Home decorating can be a time-consuming and costly process, especially if you’re a first time homeowner. The national average cost to furnish a home is $16,000, but it can range anywhere between 10-50% of your home’s value, depending on your financial situation. This may come as a surprise but luckily, there are some ways you can cut down on costs and stick to your financial plans if you’re on a tight budget.
We listed useful tips below to help you through the home decorating process and hopefully save you some money along the way:
Don’t Rush
You may want to hurry along the process of furnishing your home and finish it as quickly as possible, however it would be more beneficial for you to take your time with it. Rushing and making too many big purchases at once may come back to bite you in the end when you find out an item may be too big for your space or doesn’t fit your lifestyle. When shopping for home furnishings, there are many factors to consider such as an item’s durability, dimensions, and quality. So spend all the time you need researching your big ticket furniture items before making any purchases and don’t worry about having an “unfinished” home.
Use Your Mementos as Accent Decor
Displaying your keepsake items and framing your personal photos are affordable ways to furnish your home. These items differ drastically from the generic, pricey decor items you see in most stores and they also add a nice personal touch to your homes.
Know When to Splurge vs Save
Buying high ticket items where quality and durability matter most such as couches, beds, or window coverings may require you to splurge a little, however certain smaller items such as trendy accent decor, dinnerware and flatware, or lighting is where you can save some of your money. These items can vary greatly in price and you’d likely be able to find some at a great prices.
Shop Secondhand
You can score extremely affordable pieces for your home by visiting local secondhand stores, estate sales, and flea markets. You can also search for keywords online and scour through Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or OfferUp to see if anyone nearby is selling a piece you want. Most pieces of furniture can be sanitized if you’re worried about its cleanliness, so don’t be afraid to shop secondhand because you might miss out on some great pieces.
DIY Decor
Large wall art and canvas paintings can be pricey, however if you’re trying to fill up an empty wall in your home and are feeling artsy, make your own work of art! You can find lots of DIY tutorials online for just about any decor item, so this is a great option if you’re eyeing an expensive piece of decor and don’t want to shell out tons of money.