Homeowners should ensure that they install insulation if they are looking to make their property green.

The step will be especially beneficial if a new wood stove has been put in as the insulation will help to keep heat inside the property and reduce energy bills.

Anna-Marie DeSouza, editor of Build It + Home Improvement magazine, said that DIY renovations have become a more popular choice because of the UK's stagnant housing market.

"The marked difference is that people are staying in their homes and improving them – enlarging them or renovating them in some way to make them more modern. The associated costs of moving on are being invested instead into the homes that they've currently got," she noted.

In terms of energy efficiency, Ms DeSouza recommended insulation.

Packing as much of the material into a roof space as possible is advised, while cavity insulation will also help to reduce the amount of heat which escapes from a property.