subject: Decorating Your Rented Flat On A Small Budget [print this page] Owning your first flat can be a fantastically exciting time but it can also come with many pressures. We see our friends and family and their beautifully decorated homes and of couse we are surrounded by images of glamorous houses in the magazines and on TV.
But don't get too too down about it, most have us have been in the same position when we've bought or rented our first place. It takes time to stamp your personality on a place and sort out each room.
Starting with the room you spend the most time in, set yourself a budget and plan what you can get with your money. Take inspiration from everything such as DIY programmes, books and magazines, other peoples houses, shop windows and other unlikely places.
Of course, choosing to decorate yourself will save you a great deal of money that you can spend on more furniture or badly needed repairs that may need attention.
With a budget and an idea of the kind of look you want, start searching around your local area for sales and bargains to be had from second hand stores and other shops. Check out end of line stock and bargain bins for material and soft furnishings.
Ask friends and family if they have any pieces of furniture they don't need or are looking to replace. Even if the pieces aren't exactly what you might buy new, lots of items can be covered up or re-painted. Sometimes you might pick up something so lovely that you hold onto it for years.
Check out local newspapers and shops for second-hand items and head for recycling websites like Freecycle where furniture and other bits for the house and garden can be found for free. you'd be very surprised if you saw what people no longer have a need for.
If you keep an eye out for a good deal and decorate as much as possible yourself then you will soon see how far your money will stretch. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't buy anything brand new or have help with painting or decorating, but if you think about how much you can save rather than how much you can spend you will get the place looking great.
