The best home buys Real Homes editors made this year – and where you can buy them

Ninja Foodi Max | £229.99 £179.99 (save £50) at Ninja
This is definitely not one of those appliances that barely gets used – I make bread, pasta bakes, stews and roast veggies in mine almost every other day. It is perfect for the one pot cook as you can sauté your onions for a curry or casserole, then add veg and tomatoes before pressure cooking to finish. It can grill or roast too if you want to add a crispy cheesy potato top to your dish. Then the pot is dishwasher safe for easy clean up.

Allure Cream Rug | £129.99 £112.99 (save £17) at Wayfair
My lounge carpet has seen better days, so I wanted a huge (but affordable) rug that I could use to hide as much of it as possible. This is so soft and hardwearing, with a simple Berber style design that will work in other rooms round the home if/when I come to get new flooring downstairs.

Lana Monochrome Tassel Voile Panel curtains | £18 - £24 at Dunelm
Another bargain buy to finish my boho lounge makeover. These curtains – or voiles – add privacy without being too heavy for my small, dark living room. Simple in colour and design, they are timeless with just enough interest from the tassels to be a bit different. I might get a set for my spare room to use as well as the blinds.

Argos Home Concrete Style Office Desk | £90 at Argos
Soooo this year, like everyone, I have been working from home for the majority of the year. Which is why I decided to turn my unused spare room into a home office/ cinema room (the latter is what I told my fiancé to convince him). I bought this lovely Argos desk to work from, and I am very happy I did. Full disclosure: the first one arrived damaged, but the second one was fine! It has a cubby hole for my laptop to live when not in use, and a drawer for hiding my pens, notepads and wires away.

RoboVac 15C MAX | £169.99 at Eufy
Okay, so this is, hands down, the best ever thing I've bought for my home. It lives in my bedroom underneath my chest of drawers (hidden away!) and it's scheduled to come out three times a week to clean my flat. It even takes itself home when it needs re-charging. All I have to do is empty the bin every so often. Having two pets it's an actual godsend!

Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner [WV200UK] | £129.99 £117.11 (save £12.88) at Amazon
This Shark vacuum cleaner is my new best friend – thanks, tier 3! All jokes aside, if you have pets (or live with a messy person) then you need this handheld vacuum. Gone are the days of me lugging out my stick vacuum whenever something is spilt (usually by me). This handheld vac sits on my kitchen worktop, on charge all day, and it can clean literally anything. I use it mostly to clean my rabbit's room (yes, he has a room!) and it can suck up hay with ease. It also comes with a few attachments, one of which is great for cleaning sides fast. 

LSA Canopy recycled glass vase 18cm | £23 at Selfridges
It looks gorgeous on my coffee table and works with any flowers. 

G Plan 1980s bookcase | £265 at Etsy
The rich teak looks terrific as part of my living room decor, and it's vintage so is sustainable. 

Bosch Serie 6 WTWH7660GB Heat Pump Tumble Dryer | £769 at AO
Every year, regardless of what month it is because the weather is so unpredictable, my husband and I complain about having to move the clothes horse out of the way as it dries the washing. Not this year, though. We've only had this tumble drier for a couple of weeks (thanks to Black Friday) but oh my, it's literally changed our lives. I can put a load of washing on to wash and then have it dried within a few hours. We went with a Bosch because every other large appliance we have is a Bosch so it seemed rude not to continue the trend, plus all the spec ticked all the right boxes for us.

Morris & Co. Snakeshead Lampshade | £50 - £60 at John Lewis & Partners
I'm not usually a massive fan of prints but for one reason or another I've been really drawn to the Morris & Co prints. We spent the last of our wedding money on this lampshade earlier on in the year which works with the colour scheme in our living room and also adds a bit of interest to a (once) shady corner.

ODDRUN Throw, dark golden-brown | £10 at IKEA
For such a cheap throw, the gorgeous colour and texture make it look pretty high end. It looks great on the end of my bed and it's got big snug room vibes too. 

Beurer WL50 Wake Up to Daylight Table Lamp | £69.99 at John Lewis & Partners
I bought this as soon as daylight savings hit because this year has taken its toll on my sleeping pattern! I love the sleek and contemporary look, am into all the changing colours and really like that it doubles up as a speaker too. More importantly, it's so great to lull you to sleep and wake you up gently. Absolutely, one of my best buys of the year.

Green Ceramic Gluggle Jug Extra Large | £35 at Oliver Bonas
I spotted this back in November and it's been on my Christmas list ever since. Cool, decorative and functional!

Orson Sofa | £699 at MADE
I'm calling this my first proper grown up sofa. It's actually the third one I have bought but the first one that is lovely and squishy and hasn't fallen apart in a couple of months. Plus it's so far survived a new puppy and despite the lighter colour has been really easy to clean!

Arles Octagonal Full Length Mirror | £139 at MADE
This was a lockdown pick me up for sure, but it's gorgeous, such great quality and can finally see my outfits without having to stand on a chair in the middle of the living room to use the mirror above the fireplace.

H&M Cushions | From £2.99
I have bought so many H&M cushions this year I have lost count, they are just so affordable and instantly change the look of my living room. At the moment I have a mix of this patterned cushion and these lovely, super high quality plain linen ones.

Tineco Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner | £399 at Amazon UK
Pretty much as soon as I took the Tineco Floor One S3 out of the box I began wondering how I'd gone so long without it. Essentially, it's a mop and vacuum in one, so it not only cuts down the time I spent cleaning my floors, it does a better job than I ever did with a vacuum and a sponge mop. A must if you have pets or kids, or if you simply hate cleaning the floors and are looking for a better way.

STAUB 28cm Round Cast Iron Cocotte Black | £259 at Zwilling
I've wanted a Staub cocotte for years, and I finally bit the bullet over Black Friday and purchased this one on sale. It's the perfect size for everyday cooking for my family of four so I've gotten a ton of use out of it already. Plus, it's so pretty I leave it out on my stovetop