As the pandemic saw many of us transition to working from home overnight, we were forced to adapt our homes accordingly. For most, the lockdowns were a perfect time to work on home improvements, however, many people found creating a suitable home working space and generally taking care of their wellbeing during this time a real challenge.

In our recent survey of 1,000 UK homeowners and renters, unsurprisingly we found that natural light (or lack of) was one of the top factors contributing to wellbeing in the home. In fact, it turns out that a lack of natural light in homes is making many of us miserable, with 48% of people saying their home lacks natural light or they wish they had more, resulting in more than a third feeling fatigued and one in four people feeling unhealthy.

Some of the main impacts of having low levels of natural light in the home were reported by survey respondents as:

• 35% feel tired
• 25% feel unhealthy
• 24% feel depressed
• 23% feel drained
• 22% feel irritable
• 21% feel less optimistic
• 20% feel miserable
• 17% feel anxious
• 14% feel less productive at work

On top of this, a quarter of people admitted that one of the biggest issues while navigating working from home was being uncomfortable because of extreme temperatures (either being too hot or too cold). A further 26% said their home has poor ventilation, while 28% admitted to having damp and one in four people said that draughty windows are a problem for them. On average, UK homeowners and renters are also losing sleep at least once a week as a result of noise pollution.

While these factors can be discouraging, they can actually be fixed easily by improving windows, doors and the overall look of the home. Research shows that the average person in the UK spends 90% of their time indoors, so it’s crucial that the buildings they occupy are enabling them to lead healthy lives.

Looking at the natural light issue challenge specifically, our five top tips to help increase natural light levels in the home include:

1. Clean your windows more often so they let more light in – it sounds simple, but you’d be surprised the impact a dirty window can have on light penetration
   
2. Install larger windows and doors, or install bi-fold doors and skylights where possible
   
3. Reconfigure your furniture so it isn’t blocking any windows or incoming light – that might also mean changing up your choice of blinds or curtains to maximise light
   
4. Incorporate mirrors and metallic accessories into the design of the home, to give the illusion of more space and light – this also really helps make small rooms look bigger
   
5. Ensure your colour palette and flooring choices are light and airy – dark colours tend to make spaces feel smaller and drab and will draw attention to a lack of natural light

We have lots of resources on various home improvement topics on MyGlazing.com, including a couple that relates directly to this article: why it’s important to create more natural light in your home and whether you should invest in a home office.

Whatever your current working situation is, these types of improvements are well worth thinking about, as they’re not only crucial for personal comfort and wellbeing but can also help to make your property more appealing to buyers in the future!