Cost-Effective Ways Of Transforming Your New Home
Let’s face it moving can be extremely stressful and busy, and it takes up a huge amount of time and brainpower in the months and weeks leading up to your move. This often means you won’t have had the time to think or plan your new home decor and layout, and often when you get in and unpack you may need a bit of inspiration.
So how can you transform your new home in a cost-effective way?
There are now lots of different hacks and amazing products available which means you don’t need to buy new for everything. This will save you a huge amount of money and is kinder to the environment.
- Our first bit of advice is to focus on one room at a time, rather than doing a little bit in every room at the same time. If you try and do it all at once you’ll find you will get disheartened and frustrated. This often ends up with no rooms being completely finished and being left as you’ve lost interest. Finishing one room will mean you will be incentivised to do the next one and the next one after that. Decide which room you want to tackle first, second, third and so on and this will help to keep you on track.
- Take some time to settle, unpack and live in your home before you start your transformation as you will learn a lot by just living in a house. You will really then understand how you use each room, which rooms get the sun at what times of the day, any rooms that are hot or are cold etc.
Cost-effective Interior Design Transformation Tips
The easiest and most cost-effective way to freshen up a room is to paint the walls and ceiling. If you’re not sure of the colour you want then keep the colour neutral and light and this will open up a room and make it feel brighter and bigger. Buy some testers and try them out on small areas of walls and this will ensure you’re sure of the colour before you start. If you do want to add colour then do this by using an accent colour on a chair, cushions, a rug and accessories.
If you have a sofa, sofas and or armchairs then use throws to freshen them up or you can now buy some really cost-effective sofa and chair covers that are a fraction of the cost of reupholstering or even buying new ones.
If you have cushions on your sofas, chairs and beds and they no longer fit with your new colour scheme then buying new cushion covers is a lot cheaper than buying new cushions with covers on, as well as being better for the environment. You could even try making your own, it isn’t that hard to do.
If your carpet or flooring is looking a bit tired or grimy then give it a good clean. If you have hard flooring then search for the best and most effective way to clean it. If you have solid wood then you can sand it and then reoil or varnish it, which will make it look brand new again. If you have carpet then you can hire a carpet cleaner to do it yourself or get some prices for a professional company to come in and do them for you. You’ll be amazed at the difference a professional clean will make, and again it is far cheaper than buying new. Professional cleaners will also clean sofas and chairs if they need a deep clean.
Adding a new rug to your flooring over hard floor or carpet can also make a huge difference and add to the decor in your room. A geometric patterned rug will add contrast to a neutral room as well as compartmentalise areas, in front of your sofa or under your dining room table as examples.
Try upcycling your dining room table. Whether it’s wood, metal or glass there are now some amazing products out there that will make it look brand new again. Give it a clean with sugar soap or use a good paint stripper if it is painted or varnished. Then use a specialist furniture chalk paint or wax to bring it back to life. If you have material dining chairs then you could try reupholstering them yourself, or again there are now some amazing dining chair covers you can buy which are so reasonable and easy to keep clean. Adding a splash of colour or colours to your dining chairs is amazing, how about trying a different bright colour for each chair which will really make your dining room stand out and look fresh and new again.
If you are fed up with shoes, bags and coats being left in a heap in your hallway, then buy some nice colourful circular material tubs for shoes to be put into. Put some nice coat hooks up at different heights for coats and bags to be hung on. Another trick for hallways is to buy a 4 cube storage unit and lie it on its side, buy some storage boxes and then each family member has their own box for their shoes and bags. You could then buy a seat cushion to sit on the top and this gives everyone somewhere to sit when they’re putting on their shoes. Having good shoe storage also means your family are less likely to wear their shoes into the house and this will protect your newly cleaned carpets and flooring.
If you already have furniture from your old house but it doesn’t go with your new decor then try stripping it back using an effective paint stripper and then using a good oil or wax. You could also paint it using chalk paint in a colour to match your colour scheme, or use an accent colour to make it a stand out piece in your room. New handles are also a great way of making old furniture look new again.
Front and back door upcycles are really easy now as well and there are lots of different paint options available that will make them look brand new again. Add a new letterbox and door knocker and you won’t believe how much better it will look.
If you don’t like your kitchen in your new home and you know you want to replace it but further down the line then why not upcycle it. Doing this will mean you won’t have the financial pressure of replacing it more quickly than you should do and often people will do it and decide not to replace it at all. It does take time to do but do it a bit at a time, a door and cupboard at a time and you will love the result. You might want to freshen it up with white paint, be dramatic and go with a bold blue or transform it into a country kitchen style using a sage green or a cream. Anything is possible, you can even paint fridges and washing machines so they all match. Change the door handles if you don’t like them and wow, you have a brand new kitchen in your new home that you love and at a fraction of the cost.
Chalk or tile paint can be used to freshen up old tiles on the walls or floors, add an accent colour or remove a colour that you don’t like. As long as you research the products that are suitable and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines you really can’t go wrong and it will cost you the price of the paint and your time.
Look out for bargains and free furniture and accessories on local Facebook pages, Marketplace and gum tree. Sometimes something that someone else doesn’t want would be great in your new home as it is or upcycled. Once you start you will really get the upcycling bug and you are protecting and saving the environment by the products not going to landfills.
Garden Furniture can also be upcycled, as well as potts and benches, Why not give it a go, add some new cushions and a few bright flowers to your pots and you will love spending time outside in your new garden in the summer months. Jet wash your patio and see how it comes up, a lot of people now paint their patio slabs using a specialist paint and it looks amazing. If you have decking then again you can jet wash it and either oil or paint it using a specialist decking product.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our hints and tips and even if you only use a few then it all helps towards the cost of a new home.