Choosing your very first home is one of the most important decisions of your adult life. Along with picking the perfect area, it’s important to make sure that you find a suitably sized property for your current and future needs at a price that suits your budget.
So, you’ve finally found your dream first home and have gotten through all the stress of signing the legal documents and transferring ownership. What’s next? Chances are, you’re hoping to tighten the purse strings a little for the near future after spending a significant amount of money on a property or committing to monthly mortgage repayments. With that being said, you will also want to put your personal stamp on your new home and take advantage of the fact that you can decorate it however you like, without having to worry about getting the landlord’s approval.
Read on for our top tips on decorating your first home on a budget!
Tip #1. DIY When Possible:
As a first time home buyer, you’ll probably want to spend as little as possible on the decoration of your new home to make up for the money that you’ve just spent on buying it. Thankfully, there’s no need to worry – many home decoration jobs can easily be learned and done yourself, especially since there are so many great tutorials and how-to guides available to get your hands on completely free of charge online. If you’re planning to be knocking down walls and other big jobs then calling in a professional is usually ideal. However, for smaller jobs such as repainting, stripping wallpaper or glossing the skirting boards, save your money and do some DIY.
Tip #2. Start Neutral:
When decorating your first home, it can be tempting to splash out on all your favorite colors and add some really vibrant themes to the property. However, although this can work out well for many homeowners, there’s always the added risk that upon completion, you’ll realize that it’s not actually a good fit for your new house. Since it can take time to get used to a new property and decide what’s going to look best, you can’t go wrong with starting off with neutral colors such as white, beige and cream. Neutral tones tend to work with almost every style of home décor and furnishing, and color can always be added at a later date once you’ve better settled in.
Tip #3. Stick to Your Budget:
It can be tempting to purchase every tin of paint or decorative accessory that you think is going to go well in your new home, however, this can lead to you ending up going over your budget. Since you’ve just purchased a new property, the last thing that you need right now is any sort of financial worries or difficulty. Avoid overspending by drawing up a strict budget before you begin and ensuring that you stick to it throughout each task. Determine how much you have to spend on each room, and break this down into different costs, for example for paint, wallpaper, carpet, and furniture. Write a list of ‘needs’ and ‘wants’; this way you can ensure that the essentials are covered first before deciding whether you can afford the nice extras.
Tip #4. Take Measurements First:
Taking measurements of each room in your home should be one of the first jobs that you set out to do as soon as you move in. It might seem obvious, but you would be surprised at the number of homeowners who simply forget this very basic requirement. You will not want to end up in a situation where you find and purchase your dream piece of furniture, only to get it home and realize that it doesn’t fit in the room you thought it would be perfect for. Along with measuring the rooms, don’t forget to take the dimensions of the hallways and doorways – this way you can better determine if a new piece of furniture is going to be able to get in.
Tip #5. Break it Down:
Redecorating a whole house can be a mammoth task, especially if you have invested in a large property with multiple rooms across various floors. The best way to avoid overspending, stress and confusion when making your new home your own is to take it one room at a time. This will allow you to break the task down into smaller and more manageable segments and you’ll be better able to keep track of your progress.
How did you decorate your first home? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.