This year has been a pretty exciting one for me (so far anyway) and largely that is due to the fact that I have bought and moved into my first home. It's been a pretty long process, from putting my offer in in March to finally moving in in September but I'm now all nicely settled and it certainly feels like home. I'm not deliberately keeping it secret from the blog or anything; but daylight hours are dwindling and I need to take proper photos for the transformation blog post. It's coming; I just keep being idle and forgetting. So firstly, I thought I'd start you off with a few tricks of the trade and little things I've learnt along the way in the house-buying process. Forewarning that this is not any boring shit to do with how to apply for a mortgage or how to improve your credit score (not least because my dad handled most of that for me so I'm hardly in a position to be giving hints and tips). These are tips related to the bit after getting the keys (otherwise known as the fun part).
Get on pinterest
I would say that most girls have a home inspo pinterest board for many years before they realistically think about moving out (the same way we all have a wedding board way before we even have a man). But if you're not on pinterest yet then you seriously should be. Sometimes working out what you want to do with a room is half of the battle and pinterest is a great place to start. Not only is it great for colour palettes and pretty ornaments, but it's also amazing for clever, nifty things like storage ideas, organisation hacks and how to make the most of your space.
Everything costs more than you think
When you finally have your own bricks and mortar, you'll probably start furnishing it by working out what "big" things are needed for each room. Typically, you'll remember that sofas, ovens, dining room tables and beds constitute big things but that's certainly not where the bulk of my money has been spent. Things like wardrobes, dining room chairs, rugs, curtains, coffee tables and light fittings are all things that I didn't think would massively eat into my budget and yet it's surprising how much more expensive they are than you realise. When you are looking at buying a house, make sure you save up plenty to actually furnish the place, rather than leaving yourself with next to nothing after your deposit.
Use quidco
Or whichever alternative you like. Basically, use a cashback website! They cost you nothing and you basically get money for free. There literally is no reason not to and you have nothing to lose by signing up. I've been signed up for a while but often forget to actually use it when ordering stuff online. 1% cashback rarely seems worth it when you're buying a new dress for the weekend but when you're pumping thousands of pounds into a new house, suddenly 1% doesn't seem so shabby. And some places actually offer more than that; it all soon adds up.
Buy it cheap, buy it twice
It's something that my mum and grandma have said for a long time and one of the most interesting things for me when doing my house has been learning where to scrimp and where to splash. The saying is definitely true; buy it cheap, buy it twice. But sometimes, buying it twice is okay. With certain kitchen items or flat pack furniture (dressing table, desk, wardrobes), I've gone with the cheapest option possible on the basis that you can't actually tell when comparing it to the same thing but double the price (plus you'll be amazed how much nicer you can make cheap flat pack furniture look by replacing the handles with fancier ones). But then on the other hand, I've also often gone with the mindset of 'you'll only be buying this once for a long time'. I was unfortunately born with very expensive taste and I'm certainly someone who goes after what I want. So when I get my heart set on a £250 bookcase, the £80 alternative simply won't do. Especially since the whole vibe in my house is opulence through and through (which you'll see soon). So yes, I've spent more than I could have on a lot of items, but for me the end result is worth it. It's all about learning where to sacrifice and where to invest.
Ebay is a godsend
A lot of people still think of ebay as a place to sell all your unwanted, second-hand crap but actually, it's mostly just an online shop like any other. There's now an ongoing joke with my friends and Ollie because whenever they ask me where something in my house is from, there's an extremely high chance I'll say ebay. Most of my kitchen items are from ebay (all a bargain), a lot of my ornaments are, my bath towels are (only £22 for a set of 6 rather than about £70 at Dunelm), my armchair and loveseat are (only £350 for the both), all my wardrobes are, my desk is, my dressing table is. And that's all brand new; nothing has been second hand. For price they literally can't be beaten and although some of the stuff is coming from china and takes yonks to arrive, it's usually worth the wait. Just like I hope my house transformation blog post will be, when I finally get around to doing it!
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