Frugal DIY: Project lodger

Frugal DIY with thermal wallpaper

Well, we would choose the hottest week of the year to decide on a bit of frugal DIY! Exhausted already but we need to get the rooms done so that we can advertise for a lodger.

So far we have removed all of the old wallpaper, repaired the walls, painted the ceilings and pulled off the rubbish old skirting boards. This prep time takes so long.

We need to make the room much warmer so have decided on thermal insulating wallpaper. We met a lady in B&Q as we were buying it. She said she had tried it and it worked well, but it was easily damaged once up and you only had to lean against it to leave a mark. I am worried about this now, but more about the cats scratching it up the moment it is in place! We are going to put protective Perspex near the back door as this is where they really like to scratch. However, there will be some time when it is drying and then when it is painted where there will be no protection. I will be very annoyed with them if they wreck it immediately!

If the wallpaper works it will be a proper bit of frugal DIY. It’s not expensive to buy and will save money on our heating bills, hopefully.

Renting out a spare room can turn into a proper little sideline once you have a few tenants coming and going, and that’s when the paperwork starts to pile up. Keeping track of who owes what and getting a lease sorted is easier with a bit of help, and using rental management services lets you screen anyone before they move in, put together a lease, and collect the rent in one place. It’s free to get started, so it’s worth a look if you’d rather not juggle spreadsheets and paper contracts.

In other news

We are still eating from the fridge, freezer and larder. I have bought cat food, bread, ham and fruit this week but very little else. I am quite pleased that after a day doing DIY we haven’t given in to a ready meal or takeaway. It would’ve been so easy to do it.

Yesterday we had Quorn bolognese (not the best – I’m not a big fan of Quorn but it needed using up) and today we had Jamie’s Hit and Run Chicken Tray Bake, which has become a favourite (recipe here). Tomorrow will be omelettes and chips with a tomato salad  as they are now coming thick and fast in the greenhouse. Thursday will probably be chickpea curry.

I will eventually go shopping but as I spent a lot of money in B&Q today I will try to put it off for as long as I possibly can!