WHEN property programmes burst on to TV screens a few years ago they were focused on people trying to climb the property ladder and budding developers hoping to make a quick buck on the market.

Now things have changed and the emphasis has shifted from moving to improving and encouraging people to fall in love with their own homes again.

Huddersfield actress Zoe Lucker has got in on the act, fronting a new makeover series for UKTV Style called Love The Place You’re In.

The series was devised to reflect the current changes in the housing market and how the credit crunch is affecting would-be buyers.

The programmes sees the days of viewing a house purely in terms of an investment as over and encourages people to treat their house as a home and a team of experts show families how to make their property work for them.

The channel’s commissioning editor, Catherine Catton, says the show highlights how times have changed. She says: “As the credit crunch starts to bite and the housing market declines it’s a timely series that is about viewing your home as a nest, not a nest egg.”

The Home Show on Channel 4 also encourages people to make the most of their homes. Architect George Clarke helps families who don’t want to move house but can’t see a way of staying where they are.

Using his architectural knowledge he gives their homes a complete design overhaul, taking advantage of all the space available and altering the layout to create properties that finally match the families’ needs.

George said in an interview: “I wanted to make this series because it was important to me, as an architect, to get under the skin of homes, to find out what homes really mean to people.

“I’m not interested in making a programme about property, assets, increasing value, climbing the property ladder; a home is a container of personal dreams and memories.

“If your home is in the location you want, it’s a house that you really like, but it doesn’t work for you, don’t sell it!

“Get someone like me in, an architect, to help you make it the house you always dreamed of.

“The show is not about treating a home as a commodity, it’s about maximising the real value of homes, how much they mean to people.”

So for homeowners who don’t want to sell there’s lots of things they can do to make their properties right for them, from freshening up the interior and putting down new flooring to adding value by extending or converting existing space.

Huddersfield-based interior designer Laura Pearce runs her own company, Concepts and Spaces, which provides a range of services, from initial consultations to managing entire design overhauls of properties and businesses.

Laura believes that having a home that looks fantastic is easy to achieve and doesn’t have to break the bank.

She says: “If there’s essentially nothing wrong with your home then a fresh, new look could be all it needs. You can learn to love your home all over again.

“There are lots of things people can do to make their homes work better and it doesn’t have to be expensive.

“If space is limited then clever storage is a must; use every available space. Space under beds in divans or shallow boxes can give extra room to hide less frequently used items, while cupboards under stairs can store cleaning equipment, shoes and coats.

Laura says: “If things are put away your home will feel bigger, tidier and less oppressive. Built-in storage offers more space than freestanding and give an illusion of space.

“Light colours will make a small room feel larger and airier as will continuous flooring such as laminated wood which will elongate the room. An accented wall with co-ordinating coloured accessories will give a room a united and warm feel.”

For people wanting more space in their home Laura advises homeowners to look at extending either into the roof space or at the back or side of their homes.

Attached garages can also be converted to create some much-needed extra room.