Another move means making another house a home. I don’t know about you guys, but when we move to a new area, I want my house set up and ready to go!

Many times, that house we will be living in at each station will never be our “dream” home, and in many cases, we are renting and making the best of it…am I right? (Although growing up as a military brat, I must say housing has come A LONG WAY!)

So, how do we make a house a home, and oh yeah, on a budget? We know will be moving and packing up the ship in a few years, so, what can you do to spruce things up without breaking the bank?

Our PCS to England move inspired me to share how I make my house a home and on a budget.

Warning: I am in no way, shape or form a decorator or a pro, but I figured I’d share some things I have learned along the way!

Here are some of my quick, inexpensive tips to make a house more of a home:

• Gold fixture? Work with it by adding gold accents to compliment it! Gold is coming back into style!
• Not a fan of your floor? Put an area rug on it. (Ikea has some great and inexpensive rug options!)

• Spruce up a rental kitchen by updating the cabinet knobs, but be sure to keep the old ones and replace them when you move out. You can also remove the doors from some of the cabinets (again, keep them safe and put them back on when you move out) and display your dishes.
• Add inexpensive curtains with this great trick.

• Don’t like your counters? Find a large cutting board or add your personal touches of décor!
• Add candles to instantly make any room cozy!

• Hang pictures of your family and create a gallery wall!
• Bring the outside in! Add the greenery or flowers from bushes and plants outside, find sticks and twigs and put them in a vase…the world is your oyster!

• Cover your couch in fun pillows and throws!
• I haven’t tried it, but they now have removable wallpaper!! What a great way to add character to a space!
• Get creative! Browse Pinterest for additional inspiration!

Some of my favorite go-to places for inexpensive home décor and furniture:

• Local FREECYCLE sites and Buy Sell Trade Groups (No joke, I have scored some amazing things FREE or next to nothing!)
• IKEA (Seriously, they have EVERYTHING and are reasonably priced)
• Target (Hello, Sales and Clearance!)
• Walmart
• Home goods
• Amazon (Check out our Amazon Storefront with all of our favorite things!)
• Military Exchanges

Another Tip: before buying anything, always check if there’s a coupon or sale!  If I find something I love at full price, I will wait till it goes on sale…and in almost every case, it does!

You can make your new place a home simply by adding your own simple touches, but remember, home will always be where the heart, service member, or family are!

Bonus Tip: If you need some design inspiration, check out White Walls on Facebook (a group of military spouses can go and share or ask for design questions).

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