We have been in our house for nearly 5 years now and there are still so many jobs we want to get done to make the house feel complete and like our home. When we moved in we did everything on a budget and to be honest we rushed it so there are plenty of rooms we aren't happy with and we haven't really made it a priority to get any of the rooms redone. Currently we have only redone the games room and the bathroom since we originally did them almost 5 years ago, the bathroom was the biggest job with a wall knocked down and a whole new bathroom fitted where as the games room was done before any other rooms thanks to it being the room we spend the most time in. Since doing the games room we haven't done any other jobs due to lack of money, well more the fact that we have been spending our money elsewhere on things such as football trips, pointless shopping trips and generally on everything other than what we needed to spend the money on. This year though we are making saving for housework a priority and we are determined to get the upstairs of the house completed so we can finally move onto the downstairs which is definitely going to cost a lot more. 

To be honest the two jobs that we are aiming to get done in the house in 2023 are actually going to be two of the cheaper jobs to get done and thanks to the amount of time we spend upstairs it should hopefully make the house feel more like our own. One thing we don't want to do though is going in totally under estimating the cost and having to cut back in certain areas, I want every room to be perfect as this is the last time they will be decorated for a very long time. That is why realistically we are setting a target amount to achieve before actually going ahead with the job so we know just how much we have and a plan stick to rather than winging it like we did previously. A plan should mean that we stick to the budget whilst also getting our perfect room. So here is how we are looking to budget for the two rooms that we want to get done in the house this year...

Spare Room 

The spare room has turned from a dressing room for me into a bit of a hybrid room with it now mainly being an office spare with a bit of a dressing room crammed into the area. With the amount of time I spend in this room I really want to get it redone now as wallpaper is coming off the wall and the current vibe isn't what I want from the room. The plan for the room is to have it football based as it will be where I am on zoom calls etc for my football website so the theme for backgrounds needs to be there. This room is probably going to be the first done though as it is a small room and I will mainly be reusing the furniture I already having which will be a huge saving, I will just be reorganizing things a bit to get the most out of the space and make it a room I am happy to spend time in creating content etc. 

Realistically we are budgeting £400 for this room to be done exactly how we want it. We will be getting the room plastered like with did the games room however, this should be much cheaper as it is a much smaller room. Once it is plastered it is then a case of painting the room, there will be a feature wall where I hang my shirts etc for the football backdrop then the rest of the room will be painted a nice colour to compliment the feature wall, with how much paint I am actually going to require I shouldn't be spending more than £50 on this. The paint and plastering is going to be the main cost gone however, I might treat myself to a new light shade to match the room better. I am really excited to see how this room comes together because I spend a lot of time in here creating content and getting ready, the changes should make it the perfect hybrid room. 

The bedroom 

Our bedroom was certainly rushed when we moved in and with wallpaper peeling away and the wardrobe being a diy job that doesn't work well it is definitely time we really made this room the perfect room for us. This is definitely going to be more costly as it is a pretty big space and we need more doing than other rooms so it might not get done for a while however, the big aim is to have it done by the end of the year. 

We are realistically setting a budget of £1,200 for this room as just like the other rooms we will be getting this one re-plastered and it is probably going to be double the spare room so that is a big cost already. However, we then need to get the fitted wardrobe redone which will involve new doors, new shelving, new rails etc and I know this is going to be a lot more than the plastering as it is all going to be done from scratch but the cost will be worth it for a wardrobe is much more functional as we share it. We will also need to repaint this room but who knows we might opt for colours we have used in the games room or the spare room but just in case we don't and need more we have added a bit of money in the budget to cover for this. When we first did the room we opted for cheap bedside tables and a cheap cheat of drawers from Ikea and to be honest I was never happy with them so we are looking at getting new and have added the cost into the budget for these. Then it will just be a case of picking up things like new lamps and decorations to finish off the room which probably won't cost a lot at all as there won't be too much being bought for this space as I want to make it as clutter free as possible this time around. 

So there you go we are realistically budgeting £1,600 to get these two rooms completed so fingers crossed we can get to this totally very soon so we can get planning everything out and make a start on these jobs as they are the big aim so that 2024 can focus on the rest of the house which is definitely going to cost more as they are much bigger jobs when you sit and think about them. Once these two jobs are done it is time to get working towards the hallway, staircase, living room, dining room and then the dreaded kitchen. With us saving for these jobs whilst also doing the gym & gardens (more on that soon) it is definitely going to be a case of every spare penny goes towards jobs ticking off but honestly at this stage now I am just thinking I would rather have our perfect house than going on holiday etc after all we spend day after day at the house so why not get that sorted first. If we can get the upstairs of the house done by say October time I will be very impressed and fingers crossed we will be in a good position to get the hallway & stairs done by early 2024 to really kick start getting the house complete but these days with the cost of living etc we are just going to have to be realistic and make sure we are budgeting whilst not putting a strain on ourselves in other area. It is definitely all hands on deck now though to get jobs sorted and get this house perfect for us both inside and out. Let's just hope everything goes to plan. 

Check back next week to see how we will be budgeting for the jobs outdoors that we want to get done in 2023, luckily though these should be a bit more cost effective meaning we can focus on the jobs in doors.