Stretch Your Budget

Home decor and reno expenses can climb fast. Here’s how to make every cent go further.

- Yuen Yiying

Whether you’re a new homeowner or looking to renovate after a long time (or perhaps for the first time after owning your house for years!), dreaming up decor plans for your pad is exciting. However, if you’re on a tight budget, you may feel like many of your most wonderful ideas will need to be nixed. Not to worry, with these savvy workarounds and budgeting tips, you’ll be amazed by how much you can achieve with not much cash!

1 Determine your budget, needs and wants

Reno works and furnishings tend to cost more than you think, so to avoid under-budgeting and compromising your vision, experts advise having a 10– 20% buffer in your budget to cover any hiccups. You should also come up with a list of needs and wants. Don’t even think about getting that fancy chair, even if it’s on sale, until you know your funds will adequately cover the essentials.

2 Plan and be practical

Changing plans halfway through a reno can result in unnecessary costs and delays, so don’t get carried away with selecting paint and artwork before you settle nitty-gritty details such as how much storage you’re going to need in each room, and where power points and lights are going to go. Consider how various spaces will be used so you can make informed decisions on practical material choices and the number of furniture pieces you can fit without hampering flow.

3 Fix issues early