We all love to refresh our homes be it our primary residence or our holiday home rental property. Giving them a new look each new year is always an ideal time to do this.

1. How to save on decorating your home

2. We all love to refresh our homes be it our primary residence or our holiday home rental property. Giving
them a new look each new year is always an ideal time to do this. If your finances are still recovering after
the added expense of the festive season, however, it can be tricky to splash out on expensive decorating
tools and materials. Think outside the box though, and there are plenty of ways in which you can update
your home without spending too much. Check out our expert advice for some great ways to save…
Only buy what you need. Work out the exact quantities of
materials needed for the job so you don’t overspend.
Measure rooms and use online calculators that let you
know the required amount of paint, wallpaper or tiles.
When refurbishing a kitchen or bedroom, don’t rip out
cupboards or wardrobes without examining the carcasses
first, as if they’re in good condition, replace the doors
rather than the entire units, keeping expenses down.
Investing in multi-purpose tools is more cost-effective than
buying ones with a single function, or, if you’re unlikely to
use a particular piece of kit again, hire it instead. Sell any
left-over materials on eBay, Gumtree or a specialist
website.
Grab a discount. From cashback sites and loyalty cards to
money-off vouchers, there’s no reason why you should
ever have to pay full price again. Online shopping is usually
cheaper than buying in-store, and you always have the
right to return goods for a full refund. Megadiscount sites
Amazon and eBay have huge home improvement sections,
and some big supermarkets have branched into DIY – for example Asda has introduced George Home
paints and wallpapers. Join Topcashback and Quidco for money back every time you make a purchase
from a participating retailer, and sign up to Myvouchercodes for daily coupons and codes. B&Q’s
Diamond Card gives a discount to over 60s every Wednesday, and buy from your local builder’s merchant
to get trade prices.
Choose value paint. With so many paint brands available, it’s sometimes difficult to know which to
choose, and, if you’re a keen decorator, even buying enough paint for just a couple of rooms can end up
costing a lot. Try using chalky flat matt emulsion – an ultra-flat paint which absorbs light and helps to hide
any imperfections for a rich, luxurious finish. And the best news is, it’s only under $10 per 2.5 liter tin, a
huge saving when compared to some other paint brands.
Kitchen Ideas. In the kitchen, use standard Ikea carcasses and design your own door fronts, which can be
made up by a joiner. This gives the impression of bespoke cupboards.
- Engineered floors are just as good as solid floors. Don’t be afraid of using them as an alternative.
- Create canvas-covered wall panels: tightly glue canvas onto MDF, lip the edges on the back and
secure with staples. This is inexpensive but brings incredible texture and interest to a room.
- Brighten up your kitchen with an eye-catching splashback, created with squares of paint.