New house furnishing and appliances shopping advice

greatcrested

Go here, or if it's too far, find a similar place local to you.

https://peacockauction.co.uk/auction/bedford-weekly-29

£150. Whole house (and garden) kitted out.

Smodlet

Zanussi, Zanussi all the way when it come to dishwashers, fridges and cookers.  If their fridges are good, their freezers probably are too; think I had one of their fridge freezers back in the day and it wasn't all that.  Don't think I've ever had one of their washing machines and I swear by Creda when it comes to tumble dryers.  Mods, I am so not advertising, just sharing my experiences.

Minted people will probably tell you to go with Miele or whatever all those brands are I have barely heard of.  I bet they don't last any longer than Beko.  We have one of their freezers and it has done us proud.  Our telly is the cheapest we could get and a brand I had never heard of before.  

Why not just  pay someone to do your online research for you or, better yet, just flog you the brands they get the biggest kickback from?

PasturesNew

Hire a professional decorator if you must, get them to paint everything white.  Once you've lived in it some time you might decide on colours yourself and can then invite them back to daub a couple of new coats in a colour for you.  Better than getting it wrong. 

As for stuff.  There is no need for most things... sit in the empty space and feel it - then see how you're actually living, then decide you want/need something and research it online, then choose and buy. 

If you don't take your time you'll overspend on things you don't like once they're in your house and you'll never use and didn't want..... get what you need when you need it.  

[Deleted User]

Smodlet said:

I loathe shiny, white kitchens; shiny, black kitchens are the next worst.  I was told, long ago, by someone I knew who sold kitchen units for a living that the shinier the surface, the sooner it will show wear and tear.  

I have a shiny white kitchen, clean it with soft cloths and either a small amount of water or special cleaner (still haven't used the first bottle), it isn't showing any wear at all, looks as good as the day it was installed.  And I have older children who think nothing of going in the cupboards with coated hands mid cooking spree lol in spite of my threats to remove said hands the slow way (joke).

HRH_MUngo

I have an LG Washer-dryer, a Samsung Fridge-freezer, a Panasonic microwave and breadmaker and some unknown make dishwasher.  Other than the dishwasher, I looked for Best Buys in WHICH (they are not necessarily the cheapest), and then googled to see where I could get them cheapest.  I have not been disappointed in any of them.

As for shiny kitchens or not, have what you like.  I have had shiny white in my old house  and it was fine, now I have a woodgrain effect one which suits the bungalow I live in now.

HRH_MUngo

PasturesNew said:

Hire a professional decorator if you must, get them to paint everything white.  Once you've lived in it some time you might decide on colours yourself and can then invite them back to daub a couple of new coats in a colour for you.  Better than getting it wrong. 

As for stuff.  There is no need for most things... sit in the empty space and feel it - then see how you're actually living, then decide you want/need something and research it online, then choose and buy. 

If you don't take your time you'll overspend on things you don't like once they're in your house and you'll never use and didn't want..... get what you need when you need it.  

I agree with this.  My husband sprayed our bungalow white whilst it was empty.  It is still largely white; only the sitting room is not, although some rooms have grey features.

Trillionski

What condition is the house in and what's your budget?

Does the house need renovating or is it in good nick and just needs a lick of paint and new appliances etc? 

pinkteapot

Agree with other comments re going second hand, but where you do buy new, I strongly recommend going to physical shops instead of Amazon etc for furniture and homewares. You'll drive yourself nuts online with overwhelming choice and mixed reviews. And when it arrives you probably won't like it anyway. These really are purchases where you want to have seen them in the flesh first (kitchen appliances less so). 

g000444555

What condition is the house in and what's your budget?
Does the house need renovating or is it in good nick and just needs a lick of paint and new appliances etc? 

The house is 20+ years old but in perfect condition. It has a very interesting architecture by a top architect. It does not need renovating as far as myself and the survey is concerned.

The comments about painting are very interesting as well, even though I haven't thought about painting it.

The only things that are really missing are the furniture and appliances. Anything additional would be a matter of aesthetics rather than pure utility.

I don't have a specific budget, just want to get the best value for money for the furniture and appliances. And also get a layout that is simplistic and not ugly. With that being said, I would not want to spend more than 20k overall.

Trillionski

g000444555 said:

What condition is the house in and what's your budget?
Does the house need renovating or is it in good nick and just needs a lick of paint and new appliances etc? 

The house is 20+ years old but in perfect condition. It has a very interesting architecture by a top architect. It does not need renovating as far as myself and the survey is concerned.

The comments about painting are very interesting as well, even though I haven't thought about painting it.

The only things that are really missing are the furniture and appliances. Anything additional would be a matter of aesthetics rather than pure utility.

I don't have a specific budget, just want to get the best value for money for the furniture and appliances. And also get a layout that is simplistic and not ugly. With that being said, I would not want to spend more than 20k overall.

Ok in that case if the house isn't in need of any major refurbishment and it's a ready to move in then I'll probably go against what most have said and say yes maybe splash out but buy appropriately for the house. If I had a newish house meaning it was of a high finish then I probably wouldn't want to put second hand stuff in there unless it was in excellent nick.

If you've come this far in buying your house and you can afford the last bit then go for it.
 
For e.g I'm looking for a house, if I buy a freehold house needing work then I probably won't go out and spend 3k on the best leather sofas but if I bought a new build then yeh I'd maybe consider it. I personally wouldn't want a mismatch unless you can pull it off and there are some people who are excellent at doing this.

In terms of discounts? Quidco isn't bad if buying online but I'd say go instore first then look for discount codes etc online. Try and stay away from from large designer stores for e.g my sister is buying fitted wardrobes. A high street brand quoted 5k for 1 bedroom with a poor service. Another store was able to provide a better service for 2.2k including a decent discount. They even drove 80miles to get the sale. You really have to shop around.

Edit: Maybe going off on a tangent a little but do you have children? That could affect the wear and tear on your new goods too. I know some people prefer to buy better when they are older and less likely to cause accidents but that's just me.