Are you getting ready to move in to your first home? After years of saving and months of searching, picking up the keys is bound to feel momentous – especially given the average age of first-time buyers in the UK has risen by 21% since 2007.
But once you’ve packed and unpacked and enjoyed a chance to celebrate, next up is the decorating. Putting your own stamp on a house is often an exciting and rewarding process – but it can also be challenging if you go in without a plan. Below are five handy tips below to help transform your new property.
Decide on a cohesive colour palette
Colour can be the most impactful element of interior design, so choosing a colour palette for each room is a great place to start. As well as personal preferences, you’ll want to consider factors like the size of each room and the amount of natural light present.
If in doubt, light neutral tones offer solid foundations that are easy to add pops of colour to with accessories such as art, rugs and furniture.
Make a shopping list
You’ll also need to create a list of items such as furniture and appliances that you need for each room. Given that it’s your first house, this list could look intimidatingly long at first – but there are lots of ways to pick up essentials on a budget.
Friends and family may have unwanted furniture that they’re willing to give away for example, while charity shops can be a goldmine for household decorations. Another platform on the rise for second-hand furniture is Facebook Marketplace which may be a great place to start if you are low on budget.
Measure up
Taking down the dimensions of key spaces is another must-do task when just getting started with decorating. The last thing you want is to spend lots of money on a sofa, wardrobe or dining table only to find that it doesn’t fit.
This step is particularly important if you’re working with awkwardly shaped rooms such as loft bedrooms or U-shaped kitchens. Don’t forget that your hallways and doors will also need to be wide enough to carry furniture through.
Kit yourself out
Decorating can be a messy process, especially if you’re repainting from top to bottom. Make sure to put sheets down on floors and over any furniture to avoid creating more refurbishing work for yourself. Or else, hire the services from Euro Painting, Inc. to do this job professionally and perfectly.
You’ll need to protect yourself too, so throw on old clothes or overalls if possible and consider donning gloves to keep your hands free from paint or gloss.
Avoid doing it all at once
Our final tip is simply to pace yourself. While you might feel impatient to get everything exactly how you want it, redecorating an entire house can quickly become overwhelming.
Draw up a list of priorities and tackle these issues first. A spare bedroom can likely wait a little longer, as can other nice-to-haves like garden decking.
Decorating your first house can come with a tough learning curve, so follow the steps described above to make the process as smooth as possible.
