Moving into your first home is always a significant moment. Inevitably you will want to put your own mark on the place – bringing in your own furnishings and transforming the look and feel of the property with your own individual choice of colour scheme.

But it can all seem a bit daunting: Where do you start? How do you approach the task? Here are some useful tips for decorating your first home.

1. Live in the space for a while

Don’t rush head-on into making changes to the whole décor before you’ve spent some time living in the property. Get a feel for the different spaces in your new home and what might work in a particular area. Get ideas from magazines and websites – keep a folder or set up your own Pinterest page of ideas you feel might work in your home.

2. Go neutral

If you have to paint a few walls straightaway to tidy things up – choose a neutral colour, such Little Knights’ Pure, Constable Clouds or Greige. These are a good starting point and can always be complemented with a colourful rug or throw to brighten a room. You can paint over with more colourful accents when you are good and ready, and have had more time to think about what will work in your home.

3. Don’t buy everything at once

As stated above, it’s tempting when you move into a new place to want to kit it out completely straightaway. But there is no need to rush. Take time to think about the exact pieces you would like to buy. A well-chosen piece of furniture will last you forever and will travel with you as you move homes. Make sure you learn the dimensions of your rooms, so that if you are out and about and you see a piece of furniture you simply can’t pass up you’ll have a good idea whether it will fit the space you have in mind.

4. One room at a time

If the idea of decorating your home is daunting then take it one room at a time. This approach will make the task more manageable – it will also mean there is less disruption around your home. Only one room will be out of action at a time rather than you having unfinished jobs all around the property.

5. Pull it all together with paint colours

Nothing can transform a room quicker and with more impact than paint. Use it to give your new rooms a real lift. One idea is to pick up on a colour in a fabric, maybe on your sofa, and choose a paint colour to complement it. Get a few tester colours to try in different rooms. A helpful tip with testers is to paint onto paper or card, so you can move the cards around the home and leave your walls unblemished should you decide to hold off painting for the time being.