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If your home is feeling a bit tired but you don’t have much cash to splash, don’t worry. You’ll need to plan well, hunt out bargains and tap into your inner creative spirit but even with just a little cash you can make a big difference to your home.

Planning and de-cluttering

When you don’t have money to burn, thinking hard about what it is you want to change is more important than ever. Look at a room and ask yourself what you really don’t like about it.

It helps if you take a couple of pictures of the room and upload them to your computer. Looking at the space from a different perspective means you can often see more clearly what isn’t working.

It might just be that the room is cluttered with too much furniture or general mess. Take the plunge and tidy up then get rid of any furniture that you don’t use. You can sell it – try sites like Gumtree or Shpock – and put the money towards your new look room.

A new life for old

Revisit the furniture you already have. Don’t throw something out because you're tired of the colour or the finish. You can easily change it. If the basic shape of the piece is good then repainting is a way to give it a lease of life. Change the handles, too, and bingo, you’ve got a fab new piece of furniture.

Small spend, big impact

Save on big ticket items and add impact with low cost extras. It’s all about being clever with details. Go for budget versions of high cost items, by choosing basic white tiles for a bathroom for example. Then add interest by using coloured grouting. Or hunt down a beautiful old reclaimed door handle in salvage yards and transform an ordinary door.

Budget style

Small items like vases and cushions can make a big difference. "Buying a vase and a bunch of flowers can lift a room. It’s as much about styling the space as it is about buying new things.".

Art is another simple winner. Try online sites like http://www.art.co.uk and you can choose from a huge variety of prints at reasonable prices. Or visit your local art school graduation day – chances are the students there will be delighted to sell you a low cost piece.

Be creative

Making your own is a sure way to save money. Check out the ends-bin at haberdashery stores and take a sewing class. Basic curtains and blinds are very easy to make and will instantly update a room.

The biggest cost in most projects is the labour involved, so try to involve friends and family and do as much of it yourself as you can. Learn a few new skills – [the big] DIY stores sometimes offer ‘how-to’ demonstrations for many basic skills free of charge.

Hunt down bargains

One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Join sites like

Freecycle or Freegle (see below)and you can pick up furniture for nothing, or search for second hand furniture in your local area through sites like Gumtree.

If you prefer something brand new, be prepared to spend some time shopping around. You will often find low cost versions of the same product online or in high street discount stores.

If you only do one thing

If you only have the budget for one thing, then invest in paint. Paint is a marvellous, inexpensive way of changing the whole look of a room.

If budgets are super tight, choose one feature wall and give that a fresh coat in a tone that’s darker or lighter than the rest of the room. Or just paint your woodwork. Painting woodwork white or cream gives a room an instant update. For help picking out a colour for your home, try this: https://www.dulux.co.uk/en?gclid=CIq_iLXLtcgCFafnwgode3kABw

So have a quick declutter, think hard about what you need to change, give a room a coat of paint and make your own basics or shop around and you’ll soon find that redecorating a room doesn’t need a huge budget.

Items you might consider buying that aren’t brand spanking new!

Electrical goods

You may worry that if you buy electrical goods secondhand, they won’t work. But did you know several well-known high street retailers sell their reconditioned electrical goods online, complete with limited warranties? For example:

The Tesco outlet on eBay: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/tescooutlet

MPB Photographic (top brands): http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/

Just remember to research such websites first using search engines, to pick up any bad reviews.

Self-assembly furniture

Why bother buying furniture from Ikea and Homebase when community freebie sites exist - such as:

Freegle http://www.ilovefreegle.org/ check out

SnaffleUp http://www.snaffleup.co.uk/ check out

They often offer the items you want, pre-assembled, for free? You can even post ‘wanted’ notices asking for specific items. Alternatively, find out where regular house clearance auctions are held in your local area, and bag some bargains that way.

It’s well worth researching these sites and many others like them. There are bargains to be had!

If you find a website that others may find helpful for price or choice or ideas, why not let us know so we can share it. Go to 'Contact Us' on the HOME page.

Here’s an interesting website and It’s a BBC one! There are some lovely ideas, including these examples: http://www.bbc.co.uk/homes/design/

Finally, this site is not an obvious site, but a cracker!

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/police-auctions/