Want to revamp your home but don’t have the money in the bank to do it? Well, with a bit of time, creativity and determination there are a number of ways you can spruce up a house- for less than the cost of a new TV! Here are Savoo’s top tips for cheap home improvements (along with some handy discount codes to help you along the way).
Charity shops
By charity shops, we don’t mean exorbitant ‘antique stores’ where everything is christened ‘Vintage’ and overpriced accordingly. No, we’re talking about a good old fashioned charity shop, where the clothes smell a bit musty and ornaments are two a penny. These shops are THE destination for cheap pieces of furniture (although you may need to trawl a couple of them to hunt out the gems from the tat!).
Upcycle
Upcycling is the impressive art of transforming unwanted items into something totally different. It does require a bit of creativity- and top notch DIY skills- but if you are up for the challenge then you could easily refresh old pieces of furniture with some tender love and care. Take a look at this blog post for some inspiration.
Paint
A lick of paint can do wonders for brightening up a room on the cheap, particularly if your walls haven’t had a good scrub in a while (yep, walls need cleaning too!) Get yourself over to
B&Q or Homebase and invest in a large pot of cheap paint, don some overalls, and start wielding a brush.
Spring Clean
When was the last time you had a proper spring clean? Not just a cursory tidy, but a window scrubbing, skirting board dusting, under the bed hovering spring clean? If it’s been over six months, then this is definitely one way you could makeover your house without spending any money. In fact, getting your windows really clean will let more light in, making the room look brighter and more welcoming.
Light bulbs
Harsh, bright white light makes any room look depressingly stark, whilst soft mood lighting will transform your bedroom or living room into a cosy haven. Replace those old bulbs with some lower wattage ones, or turn off your overhead lights and swap with a table light. And don’t forget to use low energy bulbs to save money on your electricity bills!
Accessorise
A well placed throw will cover up an old and tatty sofa for a fraction of the cost of a replacement chair; we love the John Lewis range of blankets and bedspreads (which might be on the pricey side but will last you for years to come). Equally, some bright or patterned scatter cushions are the perfect way to experiment with colour and break up neutral décor. But be selective. Accessories are like jewellery- you would never wear it all at once!
Move things around
Most of us are guilty of keeping our furniture in the same place for years and years. But if you are lucky enough to have space to play with, why not move some pieces around? That sofa repositioned against another wall might completely transform your living room, without spending a penny.
Create a feature wall
Wallpaper has come back into fashion, and boy are we happy about it. Wallpapering a whole room might be a little expensive- not to mention overkill- so keep it cheap by choosing one feature wall to cover instead. Just remember to choose a pattern or colour that coordinates with your existing furniture so you don’t have a clashing nightmare.
Give your kitchen a facelift
New kitchens are expensive, so instead of maxing out your credit card on a whole new room, why not paint or replace your kitchen cupboard doors instead? Ikea actually sells a range of doors exactly for this purpose!
Re-grout tiles
Grimy bathroom tiles do not make a good impression, so if your bathtub or shower are looking dingy then it might be time to re-grout them and replace any tiles that have been chipped. And if you want to make a dramatic change, pick up a pot of tile paint cheap from
Wickes to completely refresh the room.
What are your tips for redecorating on a budget?
