‘We made enough from the sale of the house we renovated to buy a larger one 500m away’

Paul Kinsella, also known as @lifeatno2, is an interiors influencer who has taken to social media to document his budget renovation of a 1900s home he shared with now-husband Mark Rogers, a beauty guru and marketing executive at Benefit , after Drumcondra has brought cosmetics. Kinsella will be the presenter of The Property Show, taking place on RDS on February 25th and 26th. The 35-year-old will also star in an upcoming TV show that will remodel people’s homes with used furniture.

What did you learn about money while decorating your first house?

After spending most of our money on things like insulation, a new front door, new windows, and a new bathroom, we didn’t have much money to renovate the interiors.

There was a new wooden kitchen in it, but that wasn’t our style, so we spray-painted it a new color. I like to use tips like this to get more bang for your buck.

Now I have a service called Redo with Life at No. 2, where I give people online advice, ranging from paint-by-number style tips to redesigning a room, to links on where to buy things and what colors to paint to get.

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What advice would you give to people who want to beautify interiors on a budget?

Painting is the greatest transformation tool we have and anyone can do it themselves; You don’t need a painter.

There are so many DIY influencers online that you can get some tips from each one on how to do things yourself.

And think carefully about furniture, as much as I love a blue Chesterfield sofa, flashy sofas can go out of style.

Check out ads.ie for your home decor for example – for our home we found brand new items in boxes that people didn’t want or didn’t return, from flooring to new lighting fixtures.

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How is your household dealing with the rise in energy prices?

I’m an avid fan of playing utility companies against each other to get the best deal, and I bleed the radiators to get the air out of them.

Added to this are reflective foils behind the radiators to reflect the heat back into the room and the replacement of seals in the windows and mailbox.

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what was your first job

As a teenager I worked at Spar. My mom always worked and I always had a part-time job. My work ethic stood me in good stead during my training as a professional dancer in London.

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What was the most expensive place you have ever visited?

The Cayman Islands. A tuna salad cost me €40 there.

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Aside from real estate, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought?

Two pairs of white suede backed Alexander McQueen runners for our summer wedding.

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Do you use one of the digital banks?

In addition to my normal Bank of Ireland account, I use N26. When I work on content for brands in Europe and the UK on my social networks, I get paid through N26.

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Are you a donor or a saver?

I’m a big saver. I have a few savings accounts and would rather have money and not need it than need it and not have it.

I learned a lot from owning a house that when the washing machine or dishwasher goes out, you must have money hidden that you are not thinking of.

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What was your best financial murder?

Buying our first home in 2018 and renovating it properly, maximizing its value when we sold it in 2021.

We used the money to buy a bigger house 500m away because we love Drumcondra so much.

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WWhat three things could you not do without if you had to tighten your belt?

My games console, my Spotify subscription and cheese – I love a good charcuterie platter.