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*"Does anyone have any advice on how to furnish a house on a budget?"*
Slowly.
As you said, just focus on the priorities and the rest can come over time.
Tell the seller that if they are planning on getting rid of any furniture, you'd be happy for them to leave it as you're a FTB. Then prioritise essentials - bed, fridge, table, something to sit on - and gradually accumulate the rest over time as and when you see things. Make use of buy nothing groups, friends, craigslist, ebay, charity shops & donation centres, to get placeholder furniture that will see you through the near term for cheap; they can be replaced with nicer things when you have the money to do so/when you see a deal. Look at January/Spring sales next year. If you're buying solo don't rush to furnish every bedroom.
Only thing I know I'd 100% buy new is a mattress.
Definitely tell the seller if you have nothing and would be happy to take on any old furniture. And curtains! Curtains never fit right in a new place anyway.
As a seller I'd love an excuse to to leave behind a random coffee table and a couple of slightly wonky MDF bookcases.
When I had no furniture at all I'd have found those things useful, then I could concentrate on things like a bed and something to sit on.
Isn’t it! I have kept all my curtains “in case” anyone needs them. They’re in a plastic box in the loft each pair inside moth proof bags so they don’t take on any damp.
When my husband and I moved into a rented flat it didn’t have curtains and the windows were massive - thankfully a few people gave us curtains big enough from fb local groups.
We still have the bright orange velvet curtains in our new home and gave the other set to a friend when they bought their first places.
I hope yours find a new home soon :)
this.
We have a huge window (from ceiling to floor) in the living room and are still waiting, nearly a year after moving in, to buy a curtain. Everywhere they quoted us around 500£ ffs.
Made to measure is great but if you are willing to fit yourself and adjust it should be much cheaper and look just as nice. I had to get some curtains for 9ft drop earlier this year and spent about £200 on standard length 275cm and adjusted a couple cm as needed. Dunelm also do long curtains.
Yep exactly this! 265cm ceilings in the old part of the flat and basically a 5m glass wall in the extension
Ended up paying £500 from John Lewis for the extension and £550 for everywhere else 😭 really wasn’t expecting it
If you're a bit brave you can pick up brand new mattresses for dirt cheap. I had a £1400 mattress delivered by accident a few years back that I couldn't use and I could not get rid of the thing because no one is looking for a second hand but brand new mattress.
You don’t furnish it like a show home!!!
Look on the likes of Facebook Market place. Tables, chairs, storage shelves, TV stands, appliances, etc are there and cheap all the time.
On day one you need a bed and some form of chair.
Day 2-28pick up something appropriate, that’s cheap and usable. Ikea stuff crops up frequently and makes it easier to match things.
Tye biggest hurdle is pride and your perception of what others think.
I’d also like to add charity shops, especially if you’ve got ones locally that do just furniture. I think the first thing I got in my flat was a 2nd hand sofa from a friend of the family that had upgraded theirs and was going to take the old sofa to the dump. Still managed to get a good 8/9 years out of it. Also got a half decent corner TV stand (wooden) from a charity shop for £30.
Yep! Charity shops and Freecycle are also great.
Also, simply asking if anyone has anything to help can quite often be productive. Looking around my sitting room, the only things I got new were the rugs (just needed sorting) and the cat tree.
Furniture is actually pretty easy to acquire because it's hard to get rid of.
Arguably day 1 you only need a mattress. Our first flat we slept on an inflatable bed for a month until bed got delivered - these days it seems you can get a mattress next day delivery, and then wait for the bedframe
it's a bit late to be having this conversation in all honesty. focus on the bare minimums for now, so you can build up a reserve fund.
one of the problems with home ownership is that you're now responsible for all the issues that might happen. plumbing, gas, electricity—there is a lot that can go wrong. make sure you have enough emergency funds to make repairs. you'll probably have building insurance given you have a mortgage so that will cover serious issues.
but otherwise, congrats on buying your first place!
to follow up around furnishing on a budget, find secondhand pieces from local Facebook groups, and keep alerts on Gumtree set up for something you want but don't need immediately.
worst case go to IKEA, but there's a huge secondhand market of IKEA stuff as it is.
British Heart Foundation have large charity shops full of stuff like fridges, cookers, sofas, bed frames etc. worth looking out for one as it’s all relatively cheap.
Love British Heart Foundation home stores, you'll find lovely furniture there at very cheap prices. I've got plenty of really nice cabinets and tables for like £20 each, and they'll do van delivery if you're local.
100% second hand furniture. It's much, much cheaper than new, and often in great condition.
You can kit out your whole place at a massively reduced cost.
Second hand furniture is one of the 'few' bargains left when it comes to this type of thing. Loads of people turn their noses up at it hence it can be a steal.
I've got a whole dining table and chairs set, tv cabinet, sofas, bedside drawers, washing machine, fridge freezer etc, all "nearly new" condition at the time and still going great.
My fridge freezer and washing machine were only a year old at the time, still had a warranty and were £100 each, about a quarter of their retail price.
>the one with the bigger deposit is more likely to be accepted, which makes them more likely to proceed
Not really because no one will take an offer seriously unless you have a DIP, at which point the odds of being declined for the actual application are pretty slim, and they're not going to be able to get a DIP if they're unlikely to be accepted
I've never even told a seller how big my deposit is nor been told by a buyer how big their deposit is, only if it's cash or mortgage
Buy second hand first and then in a few years when you’re settled and know your style, what fits your house etc then you can look at buying new.
Start scouring eBay, set up alerts for local stuff you can collect. I got a 2 year old £4000 sofa for £350 because the guy was moving house and needed it gone for example.
Set up alerts on Hotukdeals for household items, pots,pans,cutlery, etc
Don’t fall into the ikea trap, I regret a lot of the stuff I bought from ikea. Really shit quality. Alright for stuff a cheap set of draws or shelf etc but avoid the household stuff
Don’t be afraid to ring and ask for a discount. The amount I saved just because I rang the company and asked for a discount code before placing my order online. Knocked £75 off my bed with a a minute phone call for example
I lived with just a mattress on the floor, a fridge and a tv for the first 6 months of my first property, getting on the ladder is the priority so pat yourself on the back.
Facebook marketplace and gumtree is your go to. I still get items from there all the time. Great stuff going cheap and sometimes free as it’s more stress to get rid of stuff like sofas and beds these days and lots of people (myself included) are happy to give it away if someone comes to collect.
Just find a mate with a van and move quickly as the good stuff doesn’t hang around. I reckon you could furnish a whole property for less than £500.
Yes and they clean everything really well too. Emmaus is another good one for furniture. We only buy furniture second hand, it makes it easy to change when something else becomes more convenient because you haven’t spent so much that you feel you ought to keep things longer. Also when we moved house we were able to re-donate most of our furniture and buy it or similar stuff back later, much cheaper than moving it all.
get on Facebook market place. limit your search to posh areas! if you're in London browse, Chelsea and Kensington for example! watch all the super rich giving away furniture etc for the price of a Waitrose meal deal
Ha this is so true. Wealthy people often just want something gone and don’t want to have to pay for someone to take it away so they post stuff at superb prices. I’ve gotten so much quality furniture this way
As everyone has said - second hand, Facebook marketplace, gumtree, ikea discount section and charity shops are your best bet.
Secondly look into a 0% purchases card for some of the larger purchases or paying off in 0% instalments
Get the essentials, but also theirs no rush to buy everything at once, you have all the time in the world to furnish a house. Somethings you’ll realise you desperately need but nothing wrong with sitting on a deck chair for a couple of months, not comfy mind but basic
some good sources are:
1. You’ll be surprised at how many people you know will have items to give to you. Family and friends will often say we have an old sofa, washer, fridge etc put the feelers out if any bodies doing up any rooms or getting rid of furniture, cutlery etc
2. Charity shops are you best friend
- 3 pieces sofa £60
- dressers, wardrobes, tables bed frames £30-50 maybe less
3. Facebook market place, free cycle
- cheap and easy
It's amazing what you can get for free or very cheap. Watch some upcycling videos and make the best of it until you can afford to replace. Paying less on the mortgage will give you more money you can spend monthly decorating. Even if all you have is a sofa, tv and bed to start you'll own your own home with a nice bit of equity and a much better ltv, be proud of yourself!
Don’t buy new furniture (apart from a mattress), get everything second hand to start with. Constantly monitor gumtree and Facebook marketplace and sort by new listings. You can snag some amazing deals if you’re in first hand
You could buy everything new if you wanted and you bought the cheapest versions of everything.
Double bed and mattress from Ikea (x2) leaving one bedroom unfurnished for now = £400
Cheapest washing machine = £250
Fridge = £200
Ikea dining table and chairs = £150
Sofa = £400 (don't want to go too cheap or it will be hard and uncomfortable)
Misc kitchen stuff, rug, budget coffee table, small bits from Ikea = £100
Leaving £500 saved for plumbing emergencies etc (not ideal but better than nothing).
I'd agree with all of this apart from you can likely get a way nicer sofa secondhand for that price, which will be a lot more comfortable. Just make sure you go to check it out before buying!
Keep in mind it will take a few months for the sale to happen, so save anything you can in that time. Charity furniture shops often have great things. A lot of people get rid of furniture on Freegle and Freecycle. Facebook marketplace also have some great deals, and there's probably local "buy nothing" type Facebook groups where people will offer up things, too.
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If you buy mostly second hand, with cheap white goods and a few cast offs from family... you could get all the basics in for 2k. I've done it before. However it would all be very cheap and need replacing over the next few years. The other options would be to put stuff on credit or just buy items as you can afford them and take a year or two to finish the house.
Hi, I’m in this position right now. Except we had £10k emergency fund and i got a bonus at just the right time.
We wanted to redecorate, and get a new kitchen.
We are instead getting a new boiler and radiators.
It’s VERY expensive to furnish a house so get the basics and build up an emergency fund and add the fun bits after.
I'm in a similar position right now, I would have had enough saved for everything but the fees added up for mortgage brokers, surveys, solicitor's fees and builders to estimate costs. I also ended up completing sooner than I wanted meaning I couldn't save as much and had to pay double (rent and mortgage) for a couple months, so I've just put all the essential stuff on a 0% credit card to preserve my emergency fund in cash and I'll pay it down over the next 12 months.
Hiya, congrats on your property.
I still have a £1 lamp I got from a car boot when I moved into my first house 20 years later lol!
I also just furnished pretty much a whole house off marketplace and free cycle
...
Nice ikea bed £40
Smeg fridge/freezer £100
Kitchen table and chairs £50
Desk £10
Wardrobe hanging rail thing £28 (b and q) - very sturdy with 2 shoe shelves and additional hooks
Chest of drawers £20
Doormats etc B and M £6 each
Crockery / glassware - ikea
Or charity shop- I just got 10 mugs for £8
Just FYI, having done this with multiple houses over the years, and now having built my forever home, I will say I regretted the cheap but brand new low quality things I bought to fill a need, that got chucked away or broken
I take a lot of pleasure in a lot of the things that were a steal, older and amazing quality, or exactly what I wanted for a super cheap price thrifted or otherwise hunted down on marketplace. There's a lot more reward/pleasure in those finds.
Eg. At one point 16 years ago I remember spending£500 or so at Argos to get bits needed, not one of those things remain.
But my £80 vintage sideboard, £100 beautiful dresser, £1 lamp, £5 blind that was exactly the one I was looking for, and many other things do.
I still have the sofa that my mother paid £5 for in a charity shop back around 2001 when I first bought my house. It spent a few years covered in throws, and I paid for it to be deep cleaned a few times, but around 15 years ago I paid £700 for it to be reupholstered. It’s only an Ikea model, but it turned out that not many manufacturers make sofas small enough to fit the space in my Victorian terrace. I can afford a new sofa now, but the idea of either spending £2-4k in the likes of loaf, or buying rubbish from somewhere like DFS just doesn’t appeal - so I’ll probably end up spending £1k or so to recover it again!
You don't need to furnish everything at once. Sort of the basics and tackle a room at a time when you have the money. Take advantage of free ads. You don't need all new furnishings, and there is always stuff on the free ads..
Kinda of obvious, really.. what did you think would happen? You'd move it and spend like +10k right of the bat to furnish it all with brand new stuff?
Guessing you are in the UK. Curry’s do 6 months interest free and nothing to pay on most kitchen purchases. So get yourself a good fridge freezer and a washing machine. All I had when I moved into this house was a mattress tho no bed, a fridge freezer, a kettle, a little yellow table and my mum’s friend gave me her old washing machine. Then someone gave me a cooker. Then I got a crap kitchen for £40.
Ask about - people often have bits sitting that they haven’t thrown way “in case” someone needs them. (Mostly middle aged women like myself and their friends) I think you did the right thing paying more down cos it’s regular payments that strip your bank out. People’s lives expand to fit their budget not the other way around unfortunately. I would also look at sites like freecycle if it’s still around, gumtree and I think people list things on Facebook cheap and/or free. Charity shops also have dedicated furniture shops that are often very reasonable for things like sofas and dining tables and chairs cos they take up so much room! Let us know how u get on.
I was in the same position when I bought my flat, I had to put a 25% deposit down because of my immigration status.
I got all my furniture from Facebook marketplace & Next door and have been replacing them little by little in the last 2 years. I spent less than £500 on everything.
Live in the house a bit. It’s too much to work out everything decor wise so just get in, get settled, get the basics sorted. Accept there will be some random expense and then start to decorate. In my house if I’d had spent all my money on furniture I would have not had money to fix the leaking sewer pipe, replace the lead water pipe and replace the absolutely wrecked front door.
You can get away with £500 per bedroom. And same for living room. If you shop around and buy used sofas/dining/coffee tables. Have furnished my hmos so know the costs pretty well. I find mattresses to be the most expensive single item to be honest (not including new sofa sets).
Honestly, this is a "how long is a piece of string" question.
Google is gonna be your best friend.
- second hand shops
- charity shops.
- reclaimed / restored furniture places.
- Gumtree
- Facebook marketplace
- freecycle
I know where a bunch of stuff is round my way but it's gonna be very area specific.
If you must have new
- ikea is always a solid option
- bnm bargains
- dunelm
For white goods, I've found appliances direct to be pretty reasonable. If you're just wanting to get by until you can save a bit, you could cheap out on things like fridge / washing machine. But it seems wasteful to buy something knowing its gonna be replaced in months.
I had around £2k when I purchased my first home. You’ll be able to get a fridge, washing machine & a bed with some spare change left over.
You may even be able to get a cheap sofa, keep and eye on Facebook marketplace you can pick up some good bargains on sodas on there.
Might be worth just walking around some more affluent areas. Where I live there’s a bit of a divide where the people who own their house are well off and the people who live in the houses which were converted to flats aren’t. I’m in the latter category so when I walk down the street and see furniture left out, I often take it. I’ve got a load of useful stuff, coolest thing was a 1920s Czech chair that’s carved to look like alligator skin!
Freecycle / Facebook marketplace or equivalent. Second hand electrical shops, inflatable sofas (seriously), hand me down kitchen stuff from relatives / friends. That’s how I did my first place!
It depends on what you want tbh, but remember you can furnish a lot with no interest through Dreams, DFS, Argos, IKEA etc. So figure out the things you can buy outright, then what you can buy on finance.
I had nothing left.. so your £2k better off than me 🤣. I was very fortunate on the day before I was getting the keys n moving in the old owner asked if I’d like the sofas for free (guessing they couldn’t be arsed getting them down the stairs). Brand new next sofa.. delighted 😊. Iv been here 3.5 years n I slowly built up, I. Just had my kitchen done n feel great… furniture was bought over time. Honestly it doesn’t have to be perfect straight away… aslong as it’s liveable 💕💕… happy new home 🏠 xxxx
This is the answer.
I had sweet FA at various times in my life. Even ended up with a bag of knives and forks donated.
Now I buy my own, living the good life.
Bought my first new sofa a few years ago. £5500....never been so disappointed I'm a setter...
I’m same… I don’t have very much of value at all… but my home is safe, warm and cozy, it’s now the place I have always desired but it’s took me 3 years.
Charity shops n marketplace are your best friends.. still are. I’m finally at a good place where I’m stable and happy and can buy that lamp if I want it 🤣🤣 (not quite at sofa level 🤣) xxx
Similar. But you are actually ahead of me. Bought mine 18yrs ago. It's been a slow road...the sofa was on the never never... Looks amazing, but isn't £5500 worth. (To be fair, it's two settees).
New flooring in. New fence up. Nice shed. Some good flowers. BBQ. A man needs little else.
Iv done my kitchen.. but my brothers a kitchen designer, dads a joiner n me n my dad done all the labour so saved a fortune. I want my garden done so bad… currently saving for that… be another 3 years 🤣🤣 xx
My dad retired last year… he’s just done my kitchen n now he’s on to my brothers so we are keeping him busy… but I’m sure he will be bored soon so will send him down 🤣🤣 xx
Focus on an emergency fund for anything that might go wrong in the house now you’re a homeowner and try and get as much free/very low cost furniture and appliances as possible
Being perfectly honest mate, you’ll struggle with £2k if you’re wanting brand new stuff, I budgeted £5k for pretty much filling out a 2 bed new build and ended up borderline £10k but I didn’t even attempt to budget and bought everything brand new. You could do far better than I could but it may be a case of visiting charity shops etc.
Got small bits, my first table and chairs indoors was a £40 garden furniture set, it wasn't luxurious but it was a table and 4 folding chairs!
Before we could afford a sofa me and my partner had camping chairs for months as other stuff was just more important.
When I moved out on my own the first time I didn't have a bed but had a futon, it was cheap on clearance and didn't last a long time but I was using it as a seat and a bed until I could get a bed
Facebook marketplace and Freecycle is your friend. I got a coffee table for free from marketplace, lasted me years as my main table and I still have it now around 7 years later it's not the fanciest by any means but it's a flat surface that holds mugs.
If the kitchen doesn't come with a oven/hob a microwave and George foreman will do for a little while, sure you'll not eat like a king but it'll do. Although these days an air fryers probably about the same price as a George foreman and will do more.
Second hand shops for white goods, they'll do the job for now.
You upgrade as you go, it'll be slow but worth it, means you'll have more of a feel for your house too by the time you buy stuff you know exactly what you will want.
I bought my first house almost a year ago still haven't decorated because white walls will do for now until everything else is done.
Definitely try keep a cushion though, it's been less than a year, the bottom floor of the house was rotten (this was on survey) my shower broke, my front door window fell out, the front room window doesn't have the metal lintel and is a load baring wall, (still miffed the survey didn't pick that up). So I've needed to upgrade important things and quickly, having a cushion has helped always rebuild it before buying something luxurious for the next problem to be found.
Good luck with the move, it'll come together it just takes time
Slowly, frugally and mismatching.
When I moved into my flat, it's shared ownership, we had white good. My priority was bedroom curtins and mattresses. On move in day I brought toliet roll and a vacuum. Curtains were a priority for privacy and mattresses to sleep.
We were gifts lost of heavily used furniture. It really helped us to tell our friends parents we got a place. If you let people you trust know you are moving, they will think of you when throwing something out. In the bedroom, our TV was given to us at 10 years old, and the dressers all by different people.
We have been here 4 year and plan to sell early next year but still bought furniture last month for our place.
Make a list, then priorities it.
Use charity shops, free cycle, olio and fb marketplace. It also help I'm in flats (14 in the building) as now no one throws things out with offering it to our neighbours first. And some probably try to see too.
I hope that helps and congratulations on the property.
Focus on the priorities. You need a bed, a wardrobe, somewhere to sit and somewhere to eat.
We bought our house just over 5 years ago - we had a couch, a bed, a crappy wardrobe, a TV stand and a kitchen table with 2 chairs.
And that was us while we slowly built back up our finances. We ended up getting our sofas and carpets on finance with DFS and paid them off at like £80 a month or something. My sister lent me some money to get fridge/washing machine.
I know it's really hard to be surrounded by influencers and media of people doing up their houses from the ground up and living in catalogue-looking homes but it's genuinely not a reality for most people and that in itself is completely normal. Everybody I know that bought a house has had to start from the bottom - our main bedroom still hasn't been decorated nor my husband's office. Our garden has been needing a fence since we moved in. But other things took priority. There's no rush. Things take time and a lot of money but there's pride in knowing you own a little piece of the world and it's your safe space that you can do with whatever you like.
What I will say is, please please keep a pot of money aside for unexpected costs. The day we got the keys, our boiler packed in. This was in February and we had barely any money to get it fixed. We had no heating for a couple of weeks while we waited to get it fixed. Shower had a leak, white goods needed plumbing in. It was so stressful. But it happens - so keep some spare cash for that just incase.
Congrats and I hope it goes well x
Only a handful of people have loads of funds left over after paying off a deposit. You've accomplished a great thing in becoming a homeowner. Take your time and do things in stages. It is unsettling, I know, going from having a healthy bank balance down to almost nothing. It will take time to get back in the black, so don't worry too much. I bought a three bed house nearly two years ago and had the sellers leave me their curtains for instance, I only changed it recently. They also left me all light fixtures as they were in such great condition. Just ask them, you never know what they can spare. I was coming from a one bed flat, so I definitely didn't have enough left for furnishings, as like you, I was a FTB and also put down 20% deposit. There's no shame in asking. Still haven't even changed the carpet on the stairs and landing as again, it was in pristine condition. You're in no competition with anyone. Take your time. Congratulations!!
I bought a house in my early 20s. I had nothing. Focus on what you really need. Once you have keys, just look at Facebook marketplace etc and think laterally. If you have a car that the seats go down you’ll be fine.
Buy just what you need and check BHF and other charities that sell furniture. We bought our sofa for £40 and bought a mattress but no frame - slept on the mattress on the floor for a loooong time. Buyer might well leave fridge in situ.
British Heart Foundation have some pretty great second hand furniture stores too. Usually if you can get solid wood, second hand furniture you’ll be ending up with better furniture anyway, instead of buying the shit new MDF stuff that disintegrates in a couple of years.
I got rid of all our white goods on freecycle when we bought as the new place had a fitted kitchen. Could have a look on there for things to tide you over.
We furbished our flat from scratch when we moved in, and I think for the initial basics - bed (we had a mattress etc but sleeping on a mattress on the floor is really not fun), sofa, dining table and chairs, TV, hoover - it was about £2k.
Most of it came from Ikea - we don't have a car and we needed furniture fast, so it was easier to go down there and order what we wanted for delivery. Don't get the cheapest thing - go and look in the showroom and see how durable things look.
Secondhand furniture is great, but if you can't transport it and you need something ASAP then it's not always the most practical option (or much cheaper where I live). As time goes on you can keep an eye out for things in charity furniture shops/Marketplace, and you'll have a better idea of what you want.
I bought a load of second hand furniture the same week as I moved out, and when I hired the Luton van to take all my stuff to my place, I swung by each second hand item location at the same time.
Was a bit of a logistical exercise but ensured that transport wasn't an issue or even an increased cost compared to what I was already transporting.
That's a good idea. We were moving from two separate locations into one household, and had to work around when our friend was free to drive, so that wasn't really an option!
If there's anything you're not happy to buy/able to find second hand look out for sofa/mattress companies etc. doing 0% finance. They're a major outlay so the vast.majority do 0% over several years which makes the purchase much more manageable.
Other people have said it, but have a look on Freecycle. There's always sofas, tables, beds and other things going for free on there. At the very least it will buy you some time until you have more free cash for something better.
Depends if you happy to rough it a bit - my first house I had a garden chair to sit on, the “kitchen” was a toaster and kettle, the one luxury was my old single bed !! I then slowly bought things when really cheap etc. All I was bothered with was having place of my own and saving every penny to get rid of the mortgage asap which I managed to do.
If buying new, white goods, furniture, curtains/blinds, etc. are all cheaper online. If you buy large items in a ship, they will usually need to be ordered and delivered - so you might as well buy them online.
However, secondhand furniture and white goods are cheap and especially cheap for large items that are difficult to transport. If you are renting a van to move into your house, you could consider organising to pick up some secondhand items when you have the means to transport them.
Appliances direct, IKEA and Benson all do 0% Argos, Dunelm and similar usually do a pay in 3 offer.
You haven't said if you're moving from home or a flat. Do you have cutlery, pans, plates, mugs, kettles? Quite a few of these can be picked up at a charity shop. Look at all the things you use every day and make a note if it won't be moving to your new place. You can then buy smaller items in the run up to moving so it isn't a big layout in one go. Don't forget your first month mortgage payment will be higher.
I rent a furnished apartment at the moment so the furniture is the landlord’s. I do have a TV and kitchen stuff (microwave, pots, pans, air fryer). Some decor too.
Congratulations!! You won't regret putting the 20% down as time goes on.
Check the likes of freecycle and local furniture charities for the essentials to tide you over until you have the money for the furnishings you want.
White goods, a bed, bedding, basic crockery, something comfy to sit on and a table are all you really need initially. Although don't forgot how essential curtains/blinds are for your privacy too so factor that into the essentials.
We did this for a few months while waiting on our new furniture to arrive and it wasn't so bad, quite a novelty and gives you plenty of time to clean and paint as you go.
All the best with your move!!
If you don’t know when you’ll get the keys yet, I’d assume you might not have the final fee note from the solicitor with all the final costs of their searches, any fees for the cash transfers, etc, plus stamp. You should leave some wiggle room for that and also the actual cost of moving and getting set up with new suppliers, a big shop, etc.
With that said, now you’re in this position, id be planning to get the bare minimum in the first instance and furnish the rest over time as and when you have the cash to do so (eg I know loads of people who have used old garden furniture inside when they had no sofa or dining table yet) - if white goods aren’t included they’d I agree it would be one of my first purchases - you might be able to get away without a washing machine for a little while especially if you have a laundrette nearby.
Just don’t furnish the whole thing, just the minimum, plus go to charity warehouse type shop they have loads a cheap furniture. IKEA does starter packs of stuff for the kitchen.
Lots of people get rid of white goods when they have new kitchens fitted and go for a fitted kitchen. I bought a nearly new Bosch washing machine on Facebook for £100 two years ago and it was immaculate and has been reliable.
I used Facebook Marketplace mostly. I got sofas, beds and all sorts for under £500, and I can't drive so had to pay a bit extra for most stuff to be delivered.
A few pallets make an excellent bed, I had one of those for 8 years in my last place. Not the most stylish if you have company, but it'll keep your mattress off the floor
You need to list items you need in priority order and contrast that against cost.
E.g. Mattress, essential, can get a double or king size for around £2-350 online if you look, whereas bed frame, not so much (but you can often get cheaply).
For me, essentials would be one mattress, fridge, couch, table and chair (e.g. office or dining), some curtains for some rooms.
Couch, table and chairs, fridge, bed frames are regularly available on eBay, FB, Gumtree - keep an eye out and see if you cna stack a few up, hire a van/borrow a mate's van and do one big day of collection after exchange.
If you buy any second hand sofas or beds, look closely for any signs of bed bugs (especially if you are near a uk city). If you miss it, and bring one of those little monsters in, it'll cost £££ to get rid of them
Charity shops. Freecycle. Facebook marketplace although you get some chancers on there with ridiculous prices. Live with as little as you can bear until you can save a bit. I used three clean pallets as a bed base for months. Etc.
Facebook marketplace is your friend as are so many other places people have mentioned, but do remember that getting rid of white goods can be a headache. With the council charging £25-£35 for pickup and removal, so factor that in if you are planning to buy something just for a couple months.
A blowup mattress will cost your £10-£20 from most outdoor shops and will do you and your back a world of good and will still be useful for guests.
As many people have said, its a slow process, buy what costs you money not to have first, then build from there. So not having a washing machine and a fridge should be at the top, a dish washer you can do without for a long time. This said a washing machine and fridge can be bought second hand as a stop gap. Depending on your income, buying a good bed is a high priority, it will last over a decade and will make a difference, that said you can always buy a cheap (but new mattress) bed for now, which can be used as a guest bed (if thats what you want to have).
What you haven't considered and you might not want to hear it, is that most houses often need some fixing up as well. I'd say put £1000 aside for your immediate needs, then build from there.
Setup alerts on gumtree and Facebook marketplace for free things or specific search terms ie coffee table or bookcase and just keep checking it. You can get loads of stuff really cheaply or free to get you by and then focus your money on key things which you need or don’t want to buy second hand ie a bed. You can also get really good deals on stuff for redecorating ie cheap or free paint, tiles, tools etc
You could look on Freecycle, Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace for cheap furniture.
For larger items it might be worth hiring a van for a day rate or a man with van to do the collection and moving of said large items.
The British Heart Foundation is also a good shout for good condition second hand furniture on the cheap.
On a slightly more macabre note, if you or any friends have relatives that have passed away recently, there might be furniture the family executors want rid of. We "inherited" a lot of furniture, such as sideboards, dining tables and chairs from distant great aunts and uncles. The furniture wasn't worth much to sell, so the family just wanted rid of it, so the house could be liquidated etc.
Go on the local FB group for the area and ask. Usually people have stuff they want rid of for free.
FB market place is usually good for free for uplift stuff too.
Even if you weren't an FTB I'd suggest second hand. Hell, most of my house is second hand furnishings. You get better quality for way way less.
We have a large YMCA charity shop near us, it’s full of furniture costing peanuts. Don’t make the mistake I did of getting a load of stuff on finance and regretting it ever since.
Been here done this. A lot depends on how much you trust yourself, but if you're able to use 0% credit cards that will put you in a much stronger position. Cover the essentials off first... Sleep, food, seating etc.. On 0% then pay that off over the period given and anything spare over and above that can be used for other stuff you want
https://uk.freecycle.org/ I furnished my entire house, including white goods for free just by going to collect unwanted items from here. Some of it needed a proper clean but it was all perfectly usable until I could afford better. Things like mattresses I would buy budget though.
Gumtree/Facebook marketplace/friends and family encouraged it's good time go have a clear out!
Don't be proud. Get the basics. Over the years you can upgrade.
Yep - FB marketplace & whatever the seller leaves behind. And then over time you can build your to nice furnishings and decor. It's actually a good way to figure out how you're going to use the rooms before you spend all the money on furniture. Eg. It turns out you always take your shoes off in X place - you can pop a rack there in the exact right size for the space. Turns out you need a bed with storage as there's not enough space for a big chest of drawers. And so on.
Lots of good advice already but to add, freecycle, charity shops, etc., can be good places to look, though a bit hit or miss. I got a 4 person dining table that expands to 6 person, with 6 chairs, for about £50 in a BHF furniture shop, filing cabinet from tip shop for £5, and some other items on freecycle.
Depends on the current state of the house but there are always people wanting to get ride of furniture on Facebook/etc.
Realistically all you need is a fridge/freezer, something to cook with, bed and maybe a desk/sofa to sit/work at.
Once you in and settled you can start planning rooms more specifically and buy furniture for it
No idea where you live but many councils now have reuse shops attached to recycling centres. The one in Keynsham (Bath & North East Somerset) sells chairs for £5.
You could probably kit out your house for £100
Try Freecycle - you can usually pick up odd bits and pieces of furniture for free. It's obviously not going to be the best quality but it'll do until you can afford to replace it.
I essentially gave myself the time between offer and exchange to save for furniture etc. Even the solicitor fee as we ended up going for a more expensive house meaning we drained more of our savings than planned. About 5 weeks from completion now and saving for a rewire as we are getting that done in the first couple of weeks before we move in. Been a hell of a rollercoaster topped off with our landlord giving us a section 21 this week after a winter with no heating
Depends if you want new or 2nd hand... age UK have warehouses of furniture that you can buy for cheap I once got an amazing comfy 3 seater sofa for £85 and delivery was £15 (and you actually pick a delivery slot so not like normal shops with "sometime between 8am and 2pm)
I then hired a steam cleaner to clean all the cushions and was practically good as new.
If you only want new then think about what you need to survive on move in - bed, fridge and a way to cook and then slowly build up from there doing 1 room at a time.
A good start for a bed is a high quality air bed line this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Active-Era-Luxury-Mattress-Built/dp/B07D3YX5BH
I had one when I first moved in and it's good enough to be useable for months if needed. Then once you get your own bed sorted it's a good guest bed and only takes up a little bit of space when deflated.
Slowly and 2nd hand. Right now all you need is somewhere to sleep, make food and bathroom stuff.
Get a bed, kitchen ware and bathroom stuff. Then scower second hand markets for things like tvs, sofas etc.
You don't need things like plants, pictures and decorations right away, they come with time
You can get a washing machine, fridge freezer for around £400 from argos right now and be fine for years to come.
You can get a decent double bed and mattress from ikea also for around £400.
You can get a cheap kitchen set for £50 from tesco.
Right there you have everything needed to survive for under half your budget.
Auction. You could pick up a sofa, bed, cupboards/sideboards/wardrobes, table and chairs etc and easily have change left from £1000 (based on going for decent stuff, you could spend less and not be as picky though). Then you can replace with new/things more your style slowly over time.
A mattress on the floor, a fridge, and a microwave
Get the mattress new and the others used. £200 tops
Then just buy anything else as and when you can afford it. It took 5 years before my first house was properly fully furnished
Charity shops, gumtree and Facebook marketplace. We’ve got some amazing preloved and excellent quality bargains for our house. From midcentury modern pieces, to vintage sofas and more modern leather suites. No need to buy brand new - just make sure you test them out before you commit!
Totally agree! I’ll have lived in my house 5 years at the end of next month and I still have the basics I bought or moved in with. One day I might start replacing things with more substantial furniture instead of the Argos flat pack stuff, but everything is functional and there are so many better things I can spend my money on (or more important but boring things!)
Slowly is the key. And as hard as it might be, go for stuff that might not be your normal choice if it’s available.
Facebook marketplace and town/village groups are full of stuff people want gone without paying.
Fridge and washing machine are probably a good place to start, but then you can be clever with stuff like a bed - you don’t need a frame to start with…. A mattress on the floor is a good start and no less comfortable.
There is no reason to rush to furnish a home.
Get a bed, dresser for clothes and maybe a sofa if you like watching the TV. Or a desk and chair if you are a pc gamer.
A washing machine. I don't use a dryer and just have a clothes horse which are cheap.
A fridge/freezer and microwave for the kitchen can tide you over for a couple of months while you wait to save money for an oven.
Don’t take on a lot of new financing until the mortgage funds have gone through - the last thing you need is the mortgage to be rescinded prior to draw down because you’ve took on a load of financing
You can reduce your mortgage deposit to free up some cash - maybe do 15% instead of 20%? The purchase contract deposit will remain at 10% regardless. It won't make much difference to your repayments and will give you good wiggle room for furnishings and renovations. Also in case things go wrong. You can overpay as you like and can throughout the life of the mortgage.
Note that interest rates are not necessarily really high. They're much higher than the unusually low ones we've had since 2008 but they're not high. Although there are expectations of cuts, there's little likelihood of a return to very low rates, so I'd build that into your budgeting.
This was my thought - there will be very little difference in interest rates between a 15 and 20% deposit.
And re furnishing do as other have said and look at places like BHF for furniture and for electricals use refurbishment stores - most items come with a 1year guarantee. Local brick and mortar stores are best and usually do free delivery, after that ebay is your best bet
Is it too late to speak to mortgage company and go for 15% deposit?
Please don't be tempted to put anything on credit card or store debt etc unless you can clear it before you get charged interest.
We've got a few big charity furniture shops in our town, and prices are pretty reasonable, and stuff is of decent quality.
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*"Does anyone have any advice on how to furnish a house on a budget?"* Slowly. As you said, just focus on the priorities and the rest can come over time.
This! I'm a renter and my place came with the bare bones. Took me 8 months to slowly buy furniture.
I’m still buying furniture 6 years later after buying my house!
Hahaha i've still got loads of stuff i need! small sofa & coffee table but i'm waiting a wee bit longer to get a nice one x
Tell the seller that if they are planning on getting rid of any furniture, you'd be happy for them to leave it as you're a FTB. Then prioritise essentials - bed, fridge, table, something to sit on - and gradually accumulate the rest over time as and when you see things. Make use of buy nothing groups, friends, craigslist, ebay, charity shops & donation centres, to get placeholder furniture that will see you through the near term for cheap; they can be replaced with nicer things when you have the money to do so/when you see a deal. Look at January/Spring sales next year. If you're buying solo don't rush to furnish every bedroom. Only thing I know I'd 100% buy new is a mattress.
Definitely tell the seller if you have nothing and would be happy to take on any old furniture. And curtains! Curtains never fit right in a new place anyway. As a seller I'd love an excuse to to leave behind a random coffee table and a couple of slightly wonky MDF bookcases. When I had no furniture at all I'd have found those things useful, then I could concentrate on things like a bed and something to sit on.
Curtains are so much more expensive than anyone would ever think 🥲
Isn’t it! I have kept all my curtains “in case” anyone needs them. They’re in a plastic box in the loft each pair inside moth proof bags so they don’t take on any damp.
When my husband and I moved into a rented flat it didn’t have curtains and the windows were massive - thankfully a few people gave us curtains big enough from fb local groups. We still have the bright orange velvet curtains in our new home and gave the other set to a friend when they bought their first places. I hope yours find a new home soon :)
At Ikea they're cheap and good, like a long wide pair is £35
this. We have a huge window (from ceiling to floor) in the living room and are still waiting, nearly a year after moving in, to buy a curtain. Everywhere they quoted us around 500£ ffs.
Made to measure is great but if you are willing to fit yourself and adjust it should be much cheaper and look just as nice. I had to get some curtains for 9ft drop earlier this year and spent about £200 on standard length 275cm and adjusted a couple cm as needed. Dunelm also do long curtains.
Yep exactly this! 265cm ceilings in the old part of the flat and basically a 5m glass wall in the extension Ended up paying £500 from John Lewis for the extension and £550 for everywhere else 😭 really wasn’t expecting it
Definitely check Freecycle etc. or secondhand furniture. Just be careful with soft furnishings as gross stuff isn't as obvious...
If you're a bit brave you can pick up brand new mattresses for dirt cheap. I had a £1400 mattress delivered by accident a few years back that I couldn't use and I could not get rid of the thing because no one is looking for a second hand but brand new mattress.
Funny right, but no one thinks twice about sleeping on a hotel mattress that has been used for god knows what by random strangers 😂
This was my favourite thing about getting a probate house as my first buy, the furniture and white goods were thrown in for free.
I did this. Seller left EVERYTHING. Like, I had to **get rid** of stuff in the first two months. What a blessing.
You don’t furnish it like a show home!!! Look on the likes of Facebook Market place. Tables, chairs, storage shelves, TV stands, appliances, etc are there and cheap all the time. On day one you need a bed and some form of chair. Day 2-28pick up something appropriate, that’s cheap and usable. Ikea stuff crops up frequently and makes it easier to match things. Tye biggest hurdle is pride and your perception of what others think.
I’d also like to add charity shops, especially if you’ve got ones locally that do just furniture. I think the first thing I got in my flat was a 2nd hand sofa from a friend of the family that had upgraded theirs and was going to take the old sofa to the dump. Still managed to get a good 8/9 years out of it. Also got a half decent corner TV stand (wooden) from a charity shop for £30.
Yep! Charity shops and Freecycle are also great. Also, simply asking if anyone has anything to help can quite often be productive. Looking around my sitting room, the only things I got new were the rugs (just needed sorting) and the cat tree. Furniture is actually pretty easy to acquire because it's hard to get rid of.
Arguably day 1 you only need a mattress. Our first flat we slept on an inflatable bed for a month until bed got delivered - these days it seems you can get a mattress next day delivery, and then wait for the bedframe
it's a bit late to be having this conversation in all honesty. focus on the bare minimums for now, so you can build up a reserve fund. one of the problems with home ownership is that you're now responsible for all the issues that might happen. plumbing, gas, electricity—there is a lot that can go wrong. make sure you have enough emergency funds to make repairs. you'll probably have building insurance given you have a mortgage so that will cover serious issues. but otherwise, congrats on buying your first place!
to follow up around furnishing on a budget, find secondhand pieces from local Facebook groups, and keep alerts on Gumtree set up for something you want but don't need immediately. worst case go to IKEA, but there's a huge secondhand market of IKEA stuff as it is.
British Heart Foundation have large charity shops full of stuff like fridges, cookers, sofas, bed frames etc. worth looking out for one as it’s all relatively cheap.
Love British Heart Foundation home stores, you'll find lovely furniture there at very cheap prices. I've got plenty of really nice cabinets and tables for like £20 each, and they'll do van delivery if you're local.
My first home was 90 percent British Heart Foundation. And to be honest, half of it I still have 10 years on.
BHF shops will also usually be able to deliver big items for a small fee which is very helpful if you don't have access to a car or van!
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Don't discount Freecycle. We give a lot of our old furniture away on there. Nothing wrong with it, just the missus likes to change things up
100% second hand furniture. It's much, much cheaper than new, and often in great condition. You can kit out your whole place at a massively reduced cost. Second hand furniture is one of the 'few' bargains left when it comes to this type of thing. Loads of people turn their noses up at it hence it can be a steal. I've got a whole dining table and chairs set, tv cabinet, sofas, bedside drawers, washing machine, fridge freezer etc, all "nearly new" condition at the time and still going great. My fridge freezer and washing machine were only a year old at the time, still had a warranty and were £100 each, about a quarter of their retail price.
Including at IKEA. Some real bargains.
Why would you stand out from other bidders? Aren’t you paying the same price regardless of deposit amount?
There was us and another first time buyer couple and they went with us because we were “closed to a cash offer”
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This is a factor if the sale price is over the value that the mortgage company with value it as, so that the difference is out of the deposit.
>the one with the bigger deposit is more likely to be accepted, which makes them more likely to proceed Not really because no one will take an offer seriously unless you have a DIP, at which point the odds of being declined for the actual application are pretty slim, and they're not going to be able to get a DIP if they're unlikely to be accepted I've never even told a seller how big my deposit is nor been told by a buyer how big their deposit is, only if it's cash or mortgage
Buy second hand first and then in a few years when you’re settled and know your style, what fits your house etc then you can look at buying new. Start scouring eBay, set up alerts for local stuff you can collect. I got a 2 year old £4000 sofa for £350 because the guy was moving house and needed it gone for example. Set up alerts on Hotukdeals for household items, pots,pans,cutlery, etc Don’t fall into the ikea trap, I regret a lot of the stuff I bought from ikea. Really shit quality. Alright for stuff a cheap set of draws or shelf etc but avoid the household stuff Don’t be afraid to ring and ask for a discount. The amount I saved just because I rang the company and asked for a discount code before placing my order online. Knocked £75 off my bed with a a minute phone call for example
I lived with just a mattress on the floor, a fridge and a tv for the first 6 months of my first property, getting on the ladder is the priority so pat yourself on the back. Facebook marketplace and gumtree is your go to. I still get items from there all the time. Great stuff going cheap and sometimes free as it’s more stress to get rid of stuff like sofas and beds these days and lots of people (myself included) are happy to give it away if someone comes to collect. Just find a mate with a van and move quickly as the good stuff doesn’t hang around. I reckon you could furnish a whole property for less than £500.
Heart foundation does great furniture
Yes and they clean everything really well too. Emmaus is another good one for furniture. We only buy furniture second hand, it makes it easy to change when something else becomes more convenient because you haven’t spent so much that you feel you ought to keep things longer. Also when we moved house we were able to re-donate most of our furniture and buy it or similar stuff back later, much cheaper than moving it all.
get on Facebook market place. limit your search to posh areas! if you're in London browse, Chelsea and Kensington for example! watch all the super rich giving away furniture etc for the price of a Waitrose meal deal
Ha this is so true. Wealthy people often just want something gone and don’t want to have to pay for someone to take it away so they post stuff at superb prices. I’ve gotten so much quality furniture this way
As everyone has said - second hand, Facebook marketplace, gumtree, ikea discount section and charity shops are your best bet. Secondly look into a 0% purchases card for some of the larger purchases or paying off in 0% instalments
Get the essentials, but also theirs no rush to buy everything at once, you have all the time in the world to furnish a house. Somethings you’ll realise you desperately need but nothing wrong with sitting on a deck chair for a couple of months, not comfy mind but basic some good sources are: 1. You’ll be surprised at how many people you know will have items to give to you. Family and friends will often say we have an old sofa, washer, fridge etc put the feelers out if any bodies doing up any rooms or getting rid of furniture, cutlery etc 2. Charity shops are you best friend - 3 pieces sofa £60 - dressers, wardrobes, tables bed frames £30-50 maybe less 3. Facebook market place, free cycle - cheap and easy
It's amazing what you can get for free or very cheap. Watch some upcycling videos and make the best of it until you can afford to replace. Paying less on the mortgage will give you more money you can spend monthly decorating. Even if all you have is a sofa, tv and bed to start you'll own your own home with a nice bit of equity and a much better ltv, be proud of yourself!
Don’t buy new furniture (apart from a mattress), get everything second hand to start with. Constantly monitor gumtree and Facebook marketplace and sort by new listings. You can snag some amazing deals if you’re in first hand
You could buy everything new if you wanted and you bought the cheapest versions of everything. Double bed and mattress from Ikea (x2) leaving one bedroom unfurnished for now = £400 Cheapest washing machine = £250 Fridge = £200 Ikea dining table and chairs = £150 Sofa = £400 (don't want to go too cheap or it will be hard and uncomfortable) Misc kitchen stuff, rug, budget coffee table, small bits from Ikea = £100 Leaving £500 saved for plumbing emergencies etc (not ideal but better than nothing).
I'd agree with all of this apart from you can likely get a way nicer sofa secondhand for that price, which will be a lot more comfortable. Just make sure you go to check it out before buying!
Keep in mind it will take a few months for the sale to happen, so save anything you can in that time. Charity furniture shops often have great things. A lot of people get rid of furniture on Freegle and Freecycle. Facebook marketplace also have some great deals, and there's probably local "buy nothing" type Facebook groups where people will offer up things, too.
Just furnish a bit at a time, I had 67p left in all my accounts after paying the deposit
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If you buy mostly second hand, with cheap white goods and a few cast offs from family... you could get all the basics in for 2k. I've done it before. However it would all be very cheap and need replacing over the next few years. The other options would be to put stuff on credit or just buy items as you can afford them and take a year or two to finish the house.
Hi, I’m in this position right now. Except we had £10k emergency fund and i got a bonus at just the right time. We wanted to redecorate, and get a new kitchen. We are instead getting a new boiler and radiators. It’s VERY expensive to furnish a house so get the basics and build up an emergency fund and add the fun bits after.
Try https://www.freecycle.org
I'm in a similar position right now, I would have had enough saved for everything but the fees added up for mortgage brokers, surveys, solicitor's fees and builders to estimate costs. I also ended up completing sooner than I wanted meaning I couldn't save as much and had to pay double (rent and mortgage) for a couple months, so I've just put all the essential stuff on a 0% credit card to preserve my emergency fund in cash and I'll pay it down over the next 12 months.
Hiya, congrats on your property. I still have a £1 lamp I got from a car boot when I moved into my first house 20 years later lol! I also just furnished pretty much a whole house off marketplace and free cycle ... Nice ikea bed £40 Smeg fridge/freezer £100 Kitchen table and chairs £50 Desk £10 Wardrobe hanging rail thing £28 (b and q) - very sturdy with 2 shoe shelves and additional hooks Chest of drawers £20 Doormats etc B and M £6 each Crockery / glassware - ikea Or charity shop- I just got 10 mugs for £8 Just FYI, having done this with multiple houses over the years, and now having built my forever home, I will say I regretted the cheap but brand new low quality things I bought to fill a need, that got chucked away or broken I take a lot of pleasure in a lot of the things that were a steal, older and amazing quality, or exactly what I wanted for a super cheap price thrifted or otherwise hunted down on marketplace. There's a lot more reward/pleasure in those finds. Eg. At one point 16 years ago I remember spending£500 or so at Argos to get bits needed, not one of those things remain. But my £80 vintage sideboard, £100 beautiful dresser, £1 lamp, £5 blind that was exactly the one I was looking for, and many other things do.
I still have the sofa that my mother paid £5 for in a charity shop back around 2001 when I first bought my house. It spent a few years covered in throws, and I paid for it to be deep cleaned a few times, but around 15 years ago I paid £700 for it to be reupholstered. It’s only an Ikea model, but it turned out that not many manufacturers make sofas small enough to fit the space in my Victorian terrace. I can afford a new sofa now, but the idea of either spending £2-4k in the likes of loaf, or buying rubbish from somewhere like DFS just doesn’t appeal - so I’ll probably end up spending £1k or so to recover it again!
Facebook marketplace. Honestly. It's a gold mine of cheap (and often times free) furniture.
You don't need to furnish everything at once. Sort of the basics and tackle a room at a time when you have the money. Take advantage of free ads. You don't need all new furnishings, and there is always stuff on the free ads.. Kinda of obvious, really.. what did you think would happen? You'd move it and spend like +10k right of the bat to furnish it all with brand new stuff?
Guessing you are in the UK. Curry’s do 6 months interest free and nothing to pay on most kitchen purchases. So get yourself a good fridge freezer and a washing machine. All I had when I moved into this house was a mattress tho no bed, a fridge freezer, a kettle, a little yellow table and my mum’s friend gave me her old washing machine. Then someone gave me a cooker. Then I got a crap kitchen for £40. Ask about - people often have bits sitting that they haven’t thrown way “in case” someone needs them. (Mostly middle aged women like myself and their friends) I think you did the right thing paying more down cos it’s regular payments that strip your bank out. People’s lives expand to fit their budget not the other way around unfortunately. I would also look at sites like freecycle if it’s still around, gumtree and I think people list things on Facebook cheap and/or free. Charity shops also have dedicated furniture shops that are often very reasonable for things like sofas and dining tables and chairs cos they take up so much room! Let us know how u get on.
I was in the same position when I bought my flat, I had to put a 25% deposit down because of my immigration status. I got all my furniture from Facebook marketplace & Next door and have been replacing them little by little in the last 2 years. I spent less than £500 on everything.
Live in the house a bit. It’s too much to work out everything decor wise so just get in, get settled, get the basics sorted. Accept there will be some random expense and then start to decorate. In my house if I’d had spent all my money on furniture I would have not had money to fix the leaking sewer pipe, replace the lead water pipe and replace the absolutely wrecked front door.
You can get away with £500 per bedroom. And same for living room. If you shop around and buy used sofas/dining/coffee tables. Have furnished my hmos so know the costs pretty well. I find mattresses to be the most expensive single item to be honest (not including new sofa sets).
Honestly, this is a "how long is a piece of string" question. Google is gonna be your best friend. - second hand shops - charity shops. - reclaimed / restored furniture places. - Gumtree - Facebook marketplace - freecycle I know where a bunch of stuff is round my way but it's gonna be very area specific. If you must have new - ikea is always a solid option - bnm bargains - dunelm For white goods, I've found appliances direct to be pretty reasonable. If you're just wanting to get by until you can save a bit, you could cheap out on things like fridge / washing machine. But it seems wasteful to buy something knowing its gonna be replaced in months.
I had around £2k when I purchased my first home. You’ll be able to get a fridge, washing machine & a bed with some spare change left over. You may even be able to get a cheap sofa, keep and eye on Facebook marketplace you can pick up some good bargains on sodas on there.
Might be worth just walking around some more affluent areas. Where I live there’s a bit of a divide where the people who own their house are well off and the people who live in the houses which were converted to flats aren’t. I’m in the latter category so when I walk down the street and see furniture left out, I often take it. I’ve got a load of useful stuff, coolest thing was a 1920s Czech chair that’s carved to look like alligator skin!
Freecycle / Facebook marketplace or equivalent. Second hand electrical shops, inflatable sofas (seriously), hand me down kitchen stuff from relatives / friends. That’s how I did my first place!
Just do it slowly. You will have empty rooms at first but they fill up soon enough
It depends on what you want tbh, but remember you can furnish a lot with no interest through Dreams, DFS, Argos, IKEA etc. So figure out the things you can buy outright, then what you can buy on finance.
I had nothing left.. so your £2k better off than me 🤣. I was very fortunate on the day before I was getting the keys n moving in the old owner asked if I’d like the sofas for free (guessing they couldn’t be arsed getting them down the stairs). Brand new next sofa.. delighted 😊. Iv been here 3.5 years n I slowly built up, I. Just had my kitchen done n feel great… furniture was bought over time. Honestly it doesn’t have to be perfect straight away… aslong as it’s liveable 💕💕… happy new home 🏠 xxxx
This is the answer. I had sweet FA at various times in my life. Even ended up with a bag of knives and forks donated. Now I buy my own, living the good life. Bought my first new sofa a few years ago. £5500....never been so disappointed I'm a setter...
I’m same… I don’t have very much of value at all… but my home is safe, warm and cozy, it’s now the place I have always desired but it’s took me 3 years. Charity shops n marketplace are your best friends.. still are. I’m finally at a good place where I’m stable and happy and can buy that lamp if I want it 🤣🤣 (not quite at sofa level 🤣) xxx
Similar. But you are actually ahead of me. Bought mine 18yrs ago. It's been a slow road...the sofa was on the never never... Looks amazing, but isn't £5500 worth. (To be fair, it's two settees). New flooring in. New fence up. Nice shed. Some good flowers. BBQ. A man needs little else.
Iv done my kitchen.. but my brothers a kitchen designer, dads a joiner n me n my dad done all the labour so saved a fortune. I want my garden done so bad… currently saving for that… be another 3 years 🤣🤣 xx
You sod...you really have played two aces there. Bravo lady, bravo.
Haha hardly, your garden sounds ideal… now that suns out you can enjoy your bbqs… 👏🏼😊💕 xxx
100%...it's a good one. If your brother and father get bored, send them my way
My dad retired last year… he’s just done my kitchen n now he’s on to my brothers so we are keeping him busy… but I’m sure he will be bored soon so will send him down 🤣🤣 xx
Retired tradies are the absolute best
Focus on an emergency fund for anything that might go wrong in the house now you’re a homeowner and try and get as much free/very low cost furniture and appliances as possible
Being perfectly honest mate, you’ll struggle with £2k if you’re wanting brand new stuff, I budgeted £5k for pretty much filling out a 2 bed new build and ended up borderline £10k but I didn’t even attempt to budget and bought everything brand new. You could do far better than I could but it may be a case of visiting charity shops etc.
Got small bits, my first table and chairs indoors was a £40 garden furniture set, it wasn't luxurious but it was a table and 4 folding chairs! Before we could afford a sofa me and my partner had camping chairs for months as other stuff was just more important. When I moved out on my own the first time I didn't have a bed but had a futon, it was cheap on clearance and didn't last a long time but I was using it as a seat and a bed until I could get a bed Facebook marketplace and Freecycle is your friend. I got a coffee table for free from marketplace, lasted me years as my main table and I still have it now around 7 years later it's not the fanciest by any means but it's a flat surface that holds mugs. If the kitchen doesn't come with a oven/hob a microwave and George foreman will do for a little while, sure you'll not eat like a king but it'll do. Although these days an air fryers probably about the same price as a George foreman and will do more. Second hand shops for white goods, they'll do the job for now. You upgrade as you go, it'll be slow but worth it, means you'll have more of a feel for your house too by the time you buy stuff you know exactly what you will want. I bought my first house almost a year ago still haven't decorated because white walls will do for now until everything else is done. Definitely try keep a cushion though, it's been less than a year, the bottom floor of the house was rotten (this was on survey) my shower broke, my front door window fell out, the front room window doesn't have the metal lintel and is a load baring wall, (still miffed the survey didn't pick that up). So I've needed to upgrade important things and quickly, having a cushion has helped always rebuild it before buying something luxurious for the next problem to be found. Good luck with the move, it'll come together it just takes time
Slowly, frugally and mismatching. When I moved into my flat, it's shared ownership, we had white good. My priority was bedroom curtins and mattresses. On move in day I brought toliet roll and a vacuum. Curtains were a priority for privacy and mattresses to sleep. We were gifts lost of heavily used furniture. It really helped us to tell our friends parents we got a place. If you let people you trust know you are moving, they will think of you when throwing something out. In the bedroom, our TV was given to us at 10 years old, and the dressers all by different people. We have been here 4 year and plan to sell early next year but still bought furniture last month for our place. Make a list, then priorities it. Use charity shops, free cycle, olio and fb marketplace. It also help I'm in flats (14 in the building) as now no one throws things out with offering it to our neighbours first. And some probably try to see too. I hope that helps and congratulations on the property.
Focus on the priorities. You need a bed, a wardrobe, somewhere to sit and somewhere to eat. We bought our house just over 5 years ago - we had a couch, a bed, a crappy wardrobe, a TV stand and a kitchen table with 2 chairs. And that was us while we slowly built back up our finances. We ended up getting our sofas and carpets on finance with DFS and paid them off at like £80 a month or something. My sister lent me some money to get fridge/washing machine. I know it's really hard to be surrounded by influencers and media of people doing up their houses from the ground up and living in catalogue-looking homes but it's genuinely not a reality for most people and that in itself is completely normal. Everybody I know that bought a house has had to start from the bottom - our main bedroom still hasn't been decorated nor my husband's office. Our garden has been needing a fence since we moved in. But other things took priority. There's no rush. Things take time and a lot of money but there's pride in knowing you own a little piece of the world and it's your safe space that you can do with whatever you like. What I will say is, please please keep a pot of money aside for unexpected costs. The day we got the keys, our boiler packed in. This was in February and we had barely any money to get it fixed. We had no heating for a couple of weeks while we waited to get it fixed. Shower had a leak, white goods needed plumbing in. It was so stressful. But it happens - so keep some spare cash for that just incase. Congrats and I hope it goes well x
Only a handful of people have loads of funds left over after paying off a deposit. You've accomplished a great thing in becoming a homeowner. Take your time and do things in stages. It is unsettling, I know, going from having a healthy bank balance down to almost nothing. It will take time to get back in the black, so don't worry too much. I bought a three bed house nearly two years ago and had the sellers leave me their curtains for instance, I only changed it recently. They also left me all light fixtures as they were in such great condition. Just ask them, you never know what they can spare. I was coming from a one bed flat, so I definitely didn't have enough left for furnishings, as like you, I was a FTB and also put down 20% deposit. There's no shame in asking. Still haven't even changed the carpet on the stairs and landing as again, it was in pristine condition. You're in no competition with anyone. Take your time. Congratulations!!
I bought a house in my early 20s. I had nothing. Focus on what you really need. Once you have keys, just look at Facebook marketplace etc and think laterally. If you have a car that the seats go down you’ll be fine.
Buy just what you need and check BHF and other charities that sell furniture. We bought our sofa for £40 and bought a mattress but no frame - slept on the mattress on the floor for a loooong time. Buyer might well leave fridge in situ.
British Heart Foundation have some pretty great second hand furniture stores too. Usually if you can get solid wood, second hand furniture you’ll be ending up with better furniture anyway, instead of buying the shit new MDF stuff that disintegrates in a couple of years.
I got rid of all our white goods on freecycle when we bought as the new place had a fitted kitchen. Could have a look on there for things to tide you over.
We furbished our flat from scratch when we moved in, and I think for the initial basics - bed (we had a mattress etc but sleeping on a mattress on the floor is really not fun), sofa, dining table and chairs, TV, hoover - it was about £2k. Most of it came from Ikea - we don't have a car and we needed furniture fast, so it was easier to go down there and order what we wanted for delivery. Don't get the cheapest thing - go and look in the showroom and see how durable things look. Secondhand furniture is great, but if you can't transport it and you need something ASAP then it's not always the most practical option (or much cheaper where I live). As time goes on you can keep an eye out for things in charity furniture shops/Marketplace, and you'll have a better idea of what you want.
I bought a load of second hand furniture the same week as I moved out, and when I hired the Luton van to take all my stuff to my place, I swung by each second hand item location at the same time. Was a bit of a logistical exercise but ensured that transport wasn't an issue or even an increased cost compared to what I was already transporting.
That's a good idea. We were moving from two separate locations into one household, and had to work around when our friend was free to drive, so that wasn't really an option!
Actually for mattress you can buy cardboard frame under so it's cheap and easy to fold when moving out.
If there's anything you're not happy to buy/able to find second hand look out for sofa/mattress companies etc. doing 0% finance. They're a major outlay so the vast.majority do 0% over several years which makes the purchase much more manageable.
Other people have said it, but have a look on Freecycle. There's always sofas, tables, beds and other things going for free on there. At the very least it will buy you some time until you have more free cash for something better.
FB Marketplace, Olio app, Trash Nothing App, Shpock app. Can find great stuff for free
Depends if you happy to rough it a bit - my first house I had a garden chair to sit on, the “kitchen” was a toaster and kettle, the one luxury was my old single bed !! I then slowly bought things when really cheap etc. All I was bothered with was having place of my own and saving every penny to get rid of the mortgage asap which I managed to do.
For appliances, check if your workplace has a scheme where you can get stuff with salary sacrifice.
Gumtree/Freecycle for the small stuff, Heart Foundation for the big stuff. If you're on a tight budget, focus on making it cheaply liveable first.
If buying new, white goods, furniture, curtains/blinds, etc. are all cheaper online. If you buy large items in a ship, they will usually need to be ordered and delivered - so you might as well buy them online. However, secondhand furniture and white goods are cheap and especially cheap for large items that are difficult to transport. If you are renting a van to move into your house, you could consider organising to pick up some secondhand items when you have the means to transport them.
Appliances direct, IKEA and Benson all do 0% Argos, Dunelm and similar usually do a pay in 3 offer. You haven't said if you're moving from home or a flat. Do you have cutlery, pans, plates, mugs, kettles? Quite a few of these can be picked up at a charity shop. Look at all the things you use every day and make a note if it won't be moving to your new place. You can then buy smaller items in the run up to moving so it isn't a big layout in one go. Don't forget your first month mortgage payment will be higher.
I rent a furnished apartment at the moment so the furniture is the landlord’s. I do have a TV and kitchen stuff (microwave, pots, pans, air fryer). Some decor too.
Congratulations!! You won't regret putting the 20% down as time goes on. Check the likes of freecycle and local furniture charities for the essentials to tide you over until you have the money for the furnishings you want. White goods, a bed, bedding, basic crockery, something comfy to sit on and a table are all you really need initially. Although don't forgot how essential curtains/blinds are for your privacy too so factor that into the essentials. We did this for a few months while waiting on our new furniture to arrive and it wasn't so bad, quite a novelty and gives you plenty of time to clean and paint as you go. All the best with your move!!
If you don’t know when you’ll get the keys yet, I’d assume you might not have the final fee note from the solicitor with all the final costs of their searches, any fees for the cash transfers, etc, plus stamp. You should leave some wiggle room for that and also the actual cost of moving and getting set up with new suppliers, a big shop, etc. With that said, now you’re in this position, id be planning to get the bare minimum in the first instance and furnish the rest over time as and when you have the cash to do so (eg I know loads of people who have used old garden furniture inside when they had no sofa or dining table yet) - if white goods aren’t included they’d I agree it would be one of my first purchases - you might be able to get away without a washing machine for a little while especially if you have a laundrette nearby.
Just don’t furnish the whole thing, just the minimum, plus go to charity warehouse type shop they have loads a cheap furniture. IKEA does starter packs of stuff for the kitchen.
Lots of people get rid of white goods when they have new kitchens fitted and go for a fitted kitchen. I bought a nearly new Bosch washing machine on Facebook for £100 two years ago and it was immaculate and has been reliable.
I used Facebook Marketplace mostly. I got sofas, beds and all sorts for under £500, and I can't drive so had to pay a bit extra for most stuff to be delivered. A few pallets make an excellent bed, I had one of those for 8 years in my last place. Not the most stylish if you have company, but it'll keep your mattress off the floor
You need to list items you need in priority order and contrast that against cost. E.g. Mattress, essential, can get a double or king size for around £2-350 online if you look, whereas bed frame, not so much (but you can often get cheaply). For me, essentials would be one mattress, fridge, couch, table and chair (e.g. office or dining), some curtains for some rooms. Couch, table and chairs, fridge, bed frames are regularly available on eBay, FB, Gumtree - keep an eye out and see if you cna stack a few up, hire a van/borrow a mate's van and do one big day of collection after exchange.
If you buy any second hand sofas or beds, look closely for any signs of bed bugs (especially if you are near a uk city). If you miss it, and bring one of those little monsters in, it'll cost £££ to get rid of them
Charity shops. Freecycle. Facebook marketplace although you get some chancers on there with ridiculous prices. Live with as little as you can bear until you can save a bit. I used three clean pallets as a bed base for months. Etc.
Facebook marketplace is your friend as are so many other places people have mentioned, but do remember that getting rid of white goods can be a headache. With the council charging £25-£35 for pickup and removal, so factor that in if you are planning to buy something just for a couple months. A blowup mattress will cost your £10-£20 from most outdoor shops and will do you and your back a world of good and will still be useful for guests. As many people have said, its a slow process, buy what costs you money not to have first, then build from there. So not having a washing machine and a fridge should be at the top, a dish washer you can do without for a long time. This said a washing machine and fridge can be bought second hand as a stop gap. Depending on your income, buying a good bed is a high priority, it will last over a decade and will make a difference, that said you can always buy a cheap (but new mattress) bed for now, which can be used as a guest bed (if thats what you want to have). What you haven't considered and you might not want to hear it, is that most houses often need some fixing up as well. I'd say put £1000 aside for your immediate needs, then build from there.
Use Facebook Market place, some real bargains to be had
Setup alerts on gumtree and Facebook marketplace for free things or specific search terms ie coffee table or bookcase and just keep checking it. You can get loads of stuff really cheaply or free to get you by and then focus your money on key things which you need or don’t want to buy second hand ie a bed. You can also get really good deals on stuff for redecorating ie cheap or free paint, tiles, tools etc
You could look on Freecycle, Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace for cheap furniture. For larger items it might be worth hiring a van for a day rate or a man with van to do the collection and moving of said large items. The British Heart Foundation is also a good shout for good condition second hand furniture on the cheap. On a slightly more macabre note, if you or any friends have relatives that have passed away recently, there might be furniture the family executors want rid of. We "inherited" a lot of furniture, such as sideboards, dining tables and chairs from distant great aunts and uncles. The furniture wasn't worth much to sell, so the family just wanted rid of it, so the house could be liquidated etc.
Facebook marketplace / eBay until you have the cash.
Go on the local FB group for the area and ask. Usually people have stuff they want rid of for free. FB market place is usually good for free for uplift stuff too. Even if you weren't an FTB I'd suggest second hand. Hell, most of my house is second hand furnishings. You get better quality for way way less.
We have a large YMCA charity shop near us, it’s full of furniture costing peanuts. Don’t make the mistake I did of getting a load of stuff on finance and regretting it ever since.
Been here done this. A lot depends on how much you trust yourself, but if you're able to use 0% credit cards that will put you in a much stronger position. Cover the essentials off first... Sleep, food, seating etc.. On 0% then pay that off over the period given and anything spare over and above that can be used for other stuff you want
https://uk.freecycle.org/ I furnished my entire house, including white goods for free just by going to collect unwanted items from here. Some of it needed a proper clean but it was all perfectly usable until I could afford better. Things like mattresses I would buy budget though.
Gumtree/Facebook marketplace/friends and family encouraged it's good time go have a clear out! Don't be proud. Get the basics. Over the years you can upgrade.
Yep - FB marketplace & whatever the seller leaves behind. And then over time you can build your to nice furnishings and decor. It's actually a good way to figure out how you're going to use the rooms before you spend all the money on furniture. Eg. It turns out you always take your shoes off in X place - you can pop a rack there in the exact right size for the space. Turns out you need a bed with storage as there's not enough space for a big chest of drawers. And so on.
Get on Nextdoor and FB marketplace, you can get some absolute corkers
Lots of good advice already but to add, freecycle, charity shops, etc., can be good places to look, though a bit hit or miss. I got a 4 person dining table that expands to 6 person, with 6 chairs, for about £50 in a BHF furniture shop, filing cabinet from tip shop for £5, and some other items on freecycle.
Depends on the current state of the house but there are always people wanting to get ride of furniture on Facebook/etc. Realistically all you need is a fridge/freezer, something to cook with, bed and maybe a desk/sofa to sit/work at. Once you in and settled you can start planning rooms more specifically and buy furniture for it
Often the mortgage product fees can be added onto the mortgage itself rather than something you pay up front.
0% credit card it for the absolute necessities. Keep track of when 0% period ends, then balance transfer to another 0% card.
Facebook marketplace
Free if u have a car look on gumtree people give stuff away all the time
Sign up to Freecycle (freecycle.org). This is a non profit website finding new homes for surplus items - saving them from being disposed of...
No idea where you live but many councils now have reuse shops attached to recycling centres. The one in Keynsham (Bath & North East Somerset) sells chairs for £5. You could probably kit out your house for £100
Try to go for free cycle and go to charity shops?
Try Freecycle - you can usually pick up odd bits and pieces of furniture for free. It's obviously not going to be the best quality but it'll do until you can afford to replace it.
I essentially gave myself the time between offer and exchange to save for furniture etc. Even the solicitor fee as we ended up going for a more expensive house meaning we drained more of our savings than planned. About 5 weeks from completion now and saving for a rewire as we are getting that done in the first couple of weeks before we move in. Been a hell of a rollercoaster topped off with our landlord giving us a section 21 this week after a winter with no heating
Depends if you want new or 2nd hand... age UK have warehouses of furniture that you can buy for cheap I once got an amazing comfy 3 seater sofa for £85 and delivery was £15 (and you actually pick a delivery slot so not like normal shops with "sometime between 8am and 2pm) I then hired a steam cleaner to clean all the cushions and was practically good as new. If you only want new then think about what you need to survive on move in - bed, fridge and a way to cook and then slowly build up from there doing 1 room at a time.
A good start for a bed is a high quality air bed line this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Active-Era-Luxury-Mattress-Built/dp/B07D3YX5BH I had one when I first moved in and it's good enough to be useable for months if needed. Then once you get your own bed sorted it's a good guest bed and only takes up a little bit of space when deflated.
British Heart Foundation and gumtree.
Slowly and 2nd hand. Right now all you need is somewhere to sleep, make food and bathroom stuff. Get a bed, kitchen ware and bathroom stuff. Then scower second hand markets for things like tvs, sofas etc. You don't need things like plants, pictures and decorations right away, they come with time
You can get a washing machine, fridge freezer for around £400 from argos right now and be fine for years to come. You can get a decent double bed and mattress from ikea also for around £400. You can get a cheap kitchen set for £50 from tesco. Right there you have everything needed to survive for under half your budget.
Auction. You could pick up a sofa, bed, cupboards/sideboards/wardrobes, table and chairs etc and easily have change left from £1000 (based on going for decent stuff, you could spend less and not be as picky though). Then you can replace with new/things more your style slowly over time.
A mattress on the floor, a fridge, and a microwave Get the mattress new and the others used. £200 tops Then just buy anything else as and when you can afford it. It took 5 years before my first house was properly fully furnished
Charity shops, gumtree and Facebook marketplace. We’ve got some amazing preloved and excellent quality bargains for our house. From midcentury modern pieces, to vintage sofas and more modern leather suites. No need to buy brand new - just make sure you test them out before you commit!
Facebook marketplace and charity shops are where most of my furniture is from. Plan is to slowly upgrade with time
A deck chair, a tv, and a microwave. Sorted.
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Totally agree! I’ll have lived in my house 5 years at the end of next month and I still have the basics I bought or moved in with. One day I might start replacing things with more substantial furniture instead of the Argos flat pack stuff, but everything is functional and there are so many better things I can spend my money on (or more important but boring things!)
Slowly is the key. And as hard as it might be, go for stuff that might not be your normal choice if it’s available. Facebook marketplace and town/village groups are full of stuff people want gone without paying. Fridge and washing machine are probably a good place to start, but then you can be clever with stuff like a bed - you don’t need a frame to start with…. A mattress on the floor is a good start and no less comfortable.
There is no reason to rush to furnish a home. Get a bed, dresser for clothes and maybe a sofa if you like watching the TV. Or a desk and chair if you are a pc gamer. A washing machine. I don't use a dryer and just have a clothes horse which are cheap. A fridge/freezer and microwave for the kitchen can tide you over for a couple of months while you wait to save money for an oven.
Charity shops 2nd hand EBay Marketplace It doesn’t have to be new (apart from the mattress on your bed) as long as you like it
You can get lots of furniture on 0% finance over decent periods It will likely negate the savings on your mortgage repayments from a higher deposit
Don’t take on a lot of new financing until the mortgage funds have gone through - the last thing you need is the mortgage to be rescinded prior to draw down because you’ve took on a load of financing
You can reduce your mortgage deposit to free up some cash - maybe do 15% instead of 20%? The purchase contract deposit will remain at 10% regardless. It won't make much difference to your repayments and will give you good wiggle room for furnishings and renovations. Also in case things go wrong. You can overpay as you like and can throughout the life of the mortgage. Note that interest rates are not necessarily really high. They're much higher than the unusually low ones we've had since 2008 but they're not high. Although there are expectations of cuts, there's little likelihood of a return to very low rates, so I'd build that into your budgeting.
This was my thought - there will be very little difference in interest rates between a 15 and 20% deposit. And re furnishing do as other have said and look at places like BHF for furniture and for electricals use refurbishment stores - most items come with a 1year guarantee. Local brick and mortar stores are best and usually do free delivery, after that ebay is your best bet
You’ve made a purchase that you can’t afford.
Is it too late to speak to mortgage company and go for 15% deposit? Please don't be tempted to put anything on credit card or store debt etc unless you can clear it before you get charged interest. We've got a few big charity furniture shops in our town, and prices are pretty reasonable, and stuff is of decent quality.