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In the aftermath of the festive season, few of us particularly enjoy checking our January bank balances. Along with chilly weather, short days and a return to normal work hours, the need to tighten belts in the new year is a well-known contributor to the dreaded ‘January blues’.

However, the New Year is also a time of fresh starts, blowing away the cobwebs and giving things a bit of a reboot. In particular, it’s when a lot of us start thinking about making changes around the house and fixing up those little domestic annoyances we’ve let slide over the previous 12 months.

Smart use of Duologi’s flexible customer finance for home improvement can be a great way to brighten your environment, while also staying within budget. In this blog, we’ll briefly explore the sorts of home improvement loans UK customers can use to help beat the January blues with a mood-lifting house makeover.

Cost effective tips for home improvements

There are several key home improvement trends predicted for 2021. Some we already saw starting to blossom last year, and several more are expected to catch on as we move towards spring and summer.

Unsurprisingly, many of this year’s most popular home improvement projects will be directly related to the ongoing COVID situation and the need for continued social distancing. Three particular trends you’re likely to see popping up everywhere – and which should all be very achievable on a relatively slim budget – include:

1. A focus on outdoor entertainment zones

Patios, fire pits, canopies and garden food preparation areas can all be set up fairly cheaply, and don’t require acres of space to look fun and inviting. By the time the weather starts to warm up, having somewhere nice to sit outdoors – even if it’s just a balcony or driveway – will make all the difference to anyone still having to stay at home.

2. Creating more multipurpose spaces within the home

All over the country, people are currently exploring how best to set up a home office or schoolroom for various householders to use. Since many busy family homes don’t have space to dedicate exclusively to this, a big trend for 2021 will be adapting other rooms – perhaps a kitchen or bedroom – to create a comfortable and productive desk, computer and paperwork area.

3. Making time spent at home healthier

Keeping safe at home needn’t mean becoming a couch potato, and many retailers are now seeing increased search volume for items relating to home (or garden) gym setups. This could mean turning the spare bedroom into a workout zone, but many people with less square footage are looking into space-saving furniture items that can double up as exercise and fitness stations.

How these can be achievable on a January budget

When it comes to customer finance for home improvement projects, picking the right packages for you involves two main factors. Firstly you need to know what’s available, and secondly, you need to understand how each of the various options can help you – or your customers – achieve those 2021 home improvement goals while respecting those tighter post-Christmas budgets.

Many customers looking to update their home decor are understandably hesitant about making ‘big ticket’ purchases so soon after Christmas – and naturally, this has an immediate slowing effect for retailers, too.

In short, whether you’re a homeowner or a business owner, making good use of flexible retail finance options like 0% Interest or Buy Now, Pay Later can really help to keep things moving through the usual start-of-year slump.

Finance options

Duologi offers various flexible point-of-sale finance options for home improvement businesses and customers alike.

For buyers, we offer a variety of attractive products and terms, with realistic repayment plans custom-designed to suit you and your individual budget. For retailers, we handle repayment plans entirely on your behalf, with no fees due until a sale is completed and no interruption to your normal cash flow.

To learn more, head over to our Customer Finance page where you’ll find plenty of information about all of our flexible financing options. You can also get in touch with a member of our team any time to discuss how POS financing could help make 2021 a happy new year right from the get-go.