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Thrifty Mum Transforms Dull Staircase Into Stunning Space For £450, Saving £100s

  • Rachel Camsey, 32, decided to transform her staircase herself after being quoted £600 just for panelling
  • She installed MDF boards from B&Q for the panelling, painted it herself and invested £250 in a new carpet
  • Rachel also shopped around for budget accessories at IKEA, Facebook Marketplace and car boot sales
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The staircase can be the first thing you see when you come into a home, so it should ideally be a welcoming space.

However, transforming a space can be pricey, so one mum found a clever way to do it on a budget.

Rachel Camsey, 32, a mum of one and dental nurse from Sunderland, decided to do it on her own after being quoted £600 just for panelling.

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She asked a friend to help install MDF boards from B&Q for the panelling, painted the walls and panelling herself and invested £250 in a new carpet.

She then shopped around for budget accessories at IKEA, Facebook Marketplace and car boot sales.

Rachel told money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK: “I bought the house eight years ago but only had one wage coming in and once I was paying a mortgage, bills, for a car and so on, there was never much left over to do the nice things to the house that I always wanted. It was kind of just slapped together so it was liveable!

“The house was very dated when I moved in as it was my grandparents' home that I bought.

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“So over the years, I've saved a little each month here and there.

“I did my son's room a couple of months back and the bathroom, so as soon as they were finished I managed to finally get the stairs done.

"I first started getting some ideas to redecorate my staircase from Pinterest, and also went on a couple of house viewings with my parents as they are looking to move, and randomly picked up some ideas from there too!

"Instagram home interior pages have also helped pull the idea together as well.

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"I had a friend come along and nail on the panelling for me.

“These were just 12mm MDF boards from B&Q at £32 per board and were already cut for me in the shop.

“Then I used decorators caulk to fill in the gaps, sanded those areas, then painted the walls white and panelling in Dulux Egyptian cotton paint from Amazon.

"I bought a metal black handrail for £72 from Amazon as I wanted something a bit different and it definitely has made a good feature.

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“The panelling, paint and fillers cost around £85 in total.

"I was desperate for a new carpet so had to spend around £250 for the carpet and fitting.

"This made me want to find cheaper options to finish it off as I didn't have a huge budget.

"The prints I bought online for around £20, and frames were from IKEA for around £15.

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"The biggest bargain was the blind I bought from a local car boot sale for 50p!

“The upcycled case was only £10 from Facebook Marketplace.

"Luckily I was able to cut some pampas from my neighbour's garden, who was getting rid of a huge pampas tree.

“In total, it came to roughly £450.

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"I had received quotes to have a professional company come and do the panelling and they wanted £600 alone so getting a friend to do it and just pay them a labour fee helped massively with keeping the cost low!

"I'm so pleased I've saved money as it will help me do other things, because I do have other rooms in the house that could do with a little makeover.

“My tips would be to look out for bargains when it comes to the decor.

“A lot of items can be upcycled to give them life again.

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“Just search for the item, shape and size you want or places like Marketplace or Gumtree, then spray it the colour you're after to make a statement piece.

“Also, try and give things a go yourself.

"I'm in love with it now, and feel it's a lot warmer and welcoming, as it's the first thing you see as you come in the front door!"

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Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “Hats off to Rachel for this beautiful, Pinterest-perfect staircase she’s created on a budget!

“I love how she’s been budget-conscious the whole way through, from getting a friend to help with panelling and painting the area herself, to shopping for the accessories at car boot sales and on Facebook Marketplace.

“This just shows you really don’t need to spend a fortune to get your home looking the way you want it to!"

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