Reach for the paint

We don’t just mean walls. Of course painting walls is one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to make your house look different and more homely, but what about all the other things you can paint in your new home?

If you have an avocado bathroom suite or some old, dated cupboards, then paint can give an instant and affordable face lift to some of the largest parts of your house.

Tile paint is easy to use and an affordable option to bring some brightness and character into your kitchen or bathroom. You can use it on wall tiles or floor tiles, so its versatility allows you to potentially upgrade large portions of your house cheaply.

These days you can get tile paint from almost every hardware store or online. If you want to jazz up your tiles once you’ve painted them then you can use stencil patterns or buy vinyl stickers to go on top.

Shop savvy

Homeware used to be much more exclusive than it is today. Thankfully, supermarket homeware and shops such as B&M, Matalan and The Range have given us affordable home furnishings and homeware which means you no longer have to spend a fortune dressing your home.

From cushions and rugs to lighting and mirrors, there are many affordable options to give your home a bit of newness. But it doesn’t always have to be new.

You can find some bargains by searching your local Facebook selling pages, on eBay, car boot sales and at local vintage emporiums. You’ll find everything from up-cycled furniture to old suitcases and pre-loved storage units begging to be given a new home at an affordable price.

Re-think what you already have

It can be tempting to start ripping things out and heading to the tip so that you can start afresh when you buy your first home. After all, it’s a new beginning isn’t it? But sometimes you may find items left over that can be turned into something else.

From the practical (such as using old wardrobe backs as boarding in the loft), to the indulgent (such as re-painting chandeliers to match your new colour scheme), there are plenty of ways that you can re-purpose what you have in your home.

If you can’t afford new windows and you have a bathroom window that has no privacy, you can use window film which goes on and comes off easily and is incredibly cheap. It’s also a great way of bringing some character into your home.

Don’t forget to take a peek under your carpets when you move in, you might be surprised with what you find. Parquet flooring, original floorboards or even some beautiful tiles could be hiding underneath. You can then save any installation costs and bring them back to life in all their glory.

Make larger purchases wisely

Of course, there are some items where second hand isn’t a good idea or you really want to have something that’s new because it’s your first home. Sofas, beds and perhaps a dining table set are some of the larger purchases that you might want to get brand new.

Shop wisely – look for sales, discount codes, warehouse clearances and payment plans. Many furniture stores offer interest free finance so you can get something brand new, spread the cost and not have to pay interest on your purchase.

As with any financing scheme, make sure you’ve thought it all through and checked the facts before you buy but financing furniture can be a clever way to get the home you want when your budget can’t stretch to a large initial outlay.

If you are thinking of improving your home, you may find some of these services useful: