FURNISH YOUR FIRST HOME
Purchasing your first home can be one of life’s most thrilling experiences. Equally thrilling is making it your own with furniture and accessories that reflect your tastes. But how do you start the buying process?
Make a budget: Just like planning a vacation or wedding, draw up a budget for buying furniture. “Furnishing a home is an expensive undertaking that happens on the back of another big financial commitment – buying an actual house!” says Mélanie Berliet, general manager of home/lifestyle website the Spruce (thespruce.com). “Set financial limits for yourself to avoid getting overexcited while shopping, which can lead to expensive and impulsive decisions.”
Set a maximum you can spend larger items such as a sofa, dining table, and bed. You’ll also want to set a room-by-room budget.
“Hold yourself accountable,” says Berliet.
Prioritize buying furniture for high-traffic areas: Berliet suggests outfitting the rooms you’ll spend the most time in, generally the living room and kitchen. Get the basics, like seating and tables, you’ll need to create a comfortable place for you and your guests.
Buy some non-investment pieces:
Inexpensive furniture, such as a desk made of particle board, won’t last as long as one made of solid wood. Should you always dismiss the cheaper furniture? Not necessarily. “It is definitely okay to purchase pieces that don’t qualify as ‘forever furniture’ in your mind,” says Berliet. “You can buy something decent that will serve you well for a few years while you save up for a true investment piece.”
Know your measurements: Before buying any piece of furniture, carefully measure the space you have to work with. You don’t want to fall in love with a sectional sofa when you’ve only got enough room for a love seat.
Don’t fear hand-me-downs: Your family and friends mean well and want to help you out with your new place. You could dismiss their used furniture at first, but take a look – you may see some potential in a few pieces. “Whether you add a fresh coat of chalky finish paint to a dingy dresser or affix mid-century modern legs to an old chair to give it a new look,” says Berliet, “there are a lot of ways to spruce up used items and save money.”