Redecorating 101 - How to Update Your Home on a Budget
It’s been just over a month since we moved into our newly purchased condo! I’m still so overjoyed we were able to make our dream of becoming homeowners come true. Considering the current coronavirus crisis, the history of housing discrimination, and the financial challenges affecting millennial homeowners, we know how lucky we are. It means so much to be a homeowner, especially a black homeowner. I’m planning to share more about our journey to homeownership, but for now let’s talk about redecorating!
Since becoming a millennial homeowner is no easy feat, we wanted to keep the moving and redecorating costs as low as possible without compromising on style. We were able to repurpose most of our furniture, but needed a few accent pieces and storage furniture to complete the new place. Buying the home meant having to downsize a bit, so we needed to be smart about how we set everything up. We are also both working from home due to covid, so had to maintain a decent office set up. Today I’m sharing my tips for redecorating your home on a budget, some of my favorite affordable home décor finds, plus Amazon finds under $50! Whether you are a new millennial homeowner like me or moving into a new rental apartment, I hope these redecorating tips help!
Sell Unwanted Furniture Online
Before you start you move and start redecorating, start thinking about furniture and décor that you won’t take to the new place. I sold several pieces on LetGo in the weeks before the move, like our enormous sectional and some of the work from home office furniture. Facebook Marketplace is another great resource for reselling used furniture and home goods. As a millennial homeowner, staying on budget was top of mind! Redecorating was important, but so was not going broke over it. I made about $800 selling gently used furniture, and reinvested that money into our redecorating budget. Just play it safe when meeting people to close the sale! You can never be too careful when inviting strangers in or near your home. I scheduled all the exchanges for when my husband would be home, and we bought every piece of furniture down to the lobby so no one got our actual apartment number. Use best judgement and exercise caution! Scheduling was easy for our move since so many people were working from home; if you are reading this later and things are back to normal, just give yourself more time to plan.
Shop Secondhand for the Best Deals and Steals
If you are selling furniture online, why not think about buying some as well? You can always find motivated sellers that are willing to negotiate on price. Plus, you can take your time browsing if you aren’t in a rush to get everything at once. I wanted to finish redecorating as soon as possible, so I didn’t do much secondhand shopping. But if you have time to scout, I highly recommend it! Or do as many millennial homeowners do – take a page out of the HGTV book and scout estate sales and vintage stores for unique finds. Those guys are masters at renovating and redecorating, so if it works for them it can work for you too! If you do buy any secondhand furniture, make sure to inspect it for any signs of pests before completing the sale. And as soon as you get it home, thoroughly sanitize surfaces and pop any fabrics into the laundry. You don’t want to take any risks!
Sign Up for Emails to Get Discounts
Excessive emails can get annoying, but when you are moving or redecorating, they come in handy. Most major retailers offer an incentive for email subscribers – usually 10-15%. It isn’t a lot, but when you are moving and redecorating an entire home or apartment, you need every discount you can get! I signed up for email alerts everywhere from Wayfair to Overstock and made use of those deals for sure!
Use Cash Back or Affiliate Links to Make Money Back on Your Purchases
I’m a big fan of cash back sites like Rakuten, RebatesMe and affiliate networks like RewardStyle. Most affiliate networks are for influencers only and you have to apply to become a member. However cash back sites are usually easy to sign up and can definitely pay off! Depending on the retailer, you can get anywhere from 2-8% cash back on your purchase. Again, it doesn’t sound like a lot of money. But when you are shopping at scale around redecorating a home, the small amounts add up quickly. I’ve made almost $150 in cash back just from purchases I’ve made this month! If you aren’t a member sign up here and get a $10 bonus!
Shop on Amazon for Surprisingly Good, Affordable Finds
Amazon is a redecorating secret weapon! Whether you are a millennial homeowner or just trying to freshen up your apartment with some redecorating, it will quickly become your go to! I found everything from functional storage ottomans to fun decorative elements, like my little succulent wall! Plus, you just can’t beat that Prime 2-Day shipping and free returns on many items. We took advantage of that a few times, thanks to items we thought would be perfect for our redecorating scheme, but turned out not to work once we saw them in person.
Make Small Changes that Can Have a Big Impact
I’m a big fan of decorative accents and wall hangings. We have a painting hung on almost every wall! If you don’t have an art collection, get some stylish affordable prints to pull your room together. You can also get some peel and stick wallpaper to make an easy statement wall, or hang some cute planters for a pop of greenery. Redecorating is about more than just the furniture – the decorative aspects can bring the whole room together.
Hope these tips help if you are planning a big move! And stay tuned for more about the home ownership process and issues affecting black homeowners and millennial homeowners.
