The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of our summer plans on hold, but there is a silver lining! Being stuck at home has given homeowners the opportunity to renovate their gardens and create a little slice of heaven that they can enjoy all year round.

We asked 400 people to complete a survey about the renovations they'd done in their home since the coronavirus pandemic started. Here you can see the responses to the question: Have you made any additions to your garden because of the COVID-19 lockdown measures? 

We gave 16 options for respondents to choose from and allowed them to tick any number of answers (including none at all). Here are the results...

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We recently supplied porcelain paving for Leicester City FC's new training grounds in Seagrave. The ultra-modern training complex will be the home of Leicester City FC for years to come, so we were delighted to play a part in its construction.

Just before Christmas, an announcement was released by Leicester City FC along with some photos from the new training ground - it was great to see the players enjoying the first taste of their new surroundings.

Anyone who dons the club's crest will receive exceptional service as Leicester City honours a pledge to offer elite facilities to its players and staff.

Preparing for a Man United Match

At the time the news report was released (Christmas Eve), the players were readying themselves for a boxing day match against Manchester United. The team began their training day with breakfast in the new dining room (seen below), an area which boasts panoramic views of the training pitches and our porcelain paving slabs!

After breakfast, it was time to get to work. The team spent the rest of the morning working on their strategy for the Manchester United game.

Brendan Rodgers (LCFC's Manager) said this about the new grounds:

“It’s the most significant investment in the club’s history, if you think of everything they’ve done, the owners, since they’ve been here. This facility is going to help improve players, but also people. The essence of Leicester City – and I’ve really found this since I’ve been here – is a genuine want to develop people and help people, whether you’re a player or a member of staff.”

Our Contribution

We supplied over 400m² of our beautiful Concrete Silver paving for the project and we're so pleased with the results.

If you'd like to speak to a member of our team about incorporating our Concrete Silver tiles into your own project, please contact us today. More information can also be found below.

Concrete Silver Paving >

We recently donated 40 m² of our popular 20mm Limestone Ivory paving to Ysgol Glantaf in Cardiff! They wanted to transform their outdoor area to make it more appealing and accessible for their students.

View Product: Limestone Ivory

As a company with roots in South Wales, we were keen to help this fantastic Welsh school and give back to the community. We know that the children and staff at Ysgol Glantaf will get years of enjoyment out of their new garden space and we're so pleased with how it turned out.

What Ysgol Glantaf Said:

“We would like to say a big thank you – the garden is lovely and we have already spent a lot of time working and playing there. Having the garden has made a huge difference to us all. It is a safe place for us to have some fresh air and move about.”

The project was featured on an episode of Prosiect Pum Mil on the Welsh TV channel S4C that aired on Sunday 29th November. The programme's presenter, Trystan Ellis-Morris visited our South Wales showroom to discuss the project. To cover the necessary area, we gifted them roughly £1,200 worth of Limestone Ivory paving. We're so pleased we did because the finished space looks amazing

If you missed the episode of Prosiect Pum Mil that we featured on, you can catch up on BBC iPlayer. Click the button below to watch it now!

Watch the episode on BBC iPlayer

If you'd like to learn more about our Limestone Ivory paving, or if you'd like to collaborate on a similar project, please don't hesitate to get in touch. You can also order up to 3 free paving samples here!

If you're looking for a change of scenery and you think it's time to move house, then preparing your home properly can help you secure a quick sale. We've been working with homeowners to improve their indoor and outdoor spaces for years, so we know the positive impact that new flooring (or a new patio) can have. 

Competition is fierce on the housing market, so if you want your home to stand out you need to make sure it's clean and well presented. Here are a few things that we'd recommend you do before putting your house up for sale.

1. Clean and Tidy

People say that first impressions are everything and the first thing that people will notice when they come for a viewing is whether or not your house has been cleaned and looked after. General untidiness, dirt and grime can put someone off in a matter of seconds. To combat this, we'd recommend giving your house a thorough clean prior to any visits. This means:

• Packing away children's toys
• Putting shoes away in the cupboard
• Hoovering the floors and carpets
• Removing grubby fingerprints on windows

2. Fix and Replace

If you've been living in your home for more than a few years, there's bound to be a few things that need fixing and replacing. Whether it's something small like a faulty light switch or something more serious like a hole in the kitchen lino, investing in your home now will pay dividends when you come to sell it. 

Why not replace the old wooden deck in your garden with a chic, low maintenance patio? Or better yet, use our indoor/outdoor tiles to create a seamless transition between your home and garden. Using our modern porcelain paving to connect your home and garden will give the illusion of a bigger and more open living space which is sure to appeal to potential buyers. Plus, you (and the new owners) will benefit from a very low-maintenance space that will last for years to come - a worthwile investment indeed.

3. Kerb Appeal

So far, we've given you a few recommendations to improve your home and garden before you put your home up for sale, but we haven't discussed one of the most important factors - kerb appeal.

Kerb appeal is the way that your home looks from the street and is the very first thing that potential buyers will see whether they're driving past your home, or looking at the listing online. Spending a bit of time to improve the way the front of your home looks can help you attract more buyers. To improve your home's kerb appeal, we'd suggest:

• Painting fences and gates
• Neatening up the lawn and any outdoor plants/bushes
• Installing a new path/walkway (or cleaning up the existing one)
• Giving your front door a clean/new lick of paint

Can I move house during the coronavirus pandemic?

For most people, it is still perfectly possible to move home despite the current challenges of COVID-19. The main changes we've seen so far effect the way that house viewings and moving days work. 

Wherever possible, house viewings should take place via video, this limits the exposure that potential buyers and homeowners have with one another. If an 'in-person' house viewing does take place, the government are advising that the house is thoroughly cleaned before and after the viewing and that homeowners vacate during the viewing if possible.

On moving day, you are advised to disinfect your belongings (especially if a third party removal company are going to be helping you). When removal workers are in your home, you should stick to social distance guidelines wherever possible and wash your hands regularly. 

If either you or anyone involved in the transaction come down with COVID-19 symptoms, it's vital that you self isolate. This can, of course, slow down the house moving process but it's important for all parties that the move happens safely. 

You can read the in-depth government guidelines here. 

If you're thinking about selling your home and you want to install PrimaPorcelain paving as part of your preparations - don't hesistate to get in touch. 

Adding potted plants to your patio is a great way to bring your outdoor space to life. Sure, most plants are at their best during the spring and summer months, but that doesn't mean your patio should look bare through the autumn and winter months. If you're lucky, some of your spring/summer bloomers will continue to produce flowers as we head into the colder seasons, but most flowers will die back within a matter of weeks.

If you're looking for some patio plant suggestions that will look good through autumn and winter, look no further. We've rounded up a selection of our favourite autumn patio plants so that you can enjoy your patio all year round. 

Don't forget to check out our wide range of porcelain paving if you want to add a new patio to your home for winter!

Shop Porcelain Paving Now >

Autumn Flowers

Looking at pretty flowers can trigger chemicals in your brain like dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin (otherwise known as the happy chemicals). Looking at flowers can make you feel less depressed and anxious, so there's a real mental health benefit if you can encourage some flowers to grow on your patio this autumn.

Hardy Fuchsia

Looking for something that will add an instant pop of colour to your patio? The hardy fuchsia (or fuchsia magellanica) are known for their gorgeous 'ballerina' flowers which are capable of surviving throughout the autumn and the winter. 

Amaranthus

With tassle-like flowers, amaranthus species are a great option if you're looking for a more unusual patio plant. These flowers bloom in autumn and stick around for a few weeks into winter. When cut, they can be used in gorgeous autumnal flower arrangements. 

Cosmos

One of our all-time favourite autumn patio plants is cosmos! Blooming from spring right up until the first frost of the year, these delicate flowers are sure to put a smile on anyone's face. At the end of the season, cosmos will die back, self-seed and create even more beautiful blooms in your garden for the following year!

Autumn Herbs

Another great way to bring your patio to live during the autumn and winter months is to add a herb garden. Unlike most flowers, herbs are hardy enough to withstand the pressure of autumn and winter - plus they can be very helpful in the kitchen. Summer herbs like basil and chives won't make it through the winter, so it's important that you harvest these before the first frost. 

Herbs that will last well through autumn and into winter include sage, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme. It's no surprise that these are often additions in our favourite autumn/winter meals. Creating a herb garden on your patio is really easy and you can enjoy the fruits of your labour all year round.

We hope that this gives you a few autumn patio plant ideas. A quick reminder that the clocks go back on Sunday 25th October, giving us an all-important extra hour in the day. Perhaps you could utilise this to give your patio planters some TLC!