Have you ever felt that something as simple as just the thought of coming back home after a long, weary day at the office can recharge you right away?
With the first step through the door, have you felt the weight of the world being lifted off of your shoulders? If you said yes, then you are a lucky homeowner. Your living space truly deserves to be called “home, sweet home.”
In the words of the famous and accomplished interior designer and decorator, as well as the chief executive officer of Home and Harmony Lifestyle – Christa Leary – “your home either nurtures and supports you, or it depletes your energy and leaves you exhausted.”
Whether it is renovation or redecoration – home décor rarely comes cheap
Perhaps this explains the humungous amount of money people put into decorating and personalizing their houses every year. In just the next year, the home décor industry is expected to be bringing in an astounding $664 billion!
But a majority of the homeowners today do not have a considerable amount of money stashed somewhere to use on their home renovation project. Does this mean that they should continue to live in a shabby, rundown place that does not reflect even 2% of their personality?
Should the lack of funds be forcing you to live day after day in an area that drains your energy like a dementor until you are left an empty shell?
However, this does not mean that there are no ways to cut costs effectively
Of course not! For all those who have a yearning for living in a Pinterest worthy home but do not have the fortune to spend, here are 8 ways to transform your home while staying in a budget and not compromising style. Let’s begin.
1. Recycling is easy on the environment, and easier on the pocket
Our first idea is not something new or totally out of the box, but it is one that, despite having the prospects to save you thousands of dollars (and not to mention, the environment), it stays as one of the most ignored ones. Reusing other people’s discards or recycling some of your pieces is not very common when people are looking to build something glorious.
Photo by Lawrence and Gomez Architects
But the fact remains that as much as 85% of a house being demolished can be effectively reused in ways that you could not even tell the material was not brand new! Instead of buying your doors from the furniture store, try using one from a second-hand shop the next time you remodel. With a little bit of creativity and a good eye for useful pieces, you can cut your material costs by a considerable margin.
2. Find uses for what you do not need
The next tip is similar to the first one and follows the same idea. Except, in this one, rather than saving money, you will be making money. How? Simple. If you are going for total home demolition, have a couple of friends, family members, or even contractors come in and take what they might find useful. Charging a small amount for these items that would have otherwise buried up the landfills will increase your budget so you can afford what’s currently trending in interior design.
Photo by Case Design/Remodeling of Indianapolis
Even if you cannot find suitable buyers for what you have to offer, donate it for free to a recycle store. Also, if you are not making money this way, you would still be making the planet a better place to live in.
3. If you have the skillset, become your own Wreck-it Ralph
When you are looking at the massive cost of restoring a house, you should be cutting costs wherever possible and logical. This includes adding sweat equity to bring down the expenses when possible.
If you are someone who can handle heavy equipment without putting yourself or others in danger, get with the demolishing. It does not need as much finesse as rebuilding needs and contributing in the ways that you can significantly bring down the total cost. Other ways you could help out is during clean up, sanding wood, or even contributing to the paint job.
4. But when needed, do not hesitate to get professional help
However, to avoid incurring even more costs, be sure about what you can and cannot do. Remember to not overestimate your abilities, and never be shy to call a professional for help when you think the job is not suited for you.
There are some areas in which you should never try a DIY approach. For example, you are better off calling one of the many agencies for HVAC in Portland OR rather than dabbling into your air conditioning yourself. It is essential to realize what you can do tasks and which ones require more expertise.
5. Knocking down walls is not the only way to make space
If you feel like your kitchen is too cramped up, and could use a little bit more space, do not start demolishing walls right away. More often than not, what you need in the kitchen is storage space. By thinking a little creatively, you can easily find a solution to your problem.
Let’s say that your kitchen walls are lined with beautiful antique shelves all the way. What you do not realize is that these cute, vintage shelves are hogging up all the space without contributing much in terms of functionality. Replacing the old shelves with modern, pull out drawers that can store three times the number of dishes while talking about the same room is how you need to go about.
Photo by CR Cabinetry Kitchen & Bath Design Studio
Rather than paying thousands to knock down walls and build them back up a couple of feet into the family room, find a smarter and cheaper solution to store your cans of beans and get to keep the luxurious family room.
6. Make full use of what nature has given you for free
Natural light is all the rage this season. It is calming, elegant, uplifting, and most importantly, in accordance with the subject of this article – will not cost you a single cent! Incorporating nature into your home is not just the best way to introduce serenity and tranquillity in your space, but it is also great for aesthetic purposes without costing too much. Similarly, just like natural light, you can start bringing up other elements from the nature that inspire you to give your home a more personal and more relaxing feel. Unique rocks, beautiful seashells, or scented tree bark – the world is your oyster.
7. Schedule your home restoration during off-peak times
Last but not least, understand that – just like buying an iPhone – there are best and worst times to renovate your old house. Instead of doing it in August or the middle of the summer, we recommend scheduling it earlier in the year to incur fewer costs on the contractors.
The final word
We all know that a calm and peaceful surrounding can have a huge positive effect on not just your mood, but also your behavior. Similarly, it has been proven through studies that living in a space that you are not comfortably yourself in, can impact your positivity and outlook on life to a great degree. Hence, you cannot deny that having the right home is imperial to your mental and physical wellness.
Though personalizing your home is essential – and more often than not, expensive – being just a little more aware financially and keeping your creative side fired up, you too can rebuild a house on a budget.
Author Bio:
Evie harrison is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences and express herself through her blogs. Find her on Twitter:@iamevieharrison