At some point in your life as a homeowner, you’ll need to set up an entirely new room. But how are you supposed to do it on a budget? That’s the topic we broach in this article. We look at some of the ways you can reduce the cost of your new room but still get the high quality you want. Here’s everything you need to know:
How To Set Up A New Room On A Budget
Plan The Room
The first thing you’ll want to do is plan the room and make sure you have everything in it that you need. Start by looking at the must-haves for the room (like a table for the dining room), before moving onto decorations.
Then, set your total spending limit. You should be strict with yourself and not allow yourself to go over this. Always build in a 10% buffer for things you might forget so you can avoid going over your limit to complete the room.
Shop At A Discount
Next, you’ll want to look for discount furniture like dressers, tables, beds, and sofas. These should be significantly below the regular retail price. Fortunately, inexpensive furniture is easier to find than you might think. Often stores have sales or you can find it from thrift merchants.
Where you go doesn’t really matter. What counts is that you can find quality options at a fraction of the usual price. If you can refurbish pieces of furniture, that’s even better. Repairing old chairs and so on to match your style can be a lot of fun and also save you an immense amount of money.
Maximise Low-Cost Resources
Another thing you can do when you want to set up a room on a budget is maximising low-cost resources. Again, this could include repurposing old items for the new room (like getting lamps and rugs out of the attic and putting them to good use). You could also add your own shelving to the room or use stacked crates for storage.
Local freecycling groups might also be able to help. You might discover that someone wants to get rid of an old sofa that you can use.
Shop Smart For New Items
Of course, you’ll also need to buy some new items (probably). In which case, it pays to shop smart. Don’t necessarily opt for the most expensive you can find.
For example, start by creating a list of the new items that you need (that are non-negotiable). Then, search for sales or flatpack furniture deals that vastly reduce the costs you face.
Perform Some DIY Decor
Lastly, you could look into transforming the room for less by doing some of the decor yourself. Simply painting the walls could save you thousands of dollars, depending on where you live.
For example, you might want to add some succulents or other houseplants to the room or use a friend’s clippings to propagate so you don’t need to go to the garden centre. You also want plenty of textiles in your interior living spaces, like throws and pillows, to make them feel cosier and more like home.
