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Search forDon't buy new - just repair and renovate
Tuesday, September 02, 2008, 23:00
The shops are full of it — buy a new three-piece suite now, but don't start paying for it until January, 2010. Get an interest-free payment deal on a new flat-screen, high-definition TV with family sensaround and a free tea-making facility. You don't have to start paying for it until 2015 by which time it'll cost you four grand.
Before you rush out and invest in a new anything, consider why you're doing it. The old version might look a bit worn and tatty but does it deserve to be consigned to landfill?
The Avenger's new mantra should be yours — repair, renovate or reinvent! And it can actually be fun. Go back to the three-piece suite. So the cat's scratched the fabric and the old man has burned a hole in an arm with a cigarette. Cover it with an ethnic throw and you have a totally new look.
Check out the charity shops for cheap, colourful clothes. Cut them into different shapes and sew or glue them not just over the marks but elsewhere as well. This gives you a patchwork quilt effect which can look really effective.
If you have a faulty fridge, cooker, TV or any other appliance, the chances are that it will be cheaper to repair than to buy new. Believe it or not, electrical repairs have become big business. With many new appliances running into several hundred pounds, spending £50 or even £100 on a repair could be worthwhile if the thing will then last for a few more months.
Scratches on dark wooden furniture can easily be eliminated without buying expensive kits or branded products.
A touch of shoe polish followed by the furniture version works a treat. And the same process works brilliantly with leather furniture.
Having said that, since the range of No Nails products hit the market, you don't have to be a carpenter or a joiner to fix a raft of wooden breakages.
Embracing the ideas of repairing and renovating could open up a totally new world. Junk shops are full of really good stuff that, with a little TLC, could save you hundreds of pounds.
Learn to sew. And I don't just mean women! It's not that difficult to get the hang of with a little practice.
If you have a suit, dress, jacket that has a rip, fix it. Provided the site of the tear is reasonably unobtrusive, a little manipulation with needle and threadmay keep it going for years.
Repair, renovate or reinvent around the home and you could save yourself a small fortune
