(By Monique Warner) When the budget is so tight that decorating your home seems to be out of the question, here are three ways to make your home beautiful …
Home decorating bargains
No matter what the budget (or lack thereof) is, the first step to decorating a home beautifully is to sort through the space and start setting aside home décor and furniture that is no longer being enjoyed or utilised.
Take a weekend to declutter and once you’ve down that, consider these three ways to decorate on the cheap …
1. Sell
Decluttering your home is a great way to free up some valuable space but it’s also a fantastic way to look out for items to sell.
Once you’ve decided what home décor items you’re ready to part with, consider selling them online or at a local car-boot sale. You can use the money you make to invest in new décor for your home, without having to dip into your household budget or swipe that credit card.
2. Swap
If you can’t be bothered to sell old home décor and deal with strangers, host a swap party with your friends.
Much like a clothing swap party, you could invite a few friends to bring home décor items they no longer want and would happily swap from something else. It’s a fun way to catch up with friends and, at the end, you should have a few home décor items that help you update your home without spending a cent.
3. Source
As any savvy shopper knows, you can find quality crafted furniture second hand for a song and dance. And in today’s online world, you can save hours of second-hand store trawling time by signing up for emails from second-hand sale sites, like Gumtree and Movingon.co.za, and look for second-hand furniture shops in your area via Facebook. Many second-hand furniture stores and sellers use Facebook pages and groups to market their latest stock.
You may also want to consider neighbourhood Freecycle groups. These are group in which people who want to get rid of items give them away for free. Of course there is a good possibility that furniture and home décor offered through Freecycle could use refurbishing but, if you enjoy a little DIY, you never know what kind of gems you can find.
Happy decorating!