Making changes to your home can seem like a wallet-draining task but that’s not always the case. There are millions of homeowners out there that are able to redesign their spaces without breaking the bank. If you’re considering doing the same, here are some steps to help you do a home redesign on a budget.
1. Measure everything
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when designing their home is buying ill-fitting furniture. Sure, it may look good at the department store or overstock but it can appear bulky or out of place in your living room. To avoid this, you want to measure everything –yes everything. Wall to wall, corner to corner.
Doing this gives you a good layout of your home allowing you to pick the right-sized furniture and decor. It also makes online shopping easier since you simply need to compare your house measurements against the product description.
2. Plan, plan, plan
Before you go out and buy stuff, take a look at your home plan again and figure out the purpose of each area. For example, you may want a part of the living room to be a reading nook so that means you need to buy a night lamp. Or maybe you want it to be a dedicated movie area so you need to look for reviews on sofas that will comfortably fit all the members in your family. Have a plan for how each area will be used so you can start prioritizing on the items you need to buy.
3. Consider secondhand items
The secondhand market is brimming with home decor options. You just have to be diligent in looking for items that you need. There’s plenty of great bargains that will save you a lot of money. Best of all, they add character to your home better than any generic furniture you find at IKEA. Some great stuff to buy secondhand are dressers, desks, frames, tables, baskets, vases, and vintage decor.
4. Multi-purpose is better
If you’re buying a big-ticket item, it shouldn’t just be for aesthetic purposes. It should have function as well. If it doesn’t add any function to a room, then don’t buy it. For instance, if you’re replacing your bed frames, maybe you’ll want one that has an under storage so you can have more space. Or if you want natural light during cold winter days, maybe get light, insulated curtains. Making home decor choices like these prevents you from having to buy multiple items.
5. Pick a color scheme
If you don’t know where to start, you can find a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and home decor sites. You want to have a coherent color scheme because this will have the biggest impact on your space. Even if you don’t have all the furniture right, if you pick the right paint colors, you can still have a nice looking room. Take your time on these and try out different palettes on a bare wall. You can get small samples at the hardware store before finally deciding on a color scheme that you want.
6. Check your existing items
Another way to save on your home redesign is by repurposing your existing items. Look around your home first and see if you have items that you can use in other rooms. Maybe you don’t need to buy a new dresser for the bedroom when you can just use the underutilized one in the living room? Or how about selling your unwanted furniture first and using the profit to buy a new one?
7. Set a realistic budget
Last but not the least, set a realistic budget. Obviously, you don’t want it to be too high but you also don’t want the budget to be too low otherwise, you end up making compromises you don’t want. This will only cost you more later on when you have to correct a decision that you weren’t happy with in the first place.
Which of these steps are you considering taking on? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
