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SAVE WITHOUT SCRIMPING ON STYLE
If the credit crunch is starting to bite, its time to hit back and prove you can find design-standard homeware at bargain-basement prices. We source must-have buys to suit your budget.
If youre looking around your house and with a pounding head and churning stomach, youve probably got a property hangover.
These symptoms are hardly surprising in the current market, with tumbling house prices and one major forecaster predicting values falling by up to 35% over the next two years.
If that wasnt a big enough headache, rising mortgage costs and more properties for sale than buyers - a ratio at the moment of around 15 homes for every one buyer - are adding to the pain.
So most people are opting to sit tight and improve. That can mean anything from large projects - the most popular are lofts and extensions - through to smaller ways to make a home look great, and boost their spirits without punishing their pockets.
A recent survey of estate agents by lender GE Money found that simply redecorating all the bedrooms or a living room adds at least £4,000 (2.6%) value and that doesnt include the feel-good factor of having rooms youll enjoy.
Fashionista Lulu Guinness is a decorating enthusiast and recommends wallpapering or painting just one wall to turn it in an instant feature.
Shes just one of the experts consulted for advice on winning ways to improve a home by Annie Deakin, editor of the magazine for the online interiors site mydeco.com.
Your efforts could pay dividends according to Miles Shipside of property website Rightmove, who says: Homes with an immaculate finish are still popular if priced realistically.
Badly presented homes have to be really modestly priced to sell, and first impressions really count.
So instead of just sitting around feeling sore and battered by the current rough ride on propertys roller coaster, you could fight back.
Rise to the challenge and make your home a sanctuary where you can shelter from the chill winds of economic uncertainty, and also ensure your most valuable asset isnt jaded and drab if you ever do decide to sell.
Weve got expert advice on shrewd ways of making the most of your home, without breaking the bank.
:: WINNING WAYS WITH COLOUR
Baffled by the dizzying amount of styles and trends around? The last thing you want to do is waste money by redecorating only to find that in a few months the style or colours out of fashion and your rooms look out of date.
Its even more important to get it right if youre trying to sell, as indulging your personal passion for fluorescent pink is fine - but dont expect other people to pay for it!
Probably the safest and most chic choice for decor is monochrome – the classic and versatile pairing of black and white. Sainsburys head of design Simon Stevens says: We all thought monochrome was going to be a fad but now we believe its going to endure for the foreseeable future, definitely through next year.
It can be interpreted in a sharp, urban way by focusing on pure black and white or softened with cream or shiny metallics.
Fionnuala Johnston, design manager for B&Q compares a monochrome décor scheme to the wardrobe classic, the LBD - little black dress. Its a great basic which can dressed up with metallics, warmed with soft colours or made dramatic with punchy contrasts like red.
Just varying your accessories - throws, lampshades and cushions – from time to time can instantly freshen the scheme.
Other trend savvy colour choices are greens - Natures palette stays strong - with grass green and sage green the leading shades.
Soft blues, such as duck egg and teal (the latter will probably stay the course longer), combine brilliantly with chocolate and soft browns.
Experiment with a new look without risk with mydeco.coms room planning tool which allows users to upload an image of their room onto the site and try out thousands of combinations of wallpaper and paint (as well as checking out flooring, furnishings, furniture and accessories).
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