Remodel Your Dorm on a Budget

We are excited to bring a guest post to you today from Wendy!

Moving into a dorm is always an interesting experience. After you have set up your belongings and settled into your space – possibly with a roommate – college life is both fun and educational. However, after some time has passed, you might want to consider switching up the look of your room with some different kinds of decorations or designs. Usually, most kids are on a budget by the time they are a year or two into college, and it is important to save money when remodeling a dorm. Here are a few quick, easy and affordable ways to remodel your dorm without breaking the bank.

Make a Plan

•  One of the biggest mistakes that people make when embarking on any remodeling process is failing to have a plan and to anticipate the costs. Sometimes they will start the project and realize halfway into it that it is extremely expensive, and will end up blowing a lot of money for the sake of finishing what they started. This is not an ideal way to save money. Obviously, it pays to have things planned out ahead of time.
• The Internet has changed the way people research things. Go onto popular decorating stores’ websites and home improvement shops. Know your prices and make sure that you have the square footage of your dorm measured exactly. Because a dorm is a small space, every inch counts. If you are sharing a dorm with someone, measure out your half of the room only.
•  Go into the project with a pre-planned spending limit. If you are ready to start remodeling, give yourself a limit. For example, withdraw three hundred dollars in cash. Once the cash runs out, don’t get any more – no checks, credit cards or withdrawals.

Decide on a Theme

•  Don’t enter a project without having a general idea of the kind of remodeling you want to do. For instance, is your dorm decorated in bright preppy colors? If you want to change the mood, maybe you should switch it up to darker, more serious tones. Look at magazines and pictures online to get a better idea of what you want your dorm to look like. It is always good to get an outside opinion, too.
•  Once the theme has been decided on, get to work! An easy, trendy ways to spruce up a dorm is artful bulletin and wipe-off boards. They’re cute, cheap and they serve as the perfect place to remind you of important appointments, tests and dates.
•  You’d be surprised how much just one new bedspread can change the look and theme of a room. Instead of buying new pillows, buy new pillowcases in simple colors. Rather than changing the light fixtures on the ceiling – which can be pricey – just buy a flashy new lamp for the night stand by your bed.

Cheap Alternatives

• Because dorms can’t be painted, you don’t even have to worry about spending a mint on buckets of primer and color. An easy way to change the color of your room is by hanging curtains. Changing the curtains adds a different character and a brighter mood to the area.
•  Mirrors can make a small space seem three times as big as it really is! Put a mirror on each wall.
•  Looking to clear the floor space? Utilize the space under your bed and buy footstools with storage cavities – they can be used for propping up sore feet, sitting on and storing your knick-knacks.
•  Remember to make your dorm your own!

Wendy Bailey is a contributing writer at privatestudentloan.org.