Breathe New Life into Your Home

Summer is coming to an end. Whether it was the weather (we know, right) or other priorities, you may not have made the home improvements you intended.

You do not have to wait until next year – you can get stuck into your project now. But where do you put all the clutter while you do these tasks? We all have a pile or a box of things (or maybe a few boxes) that we know we should remove from our house, but it’s hard to know where it should go. Can it be recycled? Could someone else use it? Who could that be?

In this blog, we will talk about 3 areas that can not only rid your house of clutter but also breathe new life into your home.

Setting up a local/community swap shop

You might be familiar with the concept of a swap shop. This is where you bring along some clothes you don’t wear anymore (or maybe have never worn!) and swap them for something else you will wear. While it may not be brand new, it’s new to you. These swap shops are everywhere and are a great way to refresh your wardrobe without spending much money. However, there is a missed opportunity to explore different ways to use this concept. Why should it be limited to just clothes?

Why not set up a WhatsApp group with your friends and family and bring toys, books, unwanted gifts, small appliances, or furniture?

Make it monthly, and have a theme or dedicated category for each meetup. For example, October could be Christmas or birthday gifts. It’s a great excuse for a get-together and a catch-up with friends.

Get your DIY on – keeping it sustainable.

YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram, not forgetting your local hardware stores, are a wealth of information.
Start with easier and safer projects; don’t be afraid! Involve the kids with tasks like painting or learning how to use basic tools. When you’re trying something for the first time, make sure you’re happy if it doesn’t turn out perfect. If it doesn’t turn out perfect, place it somewhere that you won’t see it all the time. Grab some extra materials so you can do a test run or two.

How to recycle end-of-life items and where to go

Mywaste.ie is a great resource for finding out how to dispose of household items. As the saying goes – one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Some things may no longer serve their purpose for you, but someone else might need it. This sustainable approach is not only helpful to declutter and help another person out, but it is also more beneficial for the environment. Reusing and repurposing materials is cheaper, but it’s also great for the planet as it’s not adding more things into circulation.
Your local Bring Centre can take many items for free or for a small fee, but when you’re there, you can find various people looking for different things. For instance, old mattresses are used by production and theatre companies to cut down on costs! Art classes and college courses are always looking for a choice of materials for students to express their creativity.

When looking to remove furniture from your home, think about your local Mens Shed and if they might be interested in taking it to upcycle it. Larger charity shops often take furniture and bric-a-brac but always call ahead to check that they are currently accepting donations. If they aren’t, they might be able to suggest somewhere else that can.

We hope you’ve found this blog helpful and maybe even found some motivation to do some house improvements. Hopefully, these tips help to breathe new life into your home.

Contact Us

If you have a query for one of our advisers or are struggling with your budget, you can call the MABS National Helpline on 0818 07 2000, Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 8 pm, WhatsApp 086 035 3141 or find the contact details for your local office. For more tips and advice, check out our other blogs on our MABS website.

Note: We welcome references to and use of the content in this blog. However, please reference MABS and link said content if you choose to do so.