Buying stuff for first home

bagpussbear

The Argos website has a clearance section, might be worth a look for bedding, kitchen stuff?

enthusiasticsaver

I would say do not rush out and spend a fortune on new furniture as moving house you often find that there are other unforeseen expenses so you do not want to cripple yourself financially on buying furniture and then find your boiler breaks down a week after you move in. Pick a few essential items you will need, bed and white goods and borrow or buy second hand everything else until you are settled in and have an emergency fund.

dgtazzman

Initially spend as little on furniture as possible, as a lot of money goes into the little things you hadn't thought about in advance, i.e. lighting, blinds, curtains, paint, etc.

When I bought this place, I actually made a spreadsheet in advance in Excel, started out with a budget for everything and then made it a challenge to beat that budget for individual items by as much as possible by shopping around. You'd be surprised how much gets knocked off furniture prices when they decide to end a range etc.

I got quite a few items from Sainsburys, they tend to knock 75% or more off on occasion and my wife worked there, so got staff discount on top. Also picked up some stuff from Very with decent discounts, though quite a few things I ordered from there arrived with damage to them and had to be sent back, so be careful.

Ikea is also brilliant, but not all their stuff is cheap (granted, the more expensive stuff is generally of a superior quality, but you'll probably want cheap to start with).

Don't spend a fortune on nice new sofa's till you move in, you'll want to check they fit first. I know sofa's have a long delivery time on them mostly, but ordering them in advance is a big risk, unless you can get into the property and measure up everything properly in advance.

Blackeyez09

All good advice

Here's what I did....

I bought my sofa after a month of living here it was third of the price so shop around I also bought second hand armchair from laura ashley... Ebay has become my friend it can be hit and miss but if you are patient and careful with bidding you can pick up bargains... Go for second hand branded items like john Lewis, laura ashley, oka which are good quality but can be fraction of the price! Laura ashley have a good outlet on ebay

Kitchen items and white goods are important necessity and try to buy quality... I was lucky being left a second hand SMEG range, Miele fridge and dishwasher which were about 5 years old and still going strong.. Sadly the john Lewis fridge they also left gave up the ghost within a month of moving in and I found myself having to buy a new fridge so there will be unexpected expenses

I would rely get just essentials as you will most like change your opinion of things like curtains, paint colours once you've have a feel if the property... I've only just managed to get some good quality second and new curtains as I really wasn't sure on colour schemes I have decided to sash a little finally and get shutters in living room.

Wait for sales, charity shops and don't be afraid to "do up" old furniture it's amazing what a bit of paint can do! Think Annie Sloan and farrow and ball!

It depends on what look you like too.., for me I have an old victorian terrace and love the shabby eclectic look which I think is cheap to do... I'm not into all match matchy furniture like you get at oak furniture land which can be good quality too. Use pin interest for ideas but most importantly take your time and just enjoy being the proud new homeowner!

ging84

+1 for ikea

trailingspouse

It's always worth putting the word out amongst family and friends that you are on the look out for stuff.

Also, try auctions - they don't just sell antiques!! Any electrical items will have been (should have been - check with the auction house) PAT tested, and you have 24 hours to return them if they don't work.

If you're wanting new stuff (and why shouldn't you), then Google is your friend - decide what you want (make, model etc) then use Google to see where you can get it cheapest (factoring in delivery costs and so on).

bouicca21

I have to get all new stuff for my flat. It's a bit like starting out all over again. For my first house I relied on mostly free stuff. This time I am refusing to make do, and also avoiding ikea, though In the right setting some of their stuff can look really classy.

I second taking your time to work out the sort of look that (a) you want and (b) suits the new place. Once you are in your ideas about what you need may change drastically. A minor example I would give you from my own experience is that the one piece of furniture I already had is a sofa that looked great in my rented flat and equally great in my family home before that. In my new flat it is all wrong, and that is just down to its colour and the quality of the light.

I got some really good quality furniture from ebay, and will probably buy a few new pieces using a 0% purchase credit card. It's also worth looking in charity shops like Emmaus and British Heart Foundation. Freecycle can be useful too.

jc808

have you got a van? or access to one?

ups your bargaining power, especially with freecycle or ebay. Nothing like just being able to 'turn up'

maharani_m

Congratulations on buying your new home and good luck with the move on Friday.

I would recommend taking your time to choose things like furniture, fittings, lighting, etc. For the first few months concentrate on the essentials (like washing machine, fridge, etc).

When we moved into our place, we had no furniture except our old double bed, so we bought a bean bag to use in the living room and ate dinner on the floor for months.

I'd suggest saving a set amount each month and every few months, treat yourself by buying a nice piece of furniture that you want - you don't want to spend money on quick buys now only to have to replace it all later because it doesn't go or won't last or because (given the choice) you would never have bought it in the first place! It is normal for it to take a while to furnish and dress your home completely - a colleague of mine said it took her 18+ months to buy exactly what she wanted for her window dressings but that she is delighted with them. It's worth taking your time.

Try AO.com for white goods.

P.S. Our brand new double divan and headboard cost £250 from Argos three years ago - you don't have to buy second hand to get a great deal and sometimes buying new is worth it.

Elfbert

We slept on some clever fold-up mattress thingies on the floor when we first moved in. We bought them to be for guests (only have a 1 bed flat), put them in our living room, and slept on them, used them as a sofa etc. for the first bit of time there. Eventually got a real mattress for the bedroom, once the boxes we'd stored in there were unpacked Then got a bed frame.

Bought our sofa from IKEA, a few months later, and it took us a year before we found a dining table/chairs we liked!

You really don't need much to start with, you need to learn about how you use your space etc. Our vendor left a fridge/freezer and washing machine for us.