There comes a time when updating that drab interior becomes a must, but you don’t really want to spend a fortune doing it. The problem often arises when you realise not only do you not have the spare cash, but you also lack the skills to do an amazing job yourself. In this article we look at ways you can drastically improve your home interior and exterior in ways that even a monkey with a wrench could achieve.

Be your own designer

Who says you can’t have black walls and purple carpets? To save money you will have to accept that you cannot rely on costly professional opinion. Take control of the creative and just ask your friends for their opinion if you need to. A lot of people will hire a painter and decorator or interior designer to help choose what works and what doesn’t but you can quite easily look online for design inspiration.

You can paint it yourself, I know you can.

Again, a lot of people will pay for a painter and decorator for this kind of work, but actually an excellent job can be achieved by most people at any level. Just make sure you actually pay attention to those that know how to paint, and take on board their tips. Look on video sharing sites and read blogs and before long you’ll be painting to a more than satisfactory standard.

Don’t be embarrassed to dig around charity shops

You don’t need to shop in Harrods to pick up high quality lined curtains. Plenty of high quality, virtually unused furnishings end up in places like this. Houses that are themselves going through transformations often end up preferring to donate than to dispose. Soft furnishings from high quality curtains to rugs and wall clocks can be for next to nothing.

Heard of ‘freecycle’?

Charity shops aren’t the only place where you can pick like-new furnishings. You can pick up like-new furniture too, and often for free. Freecyling has become the byword for social waste management. Families moving house, downsizing or upgrading are literally giving away high quality furniture they no longer have room for. Would an oak table look great in your cottage, but don’t have thousands to spare? No worries, there is bound to be a freecycler nearby just giving one away. Couch? No problem. Dining room chairs? No problem!

Don’t be lazy

Part of what makes home DIY not happen for many is the fact that is requires a lot of physical energy, a lot of ‘get up and go’. If you really want to make significant improvements to your home with very minimal costs, then you need to accept the fact that you’re going to have to get your hands dirty. There is however, a benefit to getting it all done yourself, and that’s the satisfaction you get when you see the completed

Author Bio:

Holly Jameson is a keen DIY enthusiast from south east England, who regularly blogs about home improvement. She also spends a lot of time doing consulting work. This article was written on behalf of Design AHouse Sign.

HMH

By HMH