PROPERTY NEWS - Even with a tight budget these ideas will cost you no more than a little elbow grease and a touch of ingenuity.
Rearrange your furniture
One of the most effective (and free) ways to give your home an entirely new look. You'll be amazed at the effect a furniture switcheroo can have. Don't be afraid to go for something completely different – Feng Shui anyone? – starting with the largest piece.
Drawing up a rough floor plan beforehand can also come in handy.
Upcycle old bottles
Go a step further than putting your used glass bottles into the recycling bin and reinvent them as décor. Wine bottles with pretty labels make an elegant vase, while a larger carboy holds its own as a table centrepiece.
If you consider yourself a DIY whizz, think big with handmade lamps and pendant lights – these work really well with blue and green bottles.
Put your jewels on display
You may think of your jewellery as wearable art, but have you thought of hanging it on the wall as a permanent installation?
This works best with pieces you don't wear frequently. The same goes for clothing.
Use coat hangers and wall hooks to drape sparkly, colourful or simply much-loved pieces throughout your home.
Do a deep clean
We're not talking about the weekly sweep, but a proper, thorough clean from the highest corners to the lowest crevices. Wiping the dust from your venetians and scrubbing the grout on your splashback can be deeply satisfying and really transform your home.
Get creative with photographs
Provided they've been printed (in the interests of adhering to the no-cost rule) there are tons of ways you can use photos to personalise your home.
Peg them up along twine, pin them onto a corkboard collage or stick them on the wall with colourful or metallic tape.
Deconstruct open shelving
Creating a new look doesn't always mean adding more – removing items from display can really enhance the pieces you keep out.
Take a discerning look at your shelves, mantelpiece and other surface spaces to see what you can subtract, leaving your favourites to shine.
Repurpose a wooden palette
If you don't have one on hand, you might be lucky enough to come across a freebie in a nearby warehouse or back alley.
Lending themselves to DIY projects such as an industrial-style bed or vertical garden, their versatility means you won't be short of creative ideas.
Add some greenery from the garden
Bringing the outdoors inside works wonders for freshening up a tired space. Instead of buying a new pot plant, see what you can grow from cuttings - snake plants are low maintenance house plants that can be propagated, or clip some basil and rosemary and start up a herb garden to fragrance your kitchen and jazz up your cooking.
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