Moving from parents into new house - have to buy everything

mihaicraciunph

My partner and I are moving from living with our parents to living together - all good an we're actually not paying much more by living alone, but...
WE NOW HAVE TO BUY EVERYTHING
i've been researching ebay for some nice dining table, so the only thing i'm dishing more money on is a sofa.
regarding appliances, cutlery, crockery, etc...i'm generally quite good with getting good deals, cashback, using vouchers, etc, but i'm not that great with "what fridge/washing machine/ tumble dryer" would be suitable. The seller is leaving her cooker so that's one less worry.

I'm thinking of using groupon too if I find some good products reasonably priced (microwave,kettle,toaster sets), and costco has some really good stuff and deals,
but what's a good place to start looking for the following items?
- Fridge
- Washing machine , tumble dryer
- Cutlery, Crockery, Iron boards, hoovers
- BED...i want to get a good mattress and i like an ottoman bed- but realistically i don't think the storage space will get as much use as i'm thinking.

I'm obviously thinking currys and argos but they just show all the products with filters so I'm not sure how moneysaving/good they are - so is anyone able to at least recommends a few good brands for home appliances? I'm also thinking of trying John Lewis for the extra warranty

Owain_Moneysaver

Currys usually have a section with slightly scratched appliances, and they can be haggled further. I got a fridge/freezer for £150. They make you take out the service cover policy, but you can cancel that the day after delivery. Otherwise if you want new I'd look at AO.

Beds - local independent bed shops appear as competitive as anywhere, and a mattress is something I want to try before I buy.

Charity furniture shops and recycling shops - about £50 for a fridge or w/m. Not a lot to go wrong with a fridge, but I'm not too confident about a second-hand w/m. £60 should get you a dining table set. Depends on your area.

Small stuff - charity shops. Kettle and toaster - supermarket ownbrands. Ask friends and everyone you know, ebay (search by location), gumtree etc. People are always chucking stuff out. I bet someone you know is getting an new lounge suite for Christmas, etc.

J_B

Have you considered 'used' goods, which may be considerably cheaper?


I know nothing of your personal circumstances, but for *some* young people who start off life together ... *sometimes* it doesn't work out as they thought .....

mihaicraciunph

I'm worried about a used fridge because of smell issues, then it'll cost extra to recycle it when i want to change it.

That is a possibility, J B, but there's no way to know that. I'm not the kind of person living in a fantasy so obviously i'm aware that anything can happen. I'm still trying to enjoy and live a comfortable life regardless of what may happen.

I'll definitely try an independent bed shop over bensons/dreams/etc.
Sofa I saw a really nice one at Sofology - but i'm trying ebay too as there's some nice stuff out there.
I'm not a big fan of used or cheap appliance due to the number of kettles and toasters that ended up with dodgy switches. So I'm trying to find out what's good and then hunt for deals - with black friday coming hopefully there's some "real deals" out there, not just fake offers...

DD265

Check Facebook, Gumtree, Shpock and Freecycle as well.

We paid £1600 for our sofa from Sofology 3 years ago, and the same one is on FB (admittedly not in such good condition at a glance) for £150. I was looking for a foot stool to go with ours and don't want to pay the £230 retail, but there's one on FB under £100 that I'll hopefully get my hands on.

We did bring a bit of furniture with us, but the rest came from IKEA. It's relatively inexpensive and it was convenient. I think I might've looked more at second hand now, but I have somewhere to store it and would need to arrange transport.

Our hoover (a Dyson) was bought refurbished on eBay for £50 and is still going strong 3 years later. I got lots of small bits in Argos/The Range/TK Maxx and the supermarkets.

As far as appliances go, we're in the process of buying a house (currently renting) so we will need these. My plan was to look at sites like Which? and Amazon for reviews, then go hunting for the best prices elsewhere. Unfortunately I think we're going to just miss the January sales!

mihaicraciunph

Thank you I will try FB Marketplace and Ebay for that.

I have seen some really nice coffee tables on Wayfair website - are they any good some bits look a bit dodgy - prices seem completely different for really similar pieces of furniture, but some bits are really beautiful and well priced.

I get 8% currys and argos discount through work-vouchers too so I'll make the best of that if I find good appliances. Maybe I'll pay for a Which? subscription for one month to take in all the information - I'll be sure to share with you if you're still in need haha

Chrishazle

To get started look on the second hand sites all above have mentioned, our daughter found some amazing bargains that way - for example a £1000 American fridge/freezer in immaculate condition for £150! You have a lot to buy, so going new is not really an option as it will be too expensive without expensive and potentially horrific finance. Take your time and do not expect too much too quickly, picking up second hand bargains will allow you to live OK while saving for what you'd like, while at the same time learning from experience what you'd like - which will change as you mature into living in your own property!!


Just as an example, we moved into our first real "want to live here for a long time" home in mid 1982, took 2 years to get to know the kitchen/utility and decide what we really wanted then get it done, when we sold the house in mid 2006 it was still superb and I miss it to this day!

FreeBear

mihaicraciunph wrote: »

I'm worried about a used fridge because of smell issues, then it'll cost extra to recycle it when i want to change it.

I picked up an integrated fridge free from someone that was replacing their kitchen. A quick wipe down with a dilute bleach solution to kill any bacteria & smells, and it has been just fine for the last year. If/when it comes to changing it, the cost of recycling is going to be the same if it had been new or second hand. A trip to the local council tip, and it is gone for free.

shaun_from_Africa

Are there any auction houses that deal with general sales (as opposed to those that only deal with antiques) near to you?


The one near me often has loads of household stuff that generally goes extremely cheaply and whilst they do also have plenty of white goods and electrical appliances, you are taking a big gamble on those as there is no way to confirm if they are working.

Owain_Moneysaver

DD265 wrote: »

Our hoover (a Dyson) was bought refurbished on eBay for £50

My hoover (a Tesco) was wheeched out of the communal wheeliebin, the broken handle glued back on, and lasted a couple of years for the cost of a tube of yoo-hoo. :money:

mihaicraciunph

Not sure if there are general sale auction houses but there are plenty of charity shops who also offer free/cheap delivery.
I've only really considered Facebook marketplace for small things that can fit in my car as most of them don't deliver