an apartment/​a flat/​a room

be decorated in bright colours/​in a traditional style/​with flowers/​with paintings

paint/​plaster the walls/​ceiling

hang/​put up/​strip off/​remove the wallpaper

install/​replace/​remove the bathroom fixtures/(British English) fittings

build/​put up shelves

lay wooden flooring/​timber decking/​floor tiles/​a carpet/​a patio

put up/​hang/​take down a picture/​painting/​poster/​curtain

DIY/​home improvement

do (British English) DIY/​carpentry/​the plumbing/​the wiring

make home improvements

add/​install central heating/​underfloor heating/​insulation

fit/​install double-glazing/​a smoke alarm

insulate your house/​your home/​the walls/​the pipes/​the tanks/(especially British English) the loft

fix/​repair a roof/​a leak/​a pipe/​the plumbing/​a leaking (especially British English) tap/(North American English usually) faucet

block/​clog (up)/unblock/​unclog a pipe/​sink

make/​drill/​fill a hole

hammer (in)/pull out/​remove a nail

tighten/​untighten/​loosen/​remove a screw

saw/​cut/​treat/​stain/​varnish/​paint wood