Easy Home Decoration Techniques for Second-Hand Homes on a Budget

May 27, 2020 | view 6,545

Once you have purchased a second-hand house or second-hand condo and are ready to move in, many of you may want to renovate and repair the damaged areas to make the home livable again. In addition to a full renovation, buyers on a budget can opt for gradual improvements according to their available funds.

TerraBKK offers tips on how to repair and decorate second-hand homes to make them more livable while staying within a budget, including ideas for using existing items to enhance the home's appeal.

Walls

The walls of your home play a crucial role in creating a comfortable living atmosphere. If the second-hand house you purchased has been around for a long time and has never been renovated, cleaning and repainting the walls can make the home look new again. The color tone of the room can instantly change the feeling when viewed. For example, light colors can make a small room appear more spacious, while shades like light blue, lavender, mint green, or various shades of gray can also be used to decorate the home. These colors will brighten the space without compromising the room's elegance.

For those on a budget, you can choose to buy paint and supplies to repaint the interior walls yourself, significantly reducing the cost of hiring a painter.

Lighting and Natural Light

If the second-hand home you purchased is older, changing the light fixtures can brighten up the interior. You can opt for energy-efficient light bulbs and, importantly, ensure that the home has openings for natural light to enter. For instance, a townhome with a solid kitchen extension can have a transparent roof panel added to increase natural light, which helps reduce energy consumption and makes the home feel less cramped.

Furniture

If the interior space is not very large, adding a large mirror can help make the home appear more spacious. Similarly, arranging furniture away from the walls and choosing colors for sofas, dining tables, and wall-mounted TVs can enhance the space.

Cleaning Fixtures with Vinegar

Areas prone to bacterial infections, such as the "bathroom," are crucial to clean thoroughly. Using cleaning products and disinfectants can affect the surfaces of fixtures. Therefore, using 9% vinegar warmed or boiled with 1 cup mixed with 1 tablespoon of baking soda or iodine salt poured into the toilet tank and left overnight for 5-12 hours can enhance cleaning.

Benefits of Vinegar include removing limescale, cleaning metal parts from rust, eliminating unpleasant odors, dissolving kidney stones, and killing bacteria such as Shigella (causing dysentery) and E. coli.

Add Fragrance to Your Home for a More Inviting Atmosphere

Of course, a second-hand home that has just been renovated and painted may still have odors unsuitable for living. In this case, you can easily add fragrance to your home by using pandan leaves, cutting them into pieces and placing them in containers around the house. You can also combine them with flower vases to enhance the scent or use air fresheners of your favorite scent sprayed throughout the rooms to create a fresher and more relaxing atmosphere.