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There are many wonderful reasons why you would want to decorate or redecorate your living environment. Perhaps you’re the proud new owner of your new home, and now’s the time to make it your own thorough gorgeous furnishings and focal points. Or, perhaps you’ve grown tired of looking at the same old wallpaper in the living room, or sitting on the same couch, so you’re considering the possibility of breathing new life into your humble abode. Whatever the reason may be, there are two key things to always keep in mind: decorating the interior is a fun and rewarding project, and it will most likely set you back a pretty penny.
Not to worry, though, because there are some smart ways you can create a sensible decorating budget that won’t put you under. Here are the five great tips you need in your home decorating strategy.
Make a detailed wish list
It all starts with a wish list. Now, you might think that a wish list is something you should make in your free time in order to fantasize about the things you can’t afford, but in this case, a wish list is the foundation of your strategy. This is not a list that should contain the things you can’t have, rather, it’s a detailed list of the things you need that you could afford if you prioritize your spending, save up weeks and months in advance, and even use up some of your credit that you can pay off later.
These are all sensible funding tactics that will ensure that you build yourself the interior you’ve always dreamed of. Be sure to put plenty of similar choices on the list as well, so that you can weigh the pros against the const of each piece later on, and narrow down your options to the most cost-effective ones.
Start saving up early on
Decorating the interior is not something you should jump into on a whim. Sure, you could always repaint a statement wall if you have nothing better to do on a weekend, but if you’re redecorating a room or even your entire living environment, you need to plan and strategize weeks and months in advance. This is not only important for the sake of aesthetics, but also for the sake of your budget.
Depending on the scope of your project, you will want to start planning your finances at least four weeks in advance. If it’s a minor project, then perhaps a four-week saving period would be enough to cover some basic expenses, but if it’s a home-wide gig, then you should start planning as much as one year in advance.
Assess your lending potential
Planning your decorating project well ahead of time is also important if you are to create a realistic borrowing plan, or if you are to compare credit card options and switch to a different credit card that has better benefits, such as cash-back rewards or discounts on home improvement projects. These things take time and careful research, but they can make all the difference when it comes to achieving your interior design goals.
Sometimes, the scope of the project will demand that you extend a line of credit on your credit card, but instead of paying off hefty interests for months or years to come, you want to get in touch with your preferred banking institution, compare available options, and get a borrowing plan that will benefit you in the long term.
Prioritize your spending
Your strategy should have a sort of a hierarchy to it that will help you prioritize your spending. It can get quite easy to lose yourself in all of the wonderful décor options out there, making you overspend on the new sectional in the living room only to find out that you can’t pay for the new freestanding bathtub. Prioritize your spending, put the essentials on the top of your list, pay for those first, and then move on to the finer décor elements.
Don’t deviate from the battle plan
And finally, it should go without saying that you should never deviate from the plan. This is the best way to overspend on the things you don’t need, breach your borrowing limit, and find yourself unable to pay off the project. So, stick to the hierarchy and the budget, and don’t go for that fancy butcher’s table if you’ve only budgeted for a simple kitchen island.
In closing
Decorating the interior is the best way to breathe new life into your living environment and fall back in love with your home. But before you jump in, be sure to act on these tips to create a realistic decorating budget that will make the whole process as rewarding and enjoyable as possible.
