Celebrity interior designer Anna Ryder Richardson claims that homeowners are going back to basics when attempting to add value to their property.

She said improving a property prior to a sale can be "as simple as de-cluttering and changing the light bulbs".

The designer claimed that "maybe in the past we''ve been guilty of thinking that we had to lavish our homes with great design because then it would be worth more and we could sell it".

However, she said that the credit crunch was forcing people to save money and as a result spend more time at home, so they are beginning to take more pride in their properties.

Meanwhile, research by the Energy Saving Trust shows homeowners could save £300 a year by being more energy efficient.

According to the organisation, Brits waste £6.8 billion on wasted energy in their homes every year.

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