Having a place that you feel truly at home in, that reflects your style and personality, is a great thing. However, many people aren’t happy with their homes. It might be that they live with other people, so have compromised or have kids and need a child-friendly (and child-proof) home.
No matter the reason, once you turn your attention to refurbishing your home, it can seem like a daunting and expensive task.
So whether you’re giving a few rooms a coat of paint or a complete remodel, there are ways to save money.
Decide on the scale of your project
Pinning down exactly what you want to do can help you plan it more efficiently. Do you want to do one room at a time or try and get the whole project done quickly? This is one of the more exciting parts of the project, where you get to search the internet and interior design magazines for inspiration.
Put a budget together
Once you know exactly what you want to do with your home, then you can start to put a realistic budget together. If you’re going to be remodeling or having a new kitchen or bathroom installed, you should gather some quotes from contractors.
Consider your finance options
Now you know how much your home improvements are likely to cost, you’ll have to find that money from somewhere. You can choose home refinancing or a loan to cover the costs if your savings won’t cover it. Alternatively, you can split the project up into smaller chunks that you can complete as and when you have the money.
Hire an interior decorator
It might seem a bit counter-intuitive to hire an interior designer when you’re trying to save money. It’s not only the super-rich who are using interior designers these days. Many specialize in helping people who live in standard-style properties on a budget achieve a beautiful home.
An interior designer can help you if you’re struggling to pin down a look for your home and stop you from making costly mistakes. They’ll be able to tell you what you should be spending a little more money on and where you can make savings.
They’ll also know many people in the trade who can give their customers preferential pricing.
Do as much of the work as you can yourself
If there’s something that you can take care of yourself, rather than paying someone else to do it, then it’s going to save you money. Even if you have no decorating or DIY talent, you can still do something. For example, if you’re paying someone to wallpaper a room, then you can save money by stripping the existing wallpaper off yourself. Or if you’re having work done in your garden, you can do the initial clearing of weeds so that these labor costs don’t need to be paid for.
If you are feeling a bit braver and want to try out some new skills, then you’ll find a lot of tutorials on websites and YouTube that will be useful.
Mix designer pieces with a bargain find
Not everyone has the budget to fill their homes with high-end pieces of furniture and fittings. Many high street retailers and online stores are now specializing in creating an attractive piece that looks a lot more expensive than they are. You can put these bargain finds together with a few of your more luxury items for a home that would fool all but the most eagle-eyed.
Shop savvy
Hunting out a bargain should be second nature to you. With everything available online these days, you should be able to find what you’re looking for without paying full price for anything.
Don’t buy the first thing that you find, look around for a cheaper price or a similar piece that costs less. There are a lot of sites that have ‘dupes’ of designer pieces that you can buy for less.
If you’re renovating your kitchen or bathroom, you can often find display models for a fraction of the cost. These will have been built in and used in showrooms to attract sales.
Don’t be afraid of pre-loved
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Many people now sell their unwanted furniture and decorative items. It’s a great way to make some money and keep good furniture out of landfills.
Head to Craigslist, eBay, or local Facebook groups to find great pieces of furniture that you can use in your interiors. Some of them might need a little work or upcycling, but others might just slot right in.
You can also sell your unwanted furniture too to make a bit of money for your redecoration.
Choose items that make an impact
When budgets are tight, you want to choose decor and fittings that are going to change the look of your room for less. For example, changing the faucets and shower fittings in your bathroom can give the room a different style altogether without changing the entire bathroom suite.
Other little touches include changing handles, drawer knobs, and switches.
Use laminates instead of real wood
Unless you are decorating a period property and want to keep the authenticity of real wood, then laminates are a great option. Not only are they cheaper, but modern design and production methods make it difficult to distinguish them from the real thing. Laminate will last and be cheaper to repair if damaged.
Use luxury fabrics to transform your bedroom
If you can’t afford a big, beautiful bedframe, then you can still make a centerpiece of any bed with the right linens. Go for big, beautiful layers with scatter cushions that complement the rest of the decor.
Final takeaways
Redesigning your home can be exciting, especially when you’re looking for inspiration to create your dream interior. But once the reality sets in about the amount of work involved and the costs involved, then it can seem a bit overwhelming. By planning well and shopping smartly, you can achieve your look for less.
You can also find me on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Discussion about this post