{"id":5651,"date":"2021-02-05T10:50:19","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T02:50:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=5651"},"modified":"2021-02-05T12:46:48","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T04:46:48","slug":"hanoi-student-home-renovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/hanoi-student-home-renovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Hanoi University Student Turns Shabby Rental Apartment Into Dream Home With Just 20 Million VND"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hanoi student home renovation<\/h2>\n
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For most of us, having our own home that we can decorate to our personal taste is probably the<\/em> dream, but of course, that is a lifelong goal that requires years of saving and careful planning.<\/p>\n

A university student from Hanoi, however, has proven that a comfortable living space needn\u2019t cost you an arm and a leg. Using a reasonable budget of VND20,000,000 (~USD867.88)<\/strong>, he\u2019s transformed his shabby rental apartment into a dream home.<\/p>\n

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Rental apartment turned dream home<\/h3>\n
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\nImage adapted from Tr\u1ea7n Long Nh\u1eadt<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Earlier this week, 21-year-old Hanoi-based student Tr\u1ea7n Long Nh\u1eadt<\/a> took to Nghi\u1ec7n Nh\u00e0<\/a> \u2013 a popular Facebook group of people with a passion for home renovations and decorations \u2013 to share the amazing work he\u2019s done to upgrade his 40-square-meter rental apartment.<\/p>\n

Across a series of before-after pictures shared by Nh\u1eadt, he walks us through the process of how his initially dark and deteriorating apartment got turned into a bright, homey living quarters.<\/p>\n

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\nImage adapted from Tr\u1ea7n Long Nh\u1eadt<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The space immediately past the entrance, for instance, was formerly a messy cooking area with mossy walls and dusty old tiles, but Nh\u1eadt has overhauled it with white wall paint and laminate flooring, as well as equipping it with a washbasin.<\/p>\n

According to the 21-year-old student, since the apartment\u2019s bathroom is small, having a washbasin by the entrance is more convenient as it allows him to wash his hands and face immediately upon coming home without having to go to the bathroom.<\/p>\n

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\nImage adapted from Tr\u1ea7n Long Nh\u1eadt<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The opposite corner of the space, formerly occupied by a table of miscellaneous items, is now home to a cute wardrobe and a clothing stand.<\/p>\n

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\nImage adapted from Tr\u1ea7n Long Nh\u1eadt<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

As for the bathroom, there isn\u2019t much room to increase the aesthetics, but Nh\u1eadt has improved its function by adding simple shelves for soap, shampoo and toiletries, as well as a new shower and a water heater.<\/p>\n

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\nHe bought a new shower set on Shopee for only VND600,000 (~USD26.04)<\/em>
\nImage credit: Tr\u1ea7n Long Nh\u1eadt<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the living room that also doubles as a bedroom looks much more welcoming as the old blue wall paint has been repainted in a greyish concrete-like color. A makeshift chandelier made by tying several light bulbs emitting warm light to a wooden branch is attached to the ceiling.<\/p>\n

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\n\u201cEven though the wall is damaged, the grey color still makes it look cool,\u201d he said<\/em>
\nImage adapted from Tr\u1ea7n Long Nh\u1eadt<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

From what Nh\u1eadt shared, he liked the vintage floor tiles, but they were too old to be of much use anymore. As such, he\u2019s placed laminate flooring on the floor.<\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: Tr\u1ea7n Long Nh\u1eadt<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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The project costs him 20 million VND<\/h3>\n
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According to Nh\u1eadt, the entire home renovation project cost him VND20,000,000 (~USD867.88)<\/strong>. Most of this sum was spent on materials such as wood and paint as he did all the work himself, including making several DIY pieces of furniture.<\/p>\n

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\nImage adapted from Tr\u1ea7n Long Nh\u1eadt<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

His homemade dining table, for example, comes with a retractable panel that can be folded down when unused to save space.<\/p>\n

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\nImage adapted from Tr\u1ea7n Long Nh\u1eadt<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Across the pictures, the young man also shared several tips on home renovation. \u201cWhen in doubt, add plants,\u201d he captioned a before-after picture of a corner in his apartment.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the initially disorganized corner now seems a lot more functional and decorative, with several plants placed on shelves and on top of a refrigerator.<\/p>\n

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\nImage adapted from Tr\u1ea7n Long Nh\u1eadt<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

On the other hand, his pallet bed is now equipped with drawers underneath to add more usable space. He also says that removing the metal bars from the window and adding plants helped make the room feel airier.<\/p>\n

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VND20,000,000 home renovation by Hanoi student<\/h3>\n
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While 20 million VND isn\u2019t a small amount of money, it is a sum that most young adults in Vietnam can reasonably save up over the course of a few months. Stories like Nh\u1eadt\u2019s and that of another man from Saigon who greatly improved his tiny apartment<\/a> prove that with creativity and dedication, most of us can afford a comfy living space.<\/p>\n

Let this be an inspiration for us to start working on our own living quarters.<\/p>\n

For more stories, check out:<\/p>\n