furnishing first house

SailorSam

When i got my first house i begged; borrowed and stole ....... no i didn't really steal. The only thing i bought new was a 3pc suite, after i'd been in there about 6mths.

PenguinOfDeath

This is how we did it a couple of years ago:

Sofa £250 ish from ikea (I got a temporary card in store on the day)
TV £250 40" from Amazon whse
White goods all from same place researched online - picked the best of the cheapest range, then bartered in store
Hoover given by a relative, upgraded to a Henry after a year
Dining table & chairs 'lent' by another relative, still got them
Spare bedroom - 3 pieces of cheapy furniture bought for £60 from argos after decorating done
Most of the rest has come from local Ebay sales

AP5TZU

Congratulations on your first home!

I picked up essentials for my bedroom (Duvet / Pillow / Bedding) in the sale at The Bedding Company online - worth a look if you're sticking to a budget.

Matalan and Home Bargains are also good for cheap essentials!

tizerbelle

Find out where the charity / second hand stores are in your area and get used to visiting them regularly. One of our charity shops does a roaring trade in second hand furniture including sofas and they are always in top-notch condition. Okay they may not be the very latest style but today I could have bought (had I wanted) 2 x 2 seater sofas (matching); a drop leaf dining table and 6 chairs - not a mark on them, coffee table and sideboard - okay not matching for £115 with free delivery!! Less than what you're budgeting for a vacuum cleaner

catoutthebag

I really like decent quality where I can. It's false economy and a risk otherwise.

I'm fine with 'vintage' including solid wood bed frames even.

Will take a wander through ikea today.

The only thing I won't buy second hand: my Dyson, mattress, sofa (incase they've had pets because I'm allergic)

unfortunately I don't know family with spare bits so will have to buy

Oh - good places for good quality memory foam mattresses? :j

Kje7

e and my partner have lived in our house for a year now and still have no wardrobes or drawers as we check gumtree/ebay and preloved for deals. this is where we brought all our stuff from we spent £50 on a brand new Ikea Sofa that someone was selling as they were moving out of the country, £70 on our TV led which still works fine now, and then we had new fridge freezer/washing machine/ microwave / tv stand from gumtree free to good home and admag. all are nearly new and are still working perfectly fine today. we also had a really old fashioned upright hoover given us for free and that it still going strong, I'd say shop about everywhere. someone somewhere will be selling something that you need cheap

WobblyDog

I'd delay spending money on new furniture until I'd exhausted other avenues (Freecycle, second hand, relatives' cast-offs, etc). I found that having my own place (and the associated rent/mortgage payments) altered my attitude towards spending money.

trailingspouse

It really depends what you want - if you want quality and can afford it, then go for it. If you need stuff immediately, and can't afford it, then you need to look at 2nd hand etc.

As to the spare room - why not hang on until you actually have someone coming to stay, then buy the stuff.

You can spend as much or as little as you want on a sofa. If you bought leather second hand, the allergy problem might not be such a big issue. I love going to auctions - you have to be patient, and you have to know what you're looking for, but I got a walnut wardrobe for £38, and a mahogany dresser for £58.

Re discounts - if you're buying more than one item from the same place, it's always worth asking if there's any chance of a discount, or free delivery. Or just be a bit cheeky - total bill comes to £509.99, so you say 'Shall we just call it £500?' Shy bairns get nowt!!

sniggings

buy right first time, saves a whole load of hassle.

money runs out faster than you think, so buy the important stuff first.

I've just bought a meile vacuum with airclean for £130 from AO.

Sofa from ikea (cheap but gets good reviews)

A Lec fridge, very good and cheap.

Don't have a price in mind, as you will look to spend that much, look for basic good value with good reviews, you will probably find you can buy for cheaper than you think.

aggypanthus

I dont think ikea means quality.

JLewis for appliances, tv, beds, longer guarantees on stuff, 5 yrs on telly.

2nd hand leather sofas by natuzzi,or barker and stonehouse aregood quality.

mine are great, after 13 yrs from new.