Decorating
Styling: 9 Tricks to Boost Your Home’s Appeal for Less Than £250
Whether you’re redecorating or just doing a quick update, check out these ways to transform your home without breaking the bank
Following my story on ways to boost your home for less than £50, I’m upping the ante this time and exploring some tips and tricks around the £250 mark. Even if you’re not planning to sell your home anytime soon, these touches could help you make a welcome change to your home environment for a relatively small price tag.
Throw down a rug
Replacing an entire carpet can be an expensive business, but if your existing one is in reasonable condition, you might be able to jazz it up a little with a small addition. Rugs can give a floor, and indeed a room, an extra lease of life – particularly if you go for a statement design.
Replacing an entire carpet can be an expensive business, but if your existing one is in reasonable condition, you might be able to jazz it up a little with a small addition. Rugs can give a floor, and indeed a room, an extra lease of life – particularly if you go for a statement design.
Dress a window with care
There’s nothing like a poorly hung blind to make a window feel unloved and forgotten about. There’s a huge range of blinds available, and you can pick one up fairly easily for less than £250. Spending a little time thinking carefully about where to position it and how to hang it can make the world of difference to how it looks.
Take your measurements carefully when ordering, and make sure you give consideration to where exactly you will position the fixings.
Get expert advice on how best to dress a window
There’s nothing like a poorly hung blind to make a window feel unloved and forgotten about. There’s a huge range of blinds available, and you can pick one up fairly easily for less than £250. Spending a little time thinking carefully about where to position it and how to hang it can make the world of difference to how it looks.
Take your measurements carefully when ordering, and make sure you give consideration to where exactly you will position the fixings.
Get expert advice on how best to dress a window
Go for glass panelling
All too often, hallways and corridors are a little on the dark side, and rarely have access to much natural light. Add in some solid doors between the hall and the rooms that do have light, and you’ve got yourself a fairly unwelcoming space.
A great way to resolve this is to swap your existing doors with some glass-panelled ones that will pull light into the darker areas, and help create a feeling of space. Just be careful to check – and double-check – the dimensions of your new doors so they match the existing frames.
All too often, hallways and corridors are a little on the dark side, and rarely have access to much natural light. Add in some solid doors between the hall and the rooms that do have light, and you’ve got yourself a fairly unwelcoming space.
A great way to resolve this is to swap your existing doors with some glass-panelled ones that will pull light into the darker areas, and help create a feeling of space. Just be careful to check – and double-check – the dimensions of your new doors so they match the existing frames.
Lift your laundry
Finding space to hang your laundry is a common challenge faced by many as living spaces get tighter and tighter. But have you considered the space above your head? Clever systems on pulleys, such as this one from Pulleymaid, can lift your laundry up and away and leave your living space for living in.
Finding space to hang your laundry is a common challenge faced by many as living spaces get tighter and tighter. But have you considered the space above your head? Clever systems on pulleys, such as this one from Pulleymaid, can lift your laundry up and away and leave your living space for living in.
Banish the bin
Rubbish is exactly that – rubbish – and I can think of very few instances where it enhances a room. If you find your existing kitchen bins are rather unsightly, and are constantly drifting around the room, why not see if you can find a way to integrate them into your kitchen?
Most kitchen suppliers sell clever systems that will fit bins into a range of drawers and cabinets, thus keeping your rubbish bin tucked away behind closed doors.
Rubbish is exactly that – rubbish – and I can think of very few instances where it enhances a room. If you find your existing kitchen bins are rather unsightly, and are constantly drifting around the room, why not see if you can find a way to integrate them into your kitchen?
Most kitchen suppliers sell clever systems that will fit bins into a range of drawers and cabinets, thus keeping your rubbish bin tucked away behind closed doors.
Refresh a kitchen
Obviously a brand-new kitchen can’t be bought for less than £250, but you don’t need a whole new one in order to boost your cook space. There are many ways you can give your kitchen a quick and easy update for a fraction of the cost.
Consider replacing cabinet handles, painting doors, re-grouting tiles, adding a new bead of sealant at the back of your worktop, or even replacing your taps. It might require a little DIY to come in under budget, but it will definitely be worth it.
Obviously a brand-new kitchen can’t be bought for less than £250, but you don’t need a whole new one in order to boost your cook space. There are many ways you can give your kitchen a quick and easy update for a fraction of the cost.
Consider replacing cabinet handles, painting doors, re-grouting tiles, adding a new bead of sealant at the back of your worktop, or even replacing your taps. It might require a little DIY to come in under budget, but it will definitely be worth it.
Embrace LED lighting
A great way to change your quality of light and even save you a little extra money in energy bills is to swap out your existing lighting for energy-efficient LED bulbs. Don’t worry, you won’t necessarily have to rewire the whole house – often you can simply replace the light bulb, or strip lighting can be cleverly added for an interesting effect.
Browse a beginner’s guide to LED lighting
A great way to change your quality of light and even save you a little extra money in energy bills is to swap out your existing lighting for energy-efficient LED bulbs. Don’t worry, you won’t necessarily have to rewire the whole house – often you can simply replace the light bulb, or strip lighting can be cleverly added for an interesting effect.
Browse a beginner’s guide to LED lighting
Unearth your floorboards
Numerous period homes throughout the country are sitting on hidden gems in the floor. It’s not uncommon for quality wooden floorboards to be covered by carpets and forgotten.
If you’re prepared to do the hard work yourself, floor sanders can be rented for less than £100 a day and, with a good set of ear protectors and a lot of patience and elbow grease, the floor can be completely transformed for a great finish.
TELL US…
Do you have any tips for quick and easy updates to your home? Please share them in the Comments below.
Numerous period homes throughout the country are sitting on hidden gems in the floor. It’s not uncommon for quality wooden floorboards to be covered by carpets and forgotten.
If you’re prepared to do the hard work yourself, floor sanders can be rented for less than £100 a day and, with a good set of ear protectors and a lot of patience and elbow grease, the floor can be completely transformed for a great finish.
TELL US…
Do you have any tips for quick and easy updates to your home? Please share them in the Comments below.
Many of us have a combined bath and shower, but that doesn’t mean we need to put up with awkward shower curtains to control splashing. Reinforced glass screens are a great way to make a room feel bigger, and give a bathroom a more bespoke feel.
Be sure to get it fixed to something solid and sturdy, because the glass is heavy and may occasionally be used for support. Shower screens are easy to fit yourself if you’re confident with a little DIY.