A lot of people dread property makeovers and renovation, especially if they’re already living in it. To most people, it’s just too much work on top of their stressful jobs, and ideally they would only want to do it once – right before when they move into their home.
It makes sense for them to have that perspective. To get a house makeover, one would need to speak to a few interior designers or architects, get their prices, then look for another property to rent, move out, look for new furniture, check on the work of the contractors.
Plus….not forgetting that the whole experience can be very expensive!
However, if you really want to have a home makeover without having to go through all that heavy effort and having to pay through your noses, this couple found the perfect solution for it.
In fact, many of their friends initially guessed that they may have spent around $200,000 for their total renovation and design work.
Check out some before/after photos below...
Before
After
Before
After
Kitchen Before
Kitchen After
But little do they know that actually, everything cost less than $10,000.
Yup, for just 10 freakin’ grand!
More of than not, there’s high chances that you would want a house theme designed in a way that is warm, welcoming, and most importantly, a theme that your guests at home would go, “WOW, I love how you designed and decorated your home!”
And actually, instead of hiring traditional interior designers to do the work, you can easily do it too, just like how this couple managed to decorated their home. Yet they have little to no experience in designing a home before this.
Here’s how they did it…
Method #1: Scandinavian theme
Scandinavian themed homes are in trend. It’s simple, minimalistic, and practical to live in. Plus, it is bright, airy, clean lines are very welcoming to any guest in the home.
If you’re going with this, always remember to have white walls as many Scandinavian homes are characterized by the use of earthy muted tones, honest materials and minimal ornamentation.
Method #2: Get quality contractors
As the saying goes, “Ideas are worth nothing unless they are properly executed”. This holds especially true if you’re renovating any property.
Interior designers and architects can do a very good job designing your dream home. But designing isn’t the same as bringing that dream to reality.
Contractors are the ones who will make or break your dream home. Ensure that you do tight due diligence on any contractor that is going to work on your property. Ask for past client references, go to their properties if necessary.
You would be so thankful that a little effort here would go a long way in ensuring that you have a decent home.
Method #3: Buy your furniture from Taobao
Taobao translated to English
Depending on your aspirations, furnitures can cost as much as half the bill on your total renovation expense. While we are big supporters of local retailers, we can’t help not to ignore the waves that e-commerce have been making in the market.
Most people these days shop online anyway. The goods are conveniently delivered to your doorstep, and many at times, they’re priced more affordable than your local retailer.
And the same can be applied for your new furniture as well. Not only can you buy it from an online retailer, you can also purchase it directly from the factory in China! This tremendously reduces the costs of your furniture by up to 90%!
These lamps in the living rooms [pic below] costs around $180 from a local retailer, but the couple bought it online for just $20 (and that includes shipping, delivery and insurance on the product).
If you’re looking to buy it online from China, look no further than Taobao.com.
Fret not if you don’t speak a single word of Mandarin too. This is where Google Translate can be your best friend when searching around.
The alternative solution is to go to sites like Upwork.com, find a Chinese-speaking freelancer for $10 and get him to do all the shopping for you, based on your shopping list.
All in all, interior design, renovation and property makeovers do not need to be seen as laborious and expensive work. On the contrary, they can be very affordable if you know how to do it right.
Note: If you guys like to learn more of such money-saving tips, upvote this post! If we have at least 20 upvotes, I'll release an article on how you can buy good camera drones as cheap as $10