buying 'stuff' for a place you havent got yet? madness or moneysaving?

Hermia

I did this when I still lived at home and wished I hadn't. Firstly, because I had to pay to move all that stuff to my new home. I wished I had put the money in an account and bought the stuff when I got to the new place (the new town had the same bargain kitchenware shops after all). I also found I didn't use a lot of it or wished I had known what the decor of my new place would be like. I still have bits of kitchenware from that time that I have never used. It's hard to imagine what lifestyle you will actually have in the future. If something is an amazing never to be repeated bargain go ahead, but otherwise I wouldn't bother.

Gingernutty

The danger is that you're buying 'stuff' in preparation for a move instead of moving.

Getting a few essentials together is one thing, but if you're buying stuff instead of saving for a deposit, then there's a problem.

Putting a 'bottom drawer' together is what most unmarried girls used to do but try to think about it rationally.

If you are going to use it regularly when you move or if you are currently using it at Mum and Dad's and will replace it with new when you take it with you, then fine.

If you have just accumulated a stash of 'bargains' which have never seen the light of day, is seriously encroaching on storage space/causing annoyance around the house you're currently living in and you have no firm plans to move out due to a lack of will or deposit then no.

Stephb1986_2

I have a full kitchen set up in my double wardrobe in my bedroom, I have 2 dinner service sets i've got some electrical items but they weren't expensive. They were bargains from the local outlet village. My h2b has his own house and I'm not planning on moving in until April next year he does obviously have kitchenware but it's from when his mum left (long story) so it really needs upgrading.

Non of it is spread around the house though just in my bedroom but it is 17 foot long with 5 double wardrobes in it

So I don't think its unusual for anyone to do it, it just saves a fortune when you do get a house you don't necessarily (sp) want to fork out a load of money for stuff in the house

Steph xx

sillyvixen

i had a bottom drawer when i moved out. my nan started me off when i was 16 buying me a casserole dish and a set of towels in my favourite colour and i just kept adding to it. when i moved out i had loads of kitchen stuff and towels as most of it was bought in the sales it was better quality than the rushing out and buying cheaper stuff that would not have lasted.

Lilium

DH and I did this. After finishing our A-levels we both got jobs and moved in together. Whilst studying, we slowly bought things we'd need...plates, saucepans, cutlery, towels, mugs etc. Saved us buying it all at once after moving when we'd also needed to pay out the deposit and first months rent.

trillion

My daughter and friends signed the contract for their flat the day my mother died and moved in a month later, taking granny's kitchen lock, stock and barrel!

She felt a bit weird about it, but more than a year down the line, she's still got most of the stuff and visitors are greatly amused to find themselves eating off fashionably retro plates and drinking out of 'Funky Grandad' and 'World's Best Granny' mugs.

Giddytimes

The problem with doing this is you have no idea what the decor and style of your house is going to be like. You might be buying blue towels but how do you have any idea what colour you'll want to paint your bathroom? You don't until you see it. You might find you never use some of the items you have purchased.

Even if you buy neutral colour items you might find yourself wishing you'd bought a statement colour.

I am looking for a house at the moment and do itch to start buying things, but I am going to restrain myself until I actually find the house. If you're buying there is usually plenty of time between exchange and completion to go to the outlet village for bargains. You don't actually need that much to start with, your family will give you bits and pieces to put you on and half the fun is filling your house up with the perfect pieces slowly.

sophistica

Hi. Dont buy new! I have just furnished my 90 year old dads 5 bedroom house with top of the range barely used stuff for less than 1,000 and i shipped it all in using https://www.anyvan.com. Trawl ebay for bargains. Having seen all this amazing stuff i would only buy second hand. I got a 2800 pound table and chairs for 103.

Alikay

A "bottom drawer" was usual for girls when I was a teenager. I worked with loads of other young women and we all had them. When it got to your 18th or 21st birthday a lot of people bought china or glassware in your chosen pattern (everyone was collecting something - Wedgwood, Waterford Crystal or whatever) as people preferred to get a gift you'd keep forever for those occasions.

This was whether or not you had a boyfriend, and now I think of it was probably outrageously sexist as I don't remember boys doing the same thing!:D

Hectors_House

We had to wait about 6 months until we could move into our house as a lot needed doing so we took advantage of the Xmas sales to get stuff we knew would take a while to deliver (sofa for instance).

It worked well for us as we saved money on a lot of the big items.

I did buy little decorative things along the way (especially if I saw something whilst I was on holiday) as I could store them where I was living at the time.