Monday 27 February 2017

10 ways to furnish a flat on a little budget

Moving is stressful enough, but moving into a place that is a stretch of your budget and comes unfurnished is absolute chaos. Some things in life are worth the initial risk and worth the effort made to maintain it. Below I've listed some of the ways I managed to go from a cheap little student house accommodation to a fully furnished penthouse flat.

1. Be prepared. I've always been the kind of person who keeps a little aside just in case. I'm very thankful to my past self for being like this. My savings created just enough of a cushion for me to be able to stay in the area I wanted to live in. This isn't just a pre-method but can be used each month. When my pay comes in at the beginning of every month I roughly plan out how much goes to bills, what I'd have each week, anything that I may have spare that month – this allows me to spread out my spending on treat items such as a new piece of furniture.

2. Work. Simple enough and yes sometimes paychecks don't stretch, mine didn't in the beginning either. When I left university I paid a couple months extra to stay in my student house and that gave me time to find my next place. During these months I worked a tiny twenty-hour contract at 6 am in the morning, pulling in about £100 a week. It was awful. But at least I was earning something. It was enough to get me started. So I took a massive risk and moved into a flat I couldn't afford. Two months later I got a full-time job that allowed me to comfortably afford the flat, because I didn't give up on looking for something better. Now I work those extra hours to earn those beautiful items for my flat.

3. Don't rush. You don't need a fully furnished flat right from the start. I lived without a table for six months and without a sofa for seven. (I still don't have a washing machine - but hey, pretty things are better than essentials right?) Build your home slowly, only buy things you really love and it'll soon be flourishing around you.

4. Buy cheap where it doesn't matter. Ikea. Ikea is great, especially if you know which pieces don't benefit from being expensive. Bookshelves serve their purpose whether they are £100 or £20... and sometimes the cheaper kinds have more character.

5. Build. Have a creative side? However big or small your ability to craft is, there's probably something you can make for your home. A coffee table out of old wood/pallets, a quirky photo frame, a key hook. Have a browse on Pinterest, you'd be surprised what items you already have that you could turn into something beautiful.

6. Charity. Chairty shops are little gold mines that many people overlook. If you live in a smaller village it's likely you'll find small furniture pieces for as little as a couple pounds. Don't be afraid to go hunting, you never know what you'll come across.

7. Facebook marketplace. Now, I was a little sceptical about this one. But just like charity shops, Facebook marketplace has some hidden gems within it. Scan through all the random posts and you may find something worth a lot more than advertised. Because sometimes people just want to get rid of something fast – or they have too much money to care for something they paid for a long time ago. These are the kind of people that'll go even lower than their advertised price as long as you can pick it up ASAP.

8. Plants. Put them everywhere; fill every room. Plants are a cost effective way to brighten up any living space – the bathroom, window shelves, your bedroom. Go to garden centres or big places such as Homebase on the right day and you'll find reduced priced plants that just need a little TLC.

9. Lights. This one may not be for everyone, but I expect there are many out there that can relate when I say: you can never have too many fairy lights. Battery powered lights are everywhere and very cheap these days, scatter a few of these around a room and you'll have transformed it. I also have a salt lamp in my room that was about £12 from Amazon and it's my favourite thing ever. Mood lighting is one of the main elements in making your space feel comforting and homely.

10. Goals and prioritising. Have all the elements of your home in your head but choose one to focus on. Having a goal to work towards not only increases motivation but means you won't get overwhelmed as you're not focusing on everything at once. Prioritise which elements of your home can wait – maybe a bedside is something you can wait for and maybe you would like a sofa as soon as you can afford it. Work on one goal at a time and soon enough you'll have it all.

Remember you manifest your own life. If you believe your home is already beautiful then it will become even more so. Be patient, wait for what you really want and it'll become something within grasp.





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