Cheap home decorating need not mean a cheap finish!
Now, there is obviously a danger that this can happen. There are many reasons why goods and services are offered at a cheap price, and most of those reasons are because the goods are just plain tacky.
Whenever you buy anything, remember that someone, somewhere, is hoping to make a profit. There’s nothing wrong with making a profit, we all have to do it to make ends meet.
You can achieve excellent results with cheap home decorating. Here are some of the ways you can do it.
Do it Yourself
This is possibly the main ingredient for cheap home decorating. Rather than putting the work out to subcontractors and professionals, do as much of it yourself as you can.
There will be areas of home decorating which you can’t manage. Many countries have laws about who can and who cannot adapt certain types of fittings, such as electrical modifications.
Or there may be parts of your decorating which are just too difficult for you to do yourself.
But where ever possible, undertake the decorating yourself, and you’ll save heaps of money.
All the decorating in this picture can be done by the average homeowner.
The window frame, woodwork, walls, and ceiling are all painted. Wall paneling is not difficult to install. Curtain poles are fitted at the window, and curtains made and hung. Even the wood floor can be installed by a person competent at DIY. The chandelier might need to be fitted by a qualified electrician, but apart from that, the rest is just time and effort.
Teach Yourself New Skills
‘Yes, I can paint, that’s not difficult. But I can’t hang wallpaper, or make curtains.’
Maybe not, but you can always learn!
When you pay someone else to do work for you, the main cost is their time. If you can use your own time, that’s what reduces the cost, resulting in cheap home decorating.
What you need to do is sit down and plan your decorating schedule. List all the things you need to get done. You might have a list such as the following:
- Strip off old wallpaper
- Install new electrical points
- Install new light fittings
- Replace broken baseboards (also known as skirting boards)
- Paint ceiling
- Paint or wallpaper walls
- Fit curtains tracks
- Get curtains
Now go through the list and tick off the things you can do yourself.
Do you get the idea? Break the work down into individual tasks, work out what you can do, what you need someone else to do, and what you can learn to do yourself.
Buying Materials
Sooner or later you’ll have to buy paints, wallpapers, carpets, hardware, fabrics, and all the other necessary items for your cheap home decorating.
Plan ahead, so you can buy up during sales.
Look for good quality second hand, pre-used, or whatever people like to call non-new stuff these days. Some stores specialize in second-hand goods, and you can even find ones that deal with home furnishings.
Another useful source is eBay. But be wary here, because eBay is now a source of income for many, and prices may not always be the bargains they appear.
Below standard, or rejected goods. Well, know brand companies will often reject goods which have been manufactured for them. For example, the colors in fabrics have to be within a certain range, and if they’re not, that batch is rejected. These goods find their way onto the market at reduced prices.
Indeed, you may have seen brand named fabrics on offer at amazing discounts. This is probably why. They do have the brand name on them, but for whatever reason (color variation, pattern mismatch, printing fault, etc) they are not up to standard.
If you can find a source for these you may be able to work around the faults. The color may not matter to you, you don’t mind the pattern variation, or by getting the extra fabric you can cut around the problem areas.
The same applies to wallpapers and other products. The key to all these is to investigate thoroughly before buying.
Another good source for cheap home decorating items is end-of-line products. A company plans to introduce a new design of kitchen or furniture, so stocks of the previous version are sold off at a discount.
Sadly, some stores go out of business. Their stock is usually sold off either in the last few days before the store closes for good or at auction. These are ideal times to pick up bargains.
Summary
- Use your own time for your cheap home decorating, and do as little hiring of other people as you can get away with.
- Do your research. Time spent here can save you vast amounts of cash.
- Learn new skills. Laziness is only for those with plenty of money, or no ambition.