People often say, “Home is not a place but a feeling”. So, taking this concept into consideration, it is important to establish a sense of that certain “feeling” at the place you stay.
No matter if you are renting, just moved into a new house, or have been at the same domestic location for years, you will need to create a surrounding that you are comfortable with.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by taking control of your home’s interior design. It needs to have an atmosphere that puts you at ease and make you fond of returning and to spend time at. After all, that’s why they also say “home is where the heart is”!
Decorating your house doesn’t necessarily have to cost you a fortune. The following 6 practical tips will help you save money on your home interior design project:
Here are the tips at a glance:
1. Research, research, research
This one seems pretty obvious, but we cannot stress enough how important it is to do thorough research. Knowing what you want and being organised will not only save you a lot of time but also money.
Prepare a budget and decide on what styles you prefer. Remember to create something that fits your personality rather than blending in with the crowd because after all, this is your house. Take inspirations from magazines, websites, and social media groups.
Also, take into consideration the size of your home and how your final vision will look like. If you prefer, you can even plan things down to the finest detail such as scoping out floorplans and manipulating layouts. There are several online resources that can help you to do that.
2. Prioritise essential furniture over accessories
A majority of people will not be able to purchase everything in one go, especially when you’re trying to stick to a budget. You should prioritise your spending towards the essential furniture before going for any accessories. This way, even when a room is a work-in-progress, it will still be functional.
First, make a list of all your needs and your wants. Then organise them in order of importance so the most essential and functional items are at the top. Include the prices for each item so this way you can decide which item you can do without in order to stick to your budget.
3. Start small, end big
Once you’ve covered the essential and functional furniture, you can then move on to the accessories. You can start with the smaller rooms and areas first before you decorate the bigger ones. Examples of these areas are corridors and the front door space.
Even items such as mirrors, carpets, or motivational posters can make a difference. However, be sure to keep things simple and neat as you do not want to clutter the area. This will make the small areas look even smaller.
4. Walk the extra mile to get the best deals
We’ve mentioned before that most people will not be able to buy all the furniture they want or need in one go. This might actually be a good thing as you shouldn’t buy everything at one single place.
There will be various home or IT fairs and expos at different times of the year. Warehouse sales are also places where you can get good deals. Also, consider purchasing second-hand items. When people are in a rush to move, they tend to sell expensive furniture at lower prices. Social media has lots of groups where you can find good deals for pre-loved items.
5. Redesign and refurbish
If you have some old furniture, think twice before throwing them away. This should be especially true if you are moving into a new house. If you are renting, take into consideration things that you won’t be able to take with you if you move to another house. Examples of these are items such as custom carpentry.
For a low budget, the old furniture can be restored and still serve a good purpose. An old couch can easily be transformed back to life simply by changing the covers or using accessories such as colourful pillows.
6. Get creative
Never underestimate the value of do-it-yourself (DIY) items. Custom pieces can be more functional as they can save you the hassle of buying multiple items. However, these custom pieces usually cost more than the standard ready-made items.
Getting creative and going the DIY route can help solve this problem. Not only will the furniture be more personalised and better suited for your needs, you’ll get a bigger amount of satisfaction from the finished product. Again, there are plenty of social media groups where people share their DIY projects and you can easily take inspiration from them.
However, be sure to do a cost-benefit analysis to see if you really will save money in the long run by going this route.
So, how to fund a home renovation or interior designing project?
1. Use your savings
Yes, that’s obvious. If you have saved up a considerable amount of money, it’s a safe bet to use it for home renovation or interior designing, mainly because you need not pay any additional interest taking this route, unlike a loan.
Having proper savings in place also helps you to fund a sudden, major expense like urgent home repairs or to get a broken bed fixed. That said, if your budget is on the higher side and you plan to fund it through your core savings, keep in mind not to use all of it, or eat into your cash emergency fund.
2. Go for a personal loan
A personal loan is also regarded as a good option to fund home renovations or interior decoration projects to add value to your property and improve the quality of life. Do check out some of the top personal loan options in Malaysia right now.
Agreed a personal loan is still a loan that needs to be repaid in full on time along with the interest, but they do provide quick collateral-less financing if your savings are not adequate or if you don’t have the luxury of time to gather funds.
This article was originally published as 6 Practical tips to save money on your home’s interior design by bbazaar.my