Buying or renting your first home is a whole mix of emotions, then once these settles you start thinking of everything around you from decorating to furnishing your first home.
When we first rented, money was tight. We had stretched to raise the funds to put the deposit on the home, which meant we had little funds left to furnish that home. In fact, we started our home with inflatable sofa’s until we were offered a 2nd hand sofa from a work colleague really cheap.
If you are looking to move into your first home, firstly, huge congratulations! More importantly, don’t stress about furnishing your first home. I found once we were in, we ensured we had the essentials, then worked out way through the rest of the list. Here are some top tips when it comes to furnishing your new home.
- It’s ok to buy second hand – When you are first starting out, don’t expect to have everything brand new and matching. This takes time, so do a little shopping around. Local to us was a second-hand charity shop which raises money for the homeless and they had some furniture that was almost like new. Then you have places like Facebook Marketplace and eBay which also sell furniture.
- Head to Ikea – Although Ikea furniture can be cheap, all the items we have brought there over the years has been good quality and lasted. You can also get essentials such as cutlery, plates etc whilst you are there.
- Accept help – If you are lucky enough to have a family member or friend that may be able to offer you a piece of furniture, don’t be ashamed to accept the help. It might not be to your taste or what you are looking for exactly, however, if it gets you started in your home you can always upgrade when you get the funds to do so.
Furnishing your home doesn’t have to be expensive or stressful, take your time and turn your home into a place you love with furnishings and decoration. After all, the only way to make a house a home is to put your own stamp and personality on it, let your ideas come out into a bigger picture. I have lots of plans for our forever home when we get there including my own office space and I can’t wait to make it personalised.
