While the possibility of doing up an apartment for just five lakh rupees seems far-fetched, it is no longer impossible. It only boils down to basic rules of planning and employing the services of a prudent interior designer. And now, more people in the city are giving their homes a makeover on a realistic budget.
He offers some tips on furbishing your home for Rs 5 lakh.

• Flooring

Ceramic tiles are cheaper compared to their vitrified counterparts. But, vitrified flooring is the flavour of the season. Vitrified flooring for a 1,000 sqft apartment can be done for Rs 1.5 lakh including labour charges. It works out cheaper to give out the tilelaying work on contract.

• Cabinets and wardrobes

While most prefer buying readymade cabinets and wardrobes, there are those who opt for carpentered woodwork. A modular kitchen and wardrobes can be made for as less as Rs 1.7 lakh. The materials used in this kind of woodwork are waterproof ply and particleboard. While the base cabinets in the kitchen will be made of waterproof ply, the top cabinets and wardrobes will use particleboard. The cost includes all basic hardware, stainless steel fittings and steel baskets for storage inside the cabinets.

• Painting

Distemper is hardly a preferred product today and most people prefer emulsion. The cost of painting for the entire house using a good brand of emulsion paint will be approximately Rs 50,000. However, a mix of enamel and emulsion for the interiors only could come up to around Rs 23,000.

• Lighting

Standard fittings like lights and fans in all the rooms could amount to an estimated Rs 20,000 while extra electrical wiring could be pegged at an additional Rs 20,000.