Need to make house habitable urgently

evoke

I am currently refurbishing my house so it's very empty at the moment. Downstairs I have a fully functioning kitchen but nothing whatsoever in the lounge. Upstairs I have a fully functioning bathroom and one bed in one bedroom.

A couple of friends need to stay over for a few days next week. How do I get the house habitable real quick?

My biggest issue is beds and seating but I don't want to buy proper stuff as there's still a long way to go to refurbish the house.

hartcjhart

go on your local freecycle/freegle

Madmonk

Go on freecycle, as long as you can collect then you should be able to pick up most things you might need - and it's free! You can then re-freecycle it when your friends have gone!##

MM

PasturesNew

Lidl - double blow up mattresses just £12 this week. Two of those.

Seating - get yourself a basic garden patio set and some cheap cushions.

They won't mind and these items you can re-use and easily store/move about.

For "hanging stuff up", pick up a hanging in Argos for each of them - 2 minutes and no tools to put together - 2 for £15 if you select the right ones http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8752714/Trail/searchtext%3EHANGING+RAIL.htm

For curtains, I'd get some cheap voiles and those cheap expanding net rods, couple of quid each on ebay.

evoke

Okay, thanks for the advice so far. I'm inclined to go the Argos route as I would want the items to be new. Also, what about some soft floor coverings? I currently have floorboards exposed.

maggie111

Ikea is a little more expensive than freecycle cheap but you can furnish a house extremely quickly for little cost if you choose the cheapest items - which are still of good quality.

Sometimes it's better to buy something at £10 if it will last you 3 years if something £5 will only last you a couple of weeks.

Doozergirl

I wouldn't be snobby about decent stuff that is second hand. The couple of things I've picked up from Freecycle I'll admit to not being impressed with particularly, but then it was free!

I learnt the hard way about buying cheap, paying dear with furniture. Now I own some really beautiful things that came from eBay. I have two dining tables from Habitat - one from the shop, one from eBay. I've owned the new one for about six months, the one I bought from eBay for £700 less is in better condition than mine. I also own a genuine British Designer sofa for which we paid 10% of it's original price yet it will last a lifetime. I'd much rather own that than something new from Argos that simply won't last. And a John Lewis kitchen! Oh, and a stunning glass coffee table for £20 that was £300 new! Even Ikea stuff I buy from eBay - although I can categorically state that nothing made of chipboard from Ikea lasts more than two house moves. We bought a wardrobe for £150 last week that would be over £400 in the shop and someone's already put it up for me. One of the carcasses is unlikely to last past another house move due to the way they took it down, but I can buy some more of those from Bargain Corner, eBay or even new at some point - most of the value is in the sliding doors and they will last.

eBay is perfect if you choose stuff that started off as a good quality item.

And if you change your mind about stuff, you can sell it on for the same, if not more than you paid with decent photographs.

DCFC79

evoke wrote: »

Okay, thanks for the advice so far. I'm inclined to go the Argos route as I would want the items to be new. Also, what about some soft floor coverings? I currently have floorboards exposed.

they would be new from argos