To ask for quick, cheap ways to make house more cosy and attractive?

[JonesyAndTheSalad]

We've lived here for about 3 months and don't have any a massive budget.

It's an old house which is very nice as I love character houses but it's a bit bleak now Autumn's arriving...I'm in Oz and it's getting quite chillly!

There are wooden floorboards throughout and I did splash out on a few rugs when we moved in but I see we need more....it's quite a big house.

So those are on the horizon. But there's a definite lack of cosiness going on.

I have a fireplace that works and it's probably time to light it so that will improve things...and a fireplace that's empty and non functioning in another room and needs something to make it look pretty.

Two sitting rooms both have BIG fireplaces and mantles.

Kitchen is very vintage with original fittings...any ideas overall to make things less bleak?

WHat attracted me in the first place is now feeling a little bit Dickensian!

I want to generally warm the place up. This is probably made worse by a visit to friend's last night in their modern, centrally heated and stylish home.

Primark, wilko and ikea all have lovely cushions, throws, candles and reed diffusers all that my house wouldn't be complete without! Tea light holders, wax melts are nice, fresh flowers or a plant. Photo frames with your own photos? TK maxx is good they have some unusual bits. Lamps make all the difference!

Always feeling skint and always wanting to make the house feel cosier for no pennies whatsoever!
Fresh flowers. Nice and cheap. (Bunch of daffodils 75p here at the moment.) Brightens up your windowsill and living room.
Candles. Love them. Light them on a night whilst turning the lights off and watching telly. I love Yankee candles. (Hardly ever buy them myself but always ask for them for Christmas/birthday/Mothers Day/etc instead!
Inexpensive throws and cushions.

Ooo, just clicked you're in Australia so probably not got an abundance of cheap daffodils.
Definitely go for the throws and candles though!

The issue is that here in Australia, we just don't have primark and wilko type shops. Furniture and accessories are very expensive here. You have to either buy second hand (ugly) or have loads of cash!

We do have flowers though Queen there's loads of things out at the moment so I will do that today! No daffs but lots of other nice native things.

I've been slowly decorating here too on a tiny budget, I'm saving up survey vouchers to buy paint and things right now. I love stuff like this though.

Paint tester pots are brilliant for little projects and I find DIY stores clear some out really cheaply every now and then. Not the recommended stuff but I do everything from plant pots to canvases and small furniture with them and it all survives with a bit of varnish if needed.

No idea what charity shops are like there but they are worth checking. Stuff to repaint/upcycle in some way, old sheets and things for fabric. Jumpers with raised knit can make really snuggly cushions.

I got some lovely patterned trim recently that I combined with recycled d rings (from old handbag straps) to make tiebacks to help jazz up our boring curtains a little.

If you like that look a couple of old books stacked on a side table or mantle can look nice if it fits the room.

Old scraps of fabric, holey tshirts and such made into rag rugs, I prefer the woven fabric ones.

Wallpaper samples from DIY stores framed, or repaint thrift store frames to match your theme. Wallpaper samples are also good to decoupage onto furniture (small tabletops or boxes for storage?) or battered old trays to make them pretty again. Repaint then decoupage and if you'll be putting drinks or food on them add a thin layer of clear varnish.

Macrame plant hangers from garden twine or ribbon, lots of easy tutorials on Youtube and beads from old bracelets can be added.

Stacks of wood, pinecones, one or two candles (shorter ones on something to raise them that is hidden by logs can cut costs) and things in the fireplace.

If you are quite crafty three pieces of thin wood, some small hinges and paint could go to make a nice decorative fireplace screen with a design you like.

Do you have IKEA in Australia? IKEA candles and cushions are really cheap. Print your own photos and hang them in picture frames. Pot plants can be inexpensive and add character and life.

Not all quick ideas I know sorry. I tend to have a project going on for when I have a spare five minutes.

Have a look on gumtree- you will find people relocating and selling everything. YY to the Reject shop.
off to look at Kmart hacks.

The Reject Shop is cheap.
So is BigW - a few okay homewares.
Kmart is cheap.
IKEA if you're metro.
Target is getting cheaper to catch up with Kmart.
And use eBay and Facebook selling pages.
I'm going to look at Kmart hacks now - never heard of it before!

Fairy lights! They definitely perk up our little house :)

I have also found really lovely baskets and things as such at Wilko. Not sure if that is worldwide though

We do have flowers though Queen there's loads of things out at the moment so I will do that today! No daffs but lots of other nice native things.

Oooh good, get a nice vase of flowers and it'll soon brighten the place up

If you are in Melbourne have a look at Daiso www.daisostore.com.au/homeware.html

Cool Japanese stuff and everything is $2.80

Charity shop or church jumble (for furniture, lamps, and material to upcycle)

'$2 shop' (for cheap candles, furniture, storage, arty things, canvas to paint)

Gumtree

Kmart

Reject Shop...

have all furnished my home. Older style and designed to keep cool so in winter it's rather draughty!

I'm about to set up my fireplace ready to light so that will look cosy. In my lounge area I have: lamps, fairy lights, candles, bean bags, cushions, blankets. I also have some overhead lights on a dimmer switch. Spotlight had discounts on Yankee candles earlier this week.

Retro boxes or suitcases with a lamp on top or a tower of books with fairy lights trailing over it (LED so not a fire hazard) and easier to dust than dried flowers.

A tray with or or and some naice glasses so it looks like you're ready to relax or party always looks inviting!

When you have funds, invest in a good feather duster, so much better than small cheap ones. Unless of course you're in a humid area!

Congratulations on your new home!

I have a visual impairment so soft lighting is really not an option for me because I need very bright lights. But I have bought beanbags lots of warm blanket and cushions. I found a great big beanbag on Amazon for 20 pounds and I can actually sleep on the thing! I also found a few inexpensive floor rugs as well. I grew up in Florida and worked in southeast Asia for many years so I find the UK freezing. Having these things keep me warm in the winter and make my place very cozy for visitors.

I'm also in Oz and sympathise! Our first house here had no heating and was freezing in winter. What saved my life our first winter here was a heated fleece blanket for the sofa, think I got it in Kmart. Now we have a log burner and I bloody love it, though it's still hot here so it's not been on yet. I also recommend ikea, you can get lots of stuff for very little. Oh and home app is very cheap for cushions covers etc if you don't mind waiting a few weeks for delivery. And lots of blankets and throws because Aussie house insulation is non existent.Why on earth they don't double glaze here is beyond me!

Please make sure you get your chimneys checked and swept before you have an open fire. Good friends lost their house last year to an attic fire due to a faulty chimney.
With the dollar so strong against the pound you should also look at UK stockists for household goods, Marks and Sparks have free delivery/returns for orders over $100.

Round we've had them done...good point about the pound thanks!

Just checked dollar to pound and it's not THAT great tbh. 200 aus dollars will get me 123 pounds.

It's better than it was but it's not all that.

I looked at M&S and the things they will deliver here aren't the same as the full UK range. The only duvet covers for example, are all plain neutral colours. :(

I'm in Oz too, and wish they had some patterned curtains too. They're all plain too! But try Next Directory - I think they have some patterns for Australia.

Penelope yes! I just looked at the fashion too and it's terrible! The kids things just look like the stuff in Target! Why are they not giving us as good as the UK things?

I will check Next too.

John Lewis also deliver to Australia but I'm not sure how much.
We have been super lucky with a coup of good op shops local and found some great furniture.

The other place to check is to see if your local tip has a shop. We have picked up leather chairs for $10 each in excellent condition.

Baskets with soft throws in, cats, books, fairy lights. No big lights, horrible things, all cosy lamps and candles.

For pictures can you get canvases cheaply? Do you have young kids? Buy primary colour kids finger paint a few huge blank canvasses and get your kids to do hand print art - cheap and cheerful but some people pay good money for stuff like that done by people they don't even know, and it'll add colour and improve the accoustics

Dame never thought of putting throws in baskets! Great idea...I have some beautiful baskets too.

5More not really...I find the cheap ones here are indescribably tacky...and anything vaguely nice is over 150 dollars which is out of my budget.

I don't like kid's type hand made canvas art either I do put their things on the fridge but wouldn't look at it all night in my sitting room!