...And my top 5 money saving tips!!
So we've got to the middle of May, and I am halfway through this years redecorating plan for our home! The hallway is finished and the bedroom is as good as done!! (the reveal coming soon!)
I feel great about the progress I have made and that plans have already been set into action for some of the bigger changes we want to make to our Victorian cottage!!
Also I am feeling rather pleased with myself that so far, I have managed to achieve our home improvements without making much of a dent in our daily outgoings...
So I want to share my top tips on improving your home in a budget friendly manner!
I will deal with furnishing and décor on a budget in another post, today I just want to talk about redecorating the home!!
I will deal with furnishing and décor on a budget in another post, today I just want to talk about redecorating the home!!
#ONE ROOM AT THE TIME!!
Don't try to do it all at once!! Concentrate on doing up one room at the time!! This way it will not be so daunting a task and planning your to do list and spreading the cost will be more achievable!!
#PLAN AHEAD
By planning ahead your room design, you can save money by buying paints or materials when there is a sale at the DIY shop...it will also give you time to shop around for cheap furniture, lighting or other necessities (More on that in another post)!
By planning ahead your room design, you can save money by buying paints or materials when there is a sale at the DIY shop...it will also give you time to shop around for cheap furniture, lighting or other necessities (More on that in another post)!
The first thing to do is to work out what you want from a room...What function and use, and what feel would you like your room to have?? Do you need to create a workspace in your dining room or bedroom? Or maybe your living room needs space for your child's toys? O do you simply want a comfy and calming space!??
Draw up a rough room-plan!
Measure the rooms dimensions and make note of where there's windows and doors to consider! This is particularly important if you are considering buying new furniture, such as sofas or beds!
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| My room plan for our living room |
Draw up a rough room-plan!
Measure the rooms dimensions and make note of where there's windows and doors to consider! This is particularly important if you are considering buying new furniture, such as sofas or beds!
Research your style!
Use Pinterest to collect images of interior designs and items you love, then use picmonkey to create a mood-board! This will help you plan ahead your list of jobs to do as well as any necessary purchases to achieve your style!
Use Pinterest to collect images of interior designs and items you love, then use picmonkey to create a mood-board! This will help you plan ahead your list of jobs to do as well as any necessary purchases to achieve your style!
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| My picmonkey collage mood board of images found on pinterest for the living room look I would like... |
When you have worked out what look, feel and purpose you want your room to have, its time to write a list of the jobs you want done in the room, starting with what you feel would make the biggest improvement!! Basic jobs like painting the walls, tiling or sorting the flooring out should be top of your list!
#DIY
DIY as much as you feel comfortable doing!!
Painting is top of the list of things that have an instant positive impact on the look and feel of the room! And it is something most people can do themselves!!
If a room is particularly big or you feel daunted by taking on painting the floor or ceiling yourself...get your friends around to help out...make it fun: put some music on and order in pizza!
Other things you might consider DIY'ing is for example: tiling or laying down new laminate flooring:
There are plenty of advice and tutorials on how-to to be found online, such as channel 4's essential DIY guide or the Wikihow's Home Decorating pages
If you feel unsure, however, there is no shame in calling in the professionals!!
This particularly applies to plumbing and electrics ....I recommend using qualified people to do these sort of jobs!!
Save money by shopping around for quotes (Tip: Choose the middle quote: You don't want crappy workmanship on the cheap!) or asking for favours of friends in these jobs, or how about swopping skills: You paint their front room if they sort out your light fittings??
#MY TOP 5 MONEY SAVING TIPS
2. Choose a neutral paint colour, like white, and buy in bulk, so that you have enough to redecorate more than one room, and even use the same paint for the ceilings etc...not only will it be cheaper, but it will also help streamline your décor and tie the look of your home together..
If you really cant live without colour on your walls, get creative and use smaller tins of paint (or even better: sample pots) to create a feature wall!
3. Beg, steal and borrow!! See if any of your friends are redecorating and have any leftover paint or materials that could come in handy!
Or maybe you can split the cost of a stencil or some wallpaper paste?
There are also some websites where you can find free or cheap building materials like paints, tile and timber. Check out recipro , trade leftovers or preloved
4. If you have your heart set on a beautiful wallpaper, but it costs a bomb, why not ask in the shop for a biggish sample (most stores will be happy to give you 1/2m ) and stretch it over a canvas for some instant art? Or maybe make some wallpaper covered folk art stars, like the ones below?
Most online wallpaper shops will send out free samples!
5. If you are changing the look of your room, there may be things that you have that will not go with your new décor...Try selling stuff on ebay to raise funds for your decorating!
If you are finding it hard to let go of things, try clearing the room and setting up an outbox of things you are not sure you want to keep....leave the items there for at least a week, then go through and see how you feel about selling the items then....Chances are you are now ready to let some things go, as you've gotten used to not seeing them around!!
I hope you find this guide useful...I know I have saved myself a lot of money by planning ahead this way!
I have one final tip for you all:
ALWAYS CONSIDER A COMPROMISE!!
Sometimes, with a little imagination, a compromise can enhance the outcome of your decorating efforts.....
1.Wait patiently for sales on paints and materials! If You have your redecorating plan sorted in good time, you can take advantage of any seasonal discounts at the DIY shop. Spread the cost by not buying everything at once, and trawl the internet for cheap deals
If you really cant live without colour on your walls, get creative and use smaller tins of paint (or even better: sample pots) to create a feature wall!
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| Image via ellens album |
3. Beg, steal and borrow!! See if any of your friends are redecorating and have any leftover paint or materials that could come in handy!
Or maybe you can split the cost of a stencil or some wallpaper paste?
There are also some websites where you can find free or cheap building materials like paints, tile and timber. Check out recipro , trade leftovers or preloved
4. If you have your heart set on a beautiful wallpaper, but it costs a bomb, why not ask in the shop for a biggish sample (most stores will be happy to give you 1/2m ) and stretch it over a canvas for some instant art? Or maybe make some wallpaper covered folk art stars, like the ones below?
Most online wallpaper shops will send out free samples!
5. If you are changing the look of your room, there may be things that you have that will not go with your new décor...Try selling stuff on ebay to raise funds for your decorating!
If you are finding it hard to let go of things, try clearing the room and setting up an outbox of things you are not sure you want to keep....leave the items there for at least a week, then go through and see how you feel about selling the items then....Chances are you are now ready to let some things go, as you've gotten used to not seeing them around!!
I hope you find this guide useful...I know I have saved myself a lot of money by planning ahead this way!
I have one final tip for you all:
ALWAYS CONSIDER A COMPROMISE!!
Sometimes, with a little imagination, a compromise can enhance the outcome of your decorating efforts.....
...like I did with our staircase...When I realised we did not have the budget to replace the manky old carpet on our stairs, I got creative and purchased two minty green zigzag patterned runners in the sale, that I just staple gunned to the stairs! If I had gotten normal carpet, no way would I have been so adventurous with the colour and pattern!!It looks great, and when they get dirty I simply rip them up and shove them in the washing machine! And all for just £30!!
I will be back with some more budget busting advice on Décor at the end of the week, this time focusing on furniture and accessories!!
xxx
June
Note: I just came across This post from apartment therapy, that you all may find useful if you are planning on redecorating a part of your home....Read the comment section as well...there are some really good advise there!!
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