Five ways to update your home for under £10
When you’re on a tight budget, home décor is something that can easily get put at the bottom of the list, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to update your home without spending a fortune. Here I list my favourite items to do just that for less than £10 each.
Coasters
As my living room is mainly a classic grey, I like to contrast this and add quirky coasters for an injection of colour and fun.
The beauty of coasters is that they are easily changeable so if you go for quirky like me you can easily swap them when you get fed up, meaning a quick and easy way to update your home.
I really love these Nintendo themed coasters and have something similar in the lounge, these Banksy coasters also caught my eye.
Sass and Belle is one of my favourite places for coasters, I recently picked up these ceramic cactus ones for £3.90 in the sale. I love the fact that there are no matching rules for me with coasters so I literally buy whatever I think looks fun.
Picture Frames and Images
Again, these are easily interchangeable, as are the pictures. Picture frames come in a wealth of styles and my favourite places for affordable frames are Ikea, Wilko and The Range. It can be hard to get round to printing off pictures in this digital age, although the Boots photo app makes it simple.
Simply select the pictures directly from your phone, decide on the sizing and other layout options, and arrange to pick up from your local branch.
Have you ever thought about making your own images to frame to create a truly unique piece of artwork? In the days of photo filter apps it has never been easier to take an arty shot, perhaps of your favourite beach or place in your local area.
Apply a filter and print out and voila – a bespoke piece of art for a fraction of the price of a mass produced one.
Greeting cards can also be a very cheap way of creating some wall art – particularly if it’s a card with no text on the front – from art prints to funny animal photos, or cute illustrations, if there’s an image that appeals to you then it’s a great way of creating inexpensive wall art.
Of course, often people will buy us cards based on our interests, so if everyone knows you love cats, the chances are you will get a few cat themed cards that might be just the thing to make into wall art.
If you have been sent a personalised card from Moonpig or similar, putting it in a frame on display on an office desk or bedroom would make a nice memento rather than gathering dust in a drawer.
For a child’s bedroom, the character images on some of their birthday cards would be ideal to create inexpensive wall art.
I love this gallery wall kit which includes not just picture frames but a clock and a shelf too, at a very affordable price!
Candles and Wax Melts
Decorative candles can change the look of your home, while scented varieties and wax melts can change the feel of your room by adding amazing fragrances. I find soy wax melts to be better for this purpose, and they can be picked up at affordable prices.
I love these wax melts for their zesty lime, basil and mandarin fragrance. Wax melt holders in a variety of designs can also be picked up cheaply at high street stores such as Home Bargains. I also love the design of this ceramic and bamboo wax melt burner.
Charity Shops and Carboot sales
If vintage style is your thing, you can easily pick up ornaments, china teacups and floral plates for a couple of pounds knowing you have something unique!
Some people like to use these as display items or incorporate them into craft projects, but there is no reason why you can’t use them as kitchen items provided you have checked for cracks and given them a thorough clean. Using vintage side plates as candle plates is another idea.
Read more: 6 Things to buy secondhand (other than clothes)
Declutter and sell the items you no longer need
I do feel rather hypocritical writing a post about buying more candles, picture frames coasters et al and then cheekily telling you to declutter. But I’m sure you get my drift. If you are buying new things, is there anything that you can now get rid of that doesn’t fit the new look, or that you are fed up of and is just gathering dust?
Decluttering is definitely the best way to update your home – and not only is it free, but you might be able to make some cash on eBay or other sites selling the things you no longer need!
Grab my free Declutter to sell checklist here
On a wider scale, in terms of updating the look of a room, having a clearout inevitably creates more space. This could mean relocating the contents of a particular drawer or cupboard to a newly decluttered storage space, giving you more space elsewhere or the ability to shift around or get rid of certain items of furniture.
One rule I have learnt from Marie Kondo – you probably already have enough storage furniture, don’t buy any more until you have decluttered – you might be amazed how much extra storage space you have created by doing so.
What do you think of these tips to update your home for under £10? Are there any you could add? Let me know in the comments!
About the Author
Melissa is a working parent who left behind a senior management salary for a better work/life balance. Following her own money saving and money making strategies she was able to clear debt and live a life she loves. Blogging, selling digital products on Etsy and selling preloved items on eBay are her favourite side hustles. Read her story here.
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6 things to buy secondhand other than clothes
I am all for de-cluttering too …. tidy home = tidy mind 🙂
Definitely! I used to be a bit of a hoarder but definately no more!
I have just done a massive clear out of two drawers, so much more space and a nice haul for my next ebay reselling spree
Thats great! I have been doing the same over the school holidays 🙂