The festive season can make any homeowner want to renovate their home. But a festive makeover doesn’t always mean spending a lot on home decor. The desire may go from upgrading a kitchen or wardrobe to adding new furniture, lighting or decor; homeowners may find themselves considering several purchases at once. But when the makeover involves multiple expenses, deciding where to spend more and where to save can become just as important as choosing what to buy.
Ishika Narang is a Multimedia Writer at the Hindustan Times, with over three years of experience in digital journalism, specialising in health, lifestyle, beauty, and consumer-focused reporting. Her primary coverage areas include evidence-based health journalism, preventive care, wellness trends, and affiliate-driven consumer guides tailored for digital audiences. She began her professional journey in digital media, where she developed expertise in multimedia storytelling and platform-optimised editorial strategies. Over the years, she has worked with reputed organisations such as Park+, Jagran, and Wavel.ai, steadily building credibility in health and consumer journalism. Her work reflects a strong progression in editorial responsibility, combining research-backed reporting with audience-focused content formats. At Hindustan Times, she produces in-depth health and lifestyle features, expert-led explainers, and data-informed consumer stories. She also focuses extensively on affiliate articles, creating well-researched buying guides, product comparisons, and recommendation-based content that balances commercial intent with editorial integrity. Alongside writing, she conceptualises and manages social media storytelling, ensuring content is informative, engaging, and optimised for platform-specific consumption. Her subject expertise includes preventive healthcare, nutrition, supplements, women’s health, beauty trends, consumer awareness, and affiliate commerce content. She integrates expert consultations, peer-reviewed research, verified product analysis, and transparent sourcing. Her strengths lie in evidence-based storytelling, simplifying complex information, and producing reader-first affiliate content that prioritises trust and value. Ishika holds a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) in Marketing from Guru Gobind Indraprastha University, which enhances her understanding of consumer behaviour, digital commerce, and audience engagement, skills that complement her specialisation in consumer and affiliate journalism. She is committed to ethical reporting, transparent affiliate disclosures, rigorous fact-checking, and maintaining editorial credibility, ensuring every story upholds reader trust and journalistic standards.
Start with the things you will use for years
Rajasekar therefore recommends keeping some flexibility within the overall budget rather than committing every available rupee at the beginning. Because of attractive offers or the desire to complete several upgrades at once, this approach can be particularly useful during a festive makeover, when homeowners may be tempted to use the entire budget. Instead, homeowners should understand what they are paying for, how frequently they will use a product and how long it is expected to last. When planning a home makeover, homeowners can begin by identifying the elements that are difficult or expensive to replace later. These elements are used frequently, and changing them later can involve more than simply purchasing a replacement. Installation, modifications and associated expenses can add to the overall cost. Rather than comparing products only by their initial quotation, he suggests considering factors such as materials, hardware, functionality, warranty, and expected lifespan. A higher upfront price does not necessarily mean poor value if the product offers greater durability or better functionality over several years. At the same time, a more expensive option shouldn’t automatically be the better choice. For larger, everyday purchases, it can make sense to focus more on functionality and durability. A kitchen, for instance, needs to accommodate the household’s cooking habits and storage requirements. Similarly, a wardrobe should provide sufficient usable storage rather than simply looking attractive. Rajasekar points out that a product’s functionality can eventually have financial consequences. A poorly planned kitchen could leave storage areas unused, while an inadequate wardrobe may lead to additional storage purchases later. Similarly, furniture that looks good but doesn’t work well for the household may need replacing. Not every element of a home needs the same level of investment. Unlike a kitchen or built-in wardrobe, these elements can be changed as tastes and requirements evolve. This makes them a place where homeowners can refresh a space without committing a large portion of their renovation budget. For a festive makeover, this could mean making smaller changes to the living room, dining area or bedroom instead of undertaking a complete renovation. New artwork, soft furnishings, accent décor or other decorative additions can change the appearance of a space while leaving the more expensive, functional elements untouched. One of the key points in Rajasekar’s approach is to look beyond the number mentioned on a quotation. A cheaper product may require more frequent repairs, have a shorter useful life or need to be replaced sooner. In such cases, the initial savings may not remain savings over the long term. However, the reverse is also important. Paying more does not automatically guarantee better value. Instead, homeowners should compare the quality, durability, warranty, service and functionality they receive at different price points. This approach can be particularly useful for large home purchases, where the decision may affect the household for several years. Even a carefully planned home makeover can involve unexpected requirements. Changes to existing spaces, additional fittings, installation-related requirements or other modifications can increase the final expenditure.
CFO of MagickHome, a sensible home makeover budget is not necessarily about spending the least, according to Kota Rajasekar. “Kitchens, wardrobes and built-in storage fall into this category,” says Rajasekar. Decorative accessories, artwork , accent pieces and other easily replaceable elements can offer greater flexibility when it comes to spending, according to Rajasekar. “The lowest price does not necessarily mean the lowest cost,” he explains.
