Renovation Column: Restoring a property is thrifty business and only the super savvy will survive

Exciting as renovating a property may be it’s not all fabric swatches and paint samples so you can leave your frivolous old ways at your new front door and be prepared to become a more sensible and savvy version of your former self.

The learning curve is steep, sobering and something I’m still trying to get to navigate if truth be told.

And the biggest change to date….budgeting...that dreaded, fear inducing word that has the ability to suck all the air from any room (decorated or not).

I’ve never been very good at budgeting or saving for that matter. I was the kid in the gift shop on a school trip who’d already spent her coins on stationary and fridge magnets before the castle tour had started and the worker who had blown a week’s wages in the Topshop temptingly located half way between the office and train station.

Even when I was living on a meagre students budget at university that didn’t stop me. I would live like a Rockefeller for 10 days after the student loan hit my bank – dining out at restaurants, taking taxis instead of buses and drinking in swanky cocktail bars instead of the student union. Only to spend the rest of the month eating beans on toast and drinking £1.50 snake bites because I’d blown the lot.

Money has always had an irritating way of burning a hole in my pocket so retraining my brain to make cut backs and more sensible choices is challenging. But I am picking up some thrifty tips along the way that are beginning to pay off and are worth sharing.

Tempting as it may be to Amazon Prime all manor of DIY essentials for added convenience, we’ve found ourselves having to actually visit real life shops to make a saving – a strange concept these days I know.

It was only when we looked at the percentage of our salaries lining Jeff Bezos’ pockets that we started to question our Amazon spending habits. Let’s just say I’m surprised we didn’t get an invite to The Met Gala and/or his Venetian wedding.

Instead Facebook Marketplace has become my new online best friend and go to place for home bargains where one man’s trash is literally another’s treasure.

Take an antique chest of drawers that I picked up for £60 – I had been tempted to go for the £300 mahogany masterpiece listed with a professional antique dealer. However, I am currently stripping, sanding and staining my own way to achieving the same look with this upcycling project.

Charity shops are also a treasure trove when it comes to homeware...50p for a cute deer shaped dressing gown hook for my daughter’s bedroom...yes please!

Bargain high street shops are also worth a punt. I love nothing more than a scroll on Soho Home and Restoration Hardware but you can pick up dupes and stylish alternatives in shops such as TK Maxx/Homesense, The Range, B&M and supermarket home sections...trust me I’ve done the leg work.

My budgeting journey is far from over but I’m building a good foundation and trying to build up the bank balance in the process.

Keep up to date with all the progress by following @ohgodweboughtavicarage on Instagram.