How to Decorate Your New House on a Budget
I AM SO PUMPED ABOUT THIS POST! As a real estate agent and home owner in East Texas, I thought it would be helpful to share a few tips on how to decorate your new house on a budget! Plus, this is just my passion. I love finding beauty and using my creativity to help others see it, too!
There are a lot of costs that come with buying a home—inspections, surveys, appraisals, taxes and insurance, closing costs, repair costs…just to name a few! That’s not including the minimum down payment required for the various loan types which could be 3% down, 3.5% down, 5% down, 10% down, or 20% down if you’re trying to avoid having to pay PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance). So, not only are you having to set aside money for all of the above, but you’re also going to need to have money saved up for upcoming bills (i.e. water, electricity, septic system, internet, etc.) which makes decorating on a budget that much more important!
When I bought my house, I was a single gal. Although I’m naturally frugal and a bargain buyer (I’ve been shopping at Goodwill ever since I could drive), I also didn’t have a spouse to depend on at the time so I needed to find unique ways to fill my home and make it beautiful on a budget.
KEY WORDS: ON A BUDGET
I went from a one-bedroom apartment around 700 square feet to 1,693 square feet + a front porch, breezeway, and backyard! I now had two bedrooms, two living spaces, a dining room, 1.5 bathrooms, and a kitchen. Not to mention I went from a more modern gray-toned apartment (gray walls, gray floors, gray countertops, gray carpet, etc.) to a home with a completely different color scheme which meant my previous decor wasn’t going to work (I’m OCD, remember). It probably helps that I’m a minimalist, so you’ll notice in the pictures that we don’t have a lot of STUFF! We’ve got just enough to make our home feel complete and cozy and that’s just the way I like it.
In fact, now that I think about it, the only items that have been purchased from an actual furniture store are:
mattresses
couch
accent chair in living room
accent chair in bedroom
rugs (only because I am OCD and need them to match perfectly with the overall look of the room)
Below is a list of places you can shop at in East Texas, what I’ve purchased from each place, and pictures of my own home (at the end of this post) to give you an idea of what you can do on a budget and how you can feel at home without breaking the bank! You can get creative and figure out unique ways to make use of an item. I’ve literally walked through every room and made note of what I bought and where I bought it from to share with you so hopefully you will find it useful.
1. Facebook Marketplace
Don’t even get me started on Facebook Marketplace (FBM). I’m obsessed. The majority of the furniture/decor in our house came from FBM. If you love Pinterest, you’ll love FBM because it’s how you make your Pinterest dreams come true, hahahaha. I’m guilty of aimlessly scrolling even though I don’t need anything. You can set a radius of x miles from where you live, search by categories, and/or set it up to where you get notified when a certain item hits the market so you don’t miss out.
SIDE NOTE: As I wrote that, I started laughing and thought, “Well doesn’t that sound familiar!” That’s exactly what I do for buyers as a real estate agent only instead of Facebook Marketplace it’s the MLS! LOL!
Are you sitting down? Brace yourself. Here’s a list of everything I currently own that I bought from FBM and how much it cost:
sliding barn door ($50)
wicker chairs ($150)
vintage lockers ($80)
end table (ranging from $5-$20)
vintage dresser ($100)
swivel glider rockers ($200)
wooden electric piano ($100)
vintage magazine holder ($20)
small kitchen table ($50)
vintage typewriter table ($60)
typewriter ($20)
3-tier cart ($10)
vintage doctor’s stool ($10)
vintage table lamp ($20)
vintage floor lamp ($15)
vintage computer chair ($20)
outdoor table ($50)
vintage school chairs ($25)
vintage wooden picket fence panels ($125)
chicken coop ($900 and that included delivery from Texarkana…these are easily a minimum of $2k)
industrial barstools ($50)
plastic Adirondack chairs ($15/chair)
Did someone say vintage?????
IMPORTANT: Unless it’s a large item (i.e. couch, bookcase, etc), always meet folks in a public space. Find a mutual location and meet during the day! If you have to pick it up from the person’s house, take someone with you. If you get there and don’t feel comfortable, it’s 100% okay to turn around and let them know you changed your mind.
2. Thrift Shops
Again, I have been shopping at Goodwill since I could drive a car. I bought my dining room table at Finders Keepers for $75 and vintage computer desk for $100! I also bought the CUTEST VINTAGE 18-PANED BLUE DOOR for $80 that you’ll seen in the corner of the living room that I hang pictures on! Here are a few thrift shops I recommend in Longview, TX:
Mercy Manor’s Born Again Thrift Store
Goodwill
Hope’s Closet
Finders Keepers
3. First Monday Trade Days in Canton, TX
I loooooove me some Canton! Ironically it’s actually not open on Mondays anymore, hahaha. They’re open Thursday-Sunday after the first Monday of the month. Thursdays and Sundays are usually slower days and less crowded. I personally don’t like going on Sundays if I don’t have to because a lot of folks will pack up and go home early if it’s been a slow weekend for them (or if it’s hotter than you-know-what). HOWEVER, sometimes I will go on Sunday if I am needing to get a deal on something. For example…chickens! LOL!
Canton is divided up into several sections. They have a junk section (where I shop obviously) and then they also have pavilions and arbors with boutiques! If you want to get a deal, go to the junk section…but there are of course fun finds all throughout! I found an Abstract of Title (fitting, I know) from 1853 for $10 in one of the pavilions. I’ve also bought:
accent chair
full size bed frame
step stool ladder (that I use as a nightstand)
As a side note, Canton can be really overwhelming, hahahaha. You won’t believe your eyes. There are just as many dogs and motorized scooters as there are people and those not on scooters walk as slow as molasses which is you-know-what for those of us who walk with a purpose and don’t slow down for anyone. If you get there and you hate your life, just remember I warned you!
4. Amazon
Yep, that’s right. If I can’t find something anywhere else, I Amazon Prime that bad boy. Here are a few things I’ve purchased:
3 floor lamps
table lamp
wall photo grid
mirror
wooden egg holder
counter spice rack
Roku tv
If you don’t like the color something is, you can always PAINT IT! I’ve painted nearly every piece of furniture I bought from the above places. It’s more work on you, but it’s definitely worth it because you’re saving a LOT of money and you’re getting exactly what you want. I recommend using spray chalk paint if they have the color you’re wanting and then you can always sand it down if you want a rustic look!
Anyway, hopefully this will help give you ideas as to how you can decorate your new house on a budget! My hope is that you don’t feel pressured to have new things or buy things you can’t afford. Because, believe it or not, a home CAN be made to both look and feel beautiful on a budget without going into debt (or more debt). Don’t worry about trying to keep up with the Joneses. This is your home, your safe space! What matters most is the way your home feels to YOU AND YOUR FAMILY…regardless of how much it costs!
Kristin Koonce Burroughs, REALTOR®
(903)241-2608
kristinkoonce@gmail.com
BOLD Real Estate Group