Transform Your Home For Less In Seven Steps

Follow these seven simple steps to give your home a makeover - without breaking the bank.

Just moved into a new home? Having people round for Christmas? Or just fancy giving your home a facelift before you snuggle up in it this winter?

Amidst all the doom and gloom of the credit-crunch, it’s hard to find cash to splash on a home makeover.

So - we’ve put together a seven-step guide to transforming your home - while keeping your wallet in one piece.

1. Planning ahead

Don’t get off to a bad start by spending your hard-earned cash on pricey home design magazines. There are plenty of suitable websites to browse if you’re a bit short of inspiration.

My Deco is particularly useful, because it has a 3D tool that lets you upload photos of your own rooms. You can then play around with different colour schemes, furniture and flooring to get an idea of what your home could look like.

It’s also worth having a look at the online version of BBC Homes magazine - which lets you easily search by room to track down different makeover styles.

2. Out with the old

Clearing out old furniture and appliances can cost an arm and a leg if you have to pay someone to take them away.

Before you do, contact the Furniture Re-use Network (FRN). This body assists charitable re-use organisations across the UK, and they’ll collect unwanted furniture and white goods - without charge - to give to families in need.

You could also offer it up on Freecycle, a free mailing list where you can list things you want to get rid of and anyone who wants it will come and collect it.

Alternatively, give your local council a ring. They tend to have a bad reputation in this respect, but many councils will actually collect several items for free.

3. Small changes, big difference

Revamp old furniture and units by adding new doors or handles. It’s a fraction of the price of a new kitchen, and a lot less hassle too - you won’t end up with workmen tramping through your house just before Christmas.

Lark & Larks is a kitchens and bedrooms specialist that sells a huge range of doors, handles, hinges and other fittings at reasonable prices. Ikea has a good selection of them as well.

So - your house is now cleared of clutter, snazzied up and ready to receive all that funky new furniture…on to step four:

4. It doesn’t get any cheaper than free

Before you pay for any new furniture or home accessories, see if you can get them for free.

Good old Gumtree is still going strong, and I mentioned Freecycle earlier.

There’s even another community site now which works in a similar way: Snaffleup allows users to search for items based on distance from their postcode. Everything on the website is free, and you can view it online and arrange collection.

In fact, it seems slightly easier to use than Freecycle: You can view items on the site before arranging collection, and you don’t need to register to start looking.

You really can get some beautiful old furniture this way. I managed to furnish my entire house for £1000 using Freecycle, for instance!

5. Auction bargains

These days, eBay isn’t the only auction site in town. eBid and Amazon Marketplace are hot on its heels and often sell items for less. So if you’re after homeware bargains, it’s worth checking them all out.

And if it’s electrical items you’re looking for, you may want to browse the Clearance Comet website.

This online auction house deals specifically in white and electrical goods, in a variety of conditions. Some are new, boxed and end of line, while others may be ex-display, scratched or refurbished.

It’s also worth trooping round furniture auction houses and other places that don’t have an online presence - because the competition between buyers is unlikely to be as fierce.

If you’re looking for a character piece at a budget price, house clearance outlets, charity shops and architectural salvage yards are all worth a look.

6. Use shopbots

These are essentially special websites that help you find items at the cheapest online price.

They do the hard work comparing retailers (so you don’t have to) and they can save you a fortune, particular if your heart is set on buying new, big-name items.

The three biggest shopbots around are Kelkoo, Shopping.com and PriceRunner. If you’ve got the time, try to use all three, as each may cover slightly different retailers.

Before you make a large purchase, consider applying for a 0% on new purchases credit card (if you can’t afford to pay for it in full) or a cashback credit card (if you can).

Which brings me nicely onto…

7…. Get cashback!

You can register with one or more cashback sites and then use them as a sort of gateway to all your online shopping.

And when you buy from a retailer via one of these sites, that site will pay a percentage of the item’s purchase price back to you, in either cash or vouchers. Not bad eh?

Quidco and TopCashback are two of the most popular cashback sites around.

Similarly, a cashback credit card like the American Express Platinum Cash Back card, offers 5% cashback on purchases in your first three months (up to £4,000 of spend).

Just bear in mind that this sort of credit card is only suitable for you if you pay your balance off - in full - every month. Otherwise, the interest you pay will far outweigh the cashback benefits, and you’re better off with a 0% on new purchases credit card.

For more on cashback of all kinds, read my Foolish colleague Szu Ping Chan’s article: Earn Cashback On Everything!

Good luck!

More: Furnish Your Home For £1000 | Cheap Gardening Tips For Beginners

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