Savvy homeowner saved £1,000’s upcycling old furniture – here’s how you can do it too

SAVVY homeowner Audrey Franklin couldn't afford new furniture when she first moved to her new home 13 years ago, but she has saved thousands of pounds by "upcycling" secondhand and old items.

Upcycling is where you take secondhand or old items and bring them back to life with a bit of elbow grease, a lick of paint or a touch of DIY.

The 50-year-old who lives in Falkirk in Scotland, said: "When I go to the shops I don’t see that the items are any better than what I’ve done myself.

"You can get quality secondhand items and do them up and no-one would guess that they didn’t start off like this."

She added: "Everything’s so disposable these days – people don’t think twice about going out to buy new things.

"But back in the day, we had to look after things – even when I got my first flat I had to get a secondhand fridge and sofa so it doesn’t bother me.

"My entire bedroom when I moved in was brown with veneer wardrobes, and I couldn’t afford new wardrobes at the time, so I just bought a couple of tins of paint and painted them with a sponge roller."

And it hasn't stopped at the two wardrobes. When it comes to Audrey's bedroom, the beauty account manager has also revamped a chest of draws, a decorative plinth, and the unit her TV sits on.

"I got the chest of draws from a Facebook group for my local area for £10. It was a brown colour, but it was too good not to do anything with.

"So I just painted it with furniture paint.

"The plinth was mahogany brown, which I bought for a few pounds on eBay from a local source. Again, I just painted it."

Elsewhere in the home, Audrey - who is also a part-time estate agent - has upcycled a bureau, dressing table, fireplace, and more.

She said: "The dressing table was £27 on eBay and it was a bit rough. So I took it apart and thoroughly cleaned it, and then I sanded it down and touched up all the dents and scratches and stained it as it was patchy.

"The fireplace started off as a cream marble-effect fireplace. It was in the house already so I painted over it with furniture paint in a nice grey colour.

"This saved me from having to buy a new fireplace, as well as the cost of having to get a gas fitter around."

Audrey previously upcycled furniture because she couldn't afford it new but now she enjoys the satisfaction turning an item around.

"I liked to have nice things but I didn’t always have the money to do it in the past," said Audrey. "But now it’s about enjoying seeing it done and making horrible things nice again."

As well as sanding and painting furniture, Audrey also refreshes door and cupboard handles.

"I changed all the door knobs using the likes of B&M, B&Q and eBay. I picked them up fairly cheaply - about £5 to £10 for a pack of knobs - but it helps to change the look of the item.

Audrey also likes to get a bargain on her furniture paint. "I pick up paint at good prices when I see it and put it by - that means I’ve always got some."

She recommends a trip to B&Q to pick up a bargain - as well as a check on cashback websites, such as TopCashback, for deals.

"B&Q is good when it's getting rid of batches of paint - some might be reduced to a pound because there aren't many left."

Audrey also picks up old mirrors and clothes in trinket shops and charity shops, which she "tarts up", and uses for herself or sells on.

"I’ve doubled my money and more doing this," she said.

She also makes soft furnishings, such as cushions and curtains.

"I don’t like to spend a lot on furniture because I like to change things frequently – I love colours and fabrics and I like to change these every so often.

"Upcycling has helped me to stop buying so much rubbish and has helped me to save items I once had that I once loved. You’re bringing things back to life."

Just last week popular TV show, DIY SOS, was targeted by thieves while they made a family home fit for a seriously ill toddler.

Meanwhile, 84 per cent of millennials admit they can’t change a light bulb or know any DIY skills.

In related news, check out our My First Home series to find out how first-timer buyers have managed to get on the property ladder.

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