If you’re on a strict budget, then the idea of any room updates seems out of the question. But it turns out that it might not be. In fact, there are numerous ways to inexpensively and effectively do a room update, without having to shell out big bucks.
Check out these ideas:
Just Rearrange The Furniture
Simple as it might sound, rearranging the furniture can have a massive impact on how a room feels. What’s more, it’s practically free and hardly takes any time at all. Once you rearrange the furniture, you can then settle down and enjoy a room with an entirely different atmosphere. Furniture rearrangements work best in the bedroom and living room, but you could also try them in the bathroom and dining room as well.
Go To A Yard Sale
Going to a yard or car boot sale can be a great way to pick up high-quality furnishings for much less than the going market rate. In many cases, people simply want you to act as a waste disposal service, taking big items off their hands that they no longer wish to keep. In many cases, you may be able to get discounts in the region of 90 percent compared to listed RRPs.
Add Greenery for room updates
Another inexpensive and cheerful – yet highly budget-conscious – method of updating your rooms is just to add some plants. You can buy these from a nursery. However, if you are lucky to already have house plants growing in your garden, dig them up, transfer them to a pot, and bring them inside.
When it comes to adding greenery, the more the merrier. Green plant energy can totally change how your rooms feel and give you peace of mind.
Put Up Wallpaper
Wallpaper is one of the best ways to take a neutral room and take its appeal up a notch. Modern designs tend to go particularly well with shabby chic interiors featuring distressed woodwork.
Wallpaper is also a great option for commitment-phobes. That’s because options like this one are so easy to take down once you put them up. If you’re not happy with your choice in six months, there is nothing stopping you from swapping it out and starting again.
Add A Mural For Room Updates
Adding a wall mural to your living room can help to give the space a new lease on life. The best way to do this is to simply add a large scale print and hang it up above your fireplace.
If you want to do something a little more sophisticated, you can go for a hand painted mural. Here, artists will come to your home, prepare the wall, and then begin painting directly on it. You’ll pay a lot more for these types of services though.
Create A Happy Picture Gallery
If there’s one home decor trend that’s stood the test of time, it’s the picture gallery. These are a great way to fill a blank wall and make your home’s interiors much more interesting.
How you choose to populate your picture gallery is very much up to you. Many people like to include photographs of the people they love, but you have plenty of other options. These include, hanging up poems or old manuscripts, pieces of modern art or just landscapes that you enjoy.
Add A Coffee Table Display
Creating a small coffee table display only takes a few minutes. But it can have a massive effect on how your living room feels.
Perhaps the best way to do this is to add a series of elements. Start with a vase with some flowers and then maybe add a stack of old books, or some cute coasters, ready for when people come to visit.
Go Second-hand For Unique Pieces
Going antiquing is another wonderful way to save money while injecting a little personality into your rooms. What’s more, in today’s marketplace, you have so many options. Sellers are available on eBay, Gumtree, Etsy and many other platforms, offering furniture for less than you might expect.
When shopping for second hand pieces, don’t get carried away by their low price. Just buy the items that will have the biggest impact once they find their way into your rooms.
Hang Fresh Curtains
Swapping out the window treatments in your room for new curtains can make a massive difference in how the entire space appears. Most of the time, you don’t actually notice your drapes – they just blend into the background. But when you update them, you immediately feel the impact. If your rooms feel a little dull, try swapping out your drapes for something lighter. Hang the drapes as high on the window frames as you can to make your windows appear taller.
Spend Money More Strategically
Another thing you can try if you’re on a budget is spend money on room updates strategically. The way this works is actually pretty straightforward. The idea is to only spend money on the big centerpieces and avoid shelling out on anything else. So, for instance, you might invest in an attractive sofa and mirror, and then leave the floor bare and the walls white, covering it with second hand rugs if necessary. In fact, you might not even have to invest in a new sofa – a brand new sofa cover can be a cost-effective way to completely change up its appearance, giving the room a whole new look and feel without breaking the bank. If you follow this strategy, you’ll find that you can keep your budget down while also transforming your room and making it more interesting.
Add More Storage
Living rooms can sometimes lack storage. Often, you need somewhere to keep your books or ornaments, but simply don’t have the space.
A great budget-friendly idea, therefore, is to add some storage. This way, you can reduce clutter in your home and help to tidy up the entire space. Open bookshelves can also provide visual interest, making a home feel more “lived in.”
So there you have it: a full list of home update ideas for people on a budget. Hopefully, you’ve learned that you don’t need to spend a fortune upgrading your house. Just simple, small changes can make a massive difference in how it looks and feels. Never spend your money on things that you don’t need.
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