So you’re moving out of home? Stumped for decorating ideas and the thought of setting yourself up on a limited budget seems dubious? Well don’t panic — there are plenty of ways to create a fully equipped living haven that embodies your personal style and ideal environment without the hefty price tag

Trash ’n’ treasure

The best way to get the look for less is to envision the motto: recycle, reuse and reinstate! With the increasing importance of eco-friendly and sustainable living, second-hand wares are more chic and accessible than ever before. There are plenty of alternatives to the trusty op shop for finding these goods, but be sure to still check out the vintage and pre-loved chapter of this guide for a comprehensive overview of locations and opening hours around the city.

Where to look?

Your network
One of the first things you should do when setting up house is ask around. This is a great opportunity to catch up with friends, family and acquaintances to see if they have any old pieces of furniture, appliances or whitegoods collecting dust in their garage. Be wary that some loved ones will treat this as their yearly hard waste rubbish collection. Moth-eaten couches and bra wire-infested washing machines are not what you need; however, a gem or two is sure to surface.

Online steals
Don’t forget to check out what’s available online. Some of my best buys have come from eBay, such as a solid teak four-person dining table for $90 and a shabby chic style wardrobe for $50. Don’t forget to select the seller closest to you to reduce the delivery charges. The $150 rattan daybed from WA might seem like a bargain at the time but a few hundred dollars later in removalist fees brings the price back to reality. There’s also the online Trading Post and the traveller’s bible Gumtree, which have a selection of goods available for your perusal.

You spend hours online chatting at your favourite forum or social networking site but do you ever remember to check out the marketplace section for cheap wares or even possible freebies? I once gave away a double bed mattress on Vogue Forums that had only been used on a guest bed. It was a win-win situation. They got an absolute bargain and I avoided an eyesore on the nature strip that I’m sure the neighbours wouldn’t have enjoyed!

Tertiary titbits
If you prefer to have relatively new goods with a modern feel, check out noticeboards at large universities around Melbourne for international students’ going home sales. You’ll be sure to find Ikea’s best selling couch in as-new condition, pristine washing machines and tumble dryers less than four years old, not to mention the latest electronics such as flat screen TVs and DVD players. You can even watch out for free office furniture offered throughout universities and businesses that are still in perfect working condition but are no longer the look du jour.

Tips

Buying
• Look for secondhand furniture that has good functional “backbones” — such as a couch with a solid wooden frame, padding and structure — regardless of current popular aesthetics, as they can always be recovered. Couch covers are becoming increasingly available and fashionable with discount retailers and are a great option in the interim. Alternatively, buy king-size blankets, which are available in many colours and easy to wash.
• When buying used electrical appliances and whitegoods, always ask the seller to demonstrate that the product is in working order before finalising the purchase.
• If buying brand new items, invest in key pieces of furniture slowly. You may be tempted to go out and buy a package deal (common with discount furniture stores) but it is far better in the long
run to purchase one quality item. First invest in a couch or a quality bed and mattress and make do without the rest for the time being.

Decorating
• Don’t forget to improvise with your furniture. Remember, anything can be passed off as a work of art! Try gathering and stacking wooden crates to create innovative shelving systems; stagger vintage suitcases for bedside tables or linen chests; or put some bricks and a plank of wood together for a coffee table.
• For cutlery and crockery, don’t be concerned with trying to make things match. Mixing bowls, plates and cups into an eclectic set can often be a welcome break from the monotony of all white!
• One of the most crucial factors in improving the ambience of a home is the lighting, so don’t forget to pick up a few lamps on your bargain hunting trips. Don’t be afraid to really experiment with your selections. Whacky, tacky and dated often come up really well when fitted with a new neutral lampshade and always make for a good conversation starter.
• If you’re renting, don’t fret about not being able to change tired-looking walls. Consider injecting a bit of life and personality by doing a DIY “feature wall” in the form of a painted canvas. A small sample pot of paint costs less than $10 and you can pick up plain canvases cheaply from places such as South Melbourne Market. Three or four small canvases can look as effective as one large one.
• Just because you are renting doesn’t mean you can’t hang your prints and paintings on the walls. Use the popular 3M Command adhesive hooks, which won’t leave any residue on the walls. Remember to use the correct hook that corresponds to the weight of the item you want to hang. I once witnessed an incident involving a heavy antique mirror and a plastic hook. There’s nothing worse than cleaning up smashed mirror!

Space saving
• If you are stuck for space, compromise. That dining table for six might look good but is it really necessary for your takeaway TV dinner lifestyle? This doesn’t mean you have to miss out on hosting a dinner party for eight. Many traditional older style tables come with an extension part and the newer, well designed models can even be flat packed and stored away until needed.
• If you are blessed with built-in robes, lucky you. If not, finding a place to fit an ever-expanding clothing collection can be difficult, not to mention a place for all those handbags and shoes! Often the most forgotten storage space, offering a wealth of opportunities, is under the bed. I recently purchased two rattan under-bed storage units with cream drawstring liners from Ikea, which have turned out to be a fantastic way to store all of my out of season clothes and colossal bed linen collection. For the hanging space, I picked up a secondhand armoire and was spoilt for choice by the options available. To solve the shoe issue, I attached a vertical shoe rack from Howards Storage World to the back of my wardrobe door. Not only has it removed 24 pairs of shoes from the floor but it also helps those early morning decisions about which pair to wear!
• If you aren’t blessed with a bathroom full of storage space, try getting a stainless-steel trolley on wheels for your toiletries or an ingenious over-the-toilet bathroom rail. Rolling up bath towels, as you would when packing a suitcase, instead of folding them not only looks nice but also saves on space.