Affordable changes you can make to your home

I know what it feels like to look on Instagram and see people making BIG changes to their home – extensions, garden renovations, redecorating, new windows. I always look at what the neighbours are doing too, and feel a pang of unfairness that it’s not me having building work done or a new patio.

But actually, it’s surprising what you can do on a budget, and I’m all about the budget home interiors. With a bit of graft and dedication, you can transform your home and create a space that you’re happy with. So let’s dig right in.

 

Give it a clean and a declutter

I absolutely love a declutter, throwing out items that no longer serve a purpose, take up space or that I’ve simply fallen out of love with.

A messy and dirty home can drag down your mood and negatively impact your health. So if you start a regular cleaning schedule and tackle each room one by one, you’ll probably see a difference in how your view your home within just a few days.

Now is your opportunity to go through your belongings and make piles of what you want to keep, donate, and get rid of. When you spend time decluttering your home and are well-organised, you can find what you need in a hurry and make more room for the items you need and use.

 

Boost its kerb appeal

As a homeowner, you should also pay attention to the exterior of your property.

There are big and small projects you can tackle that will have a major impact on the look of your home and that can instantly transform the outside.

Clearing up the weeds and jetwashing your patio can make an instant difference, as can strimming the edges of your lawn so they’re neatly lined instead of all over the place. If you have a garden fence or gate, then a quick lick of paint can make it look brand new.

Add some colour and greenery through pots too. Grouping in threes is the interior design secret, so try placing three pots by your front door. If you’re not great at watering them, like me, then you can choose plants that are happy to have dry feet.

If you have an old or leaking roof and want to add some rustic charm to your property, then consider contacting a roof thatcher who specialises in roof design and working with unique materials. It will provide excellent insulation, and it’s a sustainable choice.

Before you know it, the outside of your house could look completely different. When we bought our house, the front door was brown and faded, and the garage door was an interesting shade of dark green.

 

By simply spending £40 on paint and painting the front door and garage door, we turned it into this:

 

I think it’s a small but subtle difference (as are the pots at the front door) and it only took me about 3 days. Plus, it hasn’t needed redoing yet and it’s been 4 years.

 

Update the kitchen

One of the most important rooms in your home is the kitchen, so it deserves to be the best space that it can be. However, it’s also one of the most expensive to renovate. All those cabinets, appliances and tiles.

There ARE budget ways of making it work though. We still have the same kitchen as when we moved it, but it looks completely different. We replaced the tiles and the flooring and repainted all the cabinets. It is more hygienic now (goodbye old, red carpet tiles), and looks much brighter.

 

You can also update your kitchen by replacing old worktops, switching out old hardware, and investing in energy-efficient appliances. You may also want to install a colourful backsplash behind the sink area, and invest in a fancy looking kitchen tap. That’s the one thing we haven’t really changed in the kitchen and it grates on me every day.

 

Create a bedroom haven

You want to wake up feeling refreshed each morning, but this may not be the case if your room is crying out for an update or is very cluttered.

There are plenty of budget ways you can make over your bedroom, from improving the lighting, adding storage, decorating the walls with artwork or laying down a rug to give it a cosier feel.

Storage is going to be key if you want to reduce clutter. We have built-in wardrobes but I often find I’m not utilising the space properly, shoving things in cupboards where I could make better use of stackable crates to be more efficient. If you have too much stuff, consider getting rid of some of it.

 

Install some new flooring

New floors can add value to your home, and they’re not actually as expensive as you might think. You can probably redo a small room with laminate for £200-£300 and it makes a huge difference to how the room looks.

When we moved into our house, there was carpet in every room. Even the kitchen, the downstairs toilet and the en-suite. Gradually, we’ve been ripping it out and replacing it with laminate, which is far easier to clean when you have a baby and a toddler.

New flooring is also an opportunity to brighten up dark spaces, choosing a colour that’s will reflect light rather than absorb it. If you have original wood floors, then consider having them sanded and change the colour of the stain to lighten them. Sanders can be rented for a reasonable price, so it could be worth it.

 

There are tons more things I could include in this guide, but you should absolutely take the time to do your research and figure out what it is that’s annoying you about your home and how you can change it. Adding greenery, reducing the amount of knick-knacks, improving your storage solutions, even redoing the sealant in the bathroom can all change how you view your home.