Decorating your first flat on a very small budget

You have paid out thousands on your first flat for a deposit, valuations and solicitor fees and now there's little left to actually decorate your little palace. It certainly doesn't help that we are inundated with images of trendy and perfect homes every day from tv and magazines.

But don't get too too down about it, most have us have been in the same position when we've bought or rented our first place. It takes time to stamp your personality on a place and sort out each room.

I would tackle one room at a time. Set yourself an affordable budget for each room and take inspiration from every different source you can. It's good to watch the television and not focus on the story line of programme but the flats they are set in and of course books and magazines are also a good source of inspiration. 

Of course, choosing to decorate yourself will save you a great deal of money that you can spend on more furniture or badly needed repairs that may need attention.

Once you have your ideas and have found inspiration, where to shop for materials becomes key to working within the budget. Check out your local media for outlets that have a sale on and look around for bargains while out and about shopping. Many stores have end of line stock which can be useful.

Don't be proud, most people when they start out receive help from friends or family so if someone offers you something which is fitting in with your style then there are ways to personalize these things. Chairs can be covered in throws or re-covered.

Check out local newspapers and shops for second-hand items and head for recycling websites like Freecycle where furniture and other bits for the house and garden can be found for free. you'd be very surprised if you saw what people no longer have a need for.   

So, keep an eye out for bargains and decorate as much as possible and you will soon see how far your money will go. That doesn't mean you can't buy anything new of course or have help with painting, but if you think about how much you can save rather than how much you can spend you will get the house you want faster.