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The great irony of owning your first home is that just when you’re allowed to do some DIY, you’re too broke to try.

You’ve got one or two (or more) bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen to fill, and there’s some shabby wallpaper and chipped paint to deal with. But you’ve just emptied the coffers paying your deposit, lawyers’ fees and rates – not to mention the cost of living at the moment.

If you want to do some sprucing, it’s going to have to be on a budget. So how to start?

Slowly, says interior designer Amanda Holland, of Wellington design store Small Acorns.

‘‘Don’t rush out just to fill your new home. I always think, ‘Buy once, buy well.’ If it means waiting a few months before you can get what you need, wait.’’

Don’t be disheartened, though – having less to spend can be a good thing for your decor.

‘‘Budgetary constraints force you to be more creative,’’ says Holland. ‘‘You often end up with something that’s unique and very cool, and much better than if money was no object.’’

Use what you’ve got

Think judiciously about the pieces you need to buy and what you already have.

Will that tea trolley make an interesting bedside table? Does that bookshelf need to be in the living room?

‘‘Just because you had a piece in one living space doesn’t mean that’s where it has to go in your new home,’’ Holland says.

Take your time

Prioritise getting the utilities working efficiently before

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‘‘dedicating money towards the fun stuff’’, says Nelson-based interior designer Carley Lloyd of Colourbolt.

Spend your first year ‘‘assessing the functionality of your home’’, such as the heating, insulation, ventilation, water, gas and power, as this is where a lot of your money will go.

‘‘Live in your new house and experience each season before you make structural changes or start replacing expensive items.

‘‘We invested in an expensive fireguard prior to moving in [to our house], only to end up ripping the fireplace out completely a month later.’’

Shop around when buying larger items. ‘‘You might find the same piece in a couple of stores, and it can be quite a difference in price,’’ says interior designer Gabby Muir, of Finer Homes.

And remember, you can change the look without replacing everything.

‘‘Laying down a rug threequarters under a bed or sofa, or adding a stair runner, will transform your space,’’ says design consultant Bailey Smith, of SoJo Design.

Choose one room and start, but do it once and do it right. ‘‘Cutting corners will just lead to further expense in the future,’’ Lloyd says.

Hit the op shops and vintage stores for affordable (and more sustainable) decor objects, rather than cheap stores.

‘‘You can definitely find some unique pieces at op shops. If they’re a bit worse for wear, you can freshen them up with paint,’’ says Muir.

‘‘I don’t think it’s necessarily going to be cheaper [to a buy secondhand sofa and recover it], but if you choose the fabric well, it might last you longer, and you might be happier with the outcome.’’

Try sewing your own cushions and stuffing them with a feather or microfibre inner. ‘‘If you find a cheap commercial cushion, you can give them an elegant feel by putting a feather or microfibre cushion inside.’’

Think paint

The quickest, easiest way to refresh a space is by painting it – if not the walls, then at least the trim and windowsills.

You might even be able to paint your kitchen cupboards, your bathroom vanity, the tiles – the list is endless. ‘‘Without a doubt, paint is your cheapest option. Paint is your best friend,’’ says Holland.

‘‘In most cases, you can do it yourself. It’s a great way of getting rid of colours that you don’t like.’’

Think light

Lighting can be an inexpensive yet effective way of changing the feel of a room. Update all the bulbs with LEDs. Keep ‘‘cool’’ bluish lights to a minimum – bathrooms and task lighting in the kitchen only – as they can make a room feel less inviting.

Replace old light shades with ones that suit your design style and the style of your home.

‘‘I’ve recently sourced three large industrial light shades off [Facebook] Marketplace, which had been sitting in a shed on someone’s farm for years,’’ says Lloyd.