Refresh Your Home On A Budget

Home improvements can seem unaffordable, but by thinking outside the box you can upgrade your home décor and furnishings without spending a lot.

The proliferation of internet tutorials on virtually every subject matter under the sun means that anyone can now try their hand at DIY. Make a plan of how you want your home to look before you begin then focus on ways to achieve this without breaking the bank.

Re-arranging the furniture you already have is one completely free way to give your home a new look.

Try concentrate on a different focal point in your lounge – for example, if your furniture is currently arranged around the television, try making the fireplace or front window the centre of attention. Don’t limit yourself to the furniture already in that room – if you have something in another room that will complement your new look then add it to the mix.

If you need some new pieces of furniture that you can’t afford but at the same time have old items in the garage or taking up valuable room, try using sites such as freecycle to grab other’s unwanted furniture items for nothing.

Visit second-hand furniture stores, warehouse clearances and garage sales to pick up bargains. If you are short on money but have plenty of free time you can easily buy used furniture to strip and re-varnish, re-upholster or paint and it will cost you very little. You can also have a look for discount vouchers on sites like Netvouchercodes.co.uk as they often have great discounts on home furnishings.

Paint is inexpensive and goes a long way. Even if you can’t afford to re-paint the whole house, pick one accent wall in each room and decorate it in a bold colour which complements the rest of the room.

If you have your heart set on a particular pattern, think about whether you could stencil it onto your existing walls rather than buying costly wallpaper.

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If all you are after is a fresh feeling without spending a fortune, take note of small changes you could make to brighten up or alter the feel of a room. Rather than brand new kitchen cabinets, could you change the handles?

Put up art work or mirrors to brighten dull areas and make rooms appear more spacious. Use flowers or home-made table decorations to add splashes of colour. Rather than a whole new bathroom suite, how would new taps and a new set of towels make it look?

Whatever your budget for home improvements happens to be there are ways to get the look you want at a price you can afford. Work out before you begin exactly how much you have to spend and exactly what it is you want to change.

Try to be flexible – if you want to change the bathroom don’t begin with an idea of a whole new set of fixtures if you really can’t afford them. Be creative with your ideas and take your time.

Prioritise which rooms need a makeover first and begin there – you may have more spare cash at a later date.