How to Furnish Your First Home Without Going into Debt
When we bought our first home, we moved from a 1-bedroom apartment with approximately 600 square feet. Needless to say, the little bit of furniture we owned didn't go very far towards furnishing a 4-bedroom, 2,000 square foot house.
As a new homeowner, I understand the temptation to run up credit cards and charge accounts with furniture stores so your home can be decorated and finished as quickly as possible. However, my husband and I are committed to furnishing our home both stylishly and completely debt-free. Here's how we're doing it:
1. Rank rooms by priority and tackle your decorating in stages
There's no rule that says your house must be completely furnished 6 months, or even a year after you move in. A house is a longterm commitment. Slow down and let your decorating happen at a relaxed pace. Number one: you'll have better ideas because you won't feel so rushed and number two: you'll give yourself time to save up for big purchases. Planning ahead and being patient really does pay off! Make a list of which room projects are most important to you and what furniture items you’ll need for each one. It’s okay to bounce around between rooms, focusing on functionality first before you get around the details and finishing touches.
For us, our first priority was the living room since it's where we spend the majority of our time at home. We prioritized buying a new couch in the best quality we could afford, knowing we could save on the other, less important items in the room. We took the same approach for our primary bedroom (the next project on our priority list), putting our budget towards a decent quality mattress and bed frame before anything else. After six years of daily use, those items are still in great shape and will be durable for many years to come. Well worth the investment!
2. Accept hand-me-downs (after considering these 3 things)
It is possible to incorporate hand-me-down furniture in your new home while still creating a cohesive space, but you're going to have to be a little selective. If your experience is anything like ours, news will spread like wildfire that you are buying your first house and soon even distant relatives, your parents coworkers, and casual acquaintances will be offering up their old furniture to help you get started. While it's such a kind and generous gesture on their part, if you aren't thoughtful about what you accept, you could end up with way too much furniture and not love any of it. Ask yourself these 3 questions:
Is this piece in good working condition?
Does it fit my style and/or can it be modified with new stain, paint, knobs, etc. to work with the design I have in mind?
Can I think of exactly which spot and in which room I would use it?
If you hesitate on answering any of these three questions, there's probably a piece out there that's a better fit for your space. Which leads me to...
3. Shop secondhand at thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc.
When we moved into our first home, searching through new listings on Craigslist was a much a part of my daily routine as putting on deodorant or checking my email. These days, I am using Facebook Marketplace more often and of course, shopping my local thrift and consignment stores. You can score absolute gems by shopping secondhand, but the key is patience and consistency. You may not find what you are looking for the first time you look, but if you keep checking back over the course of a few weeks, your odds of finding the perfect piece are much better.
When using an online source like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, don't be afraid to negotiate price and of course, be safe! Research the neighborhood before you go, bring a friend, and try to schedule pick ups in during the daylight hours and in a public place if at all possible. Use your best judgment, if you are at all uncomfortable during your interactions online or in person with a seller, leave the situation immediately. During the time of COVID, I’ve been asking for contact free porch pick-ups and sending money via Venmo or PayPal.
Click here to read my 5 Thrift Store Shopping Tips for Furniture & Home Decor
4. When buying new, check for sales & coupons and/or ask for a cash discount
If you are ordering online, make sure to search for coupons and promotion codes before you check out! I have utilized both Retail Me Not and the Honey browser extension (referral link!) in the past to find discounts. If you are shopping at chain stores like Crate and Barrel, you can sometimes find coupons on Ebay that can end up saving you a lot! It’s definitely worth a quick search before you make any big purchase. Another trick I’ve utilized is putting items into my online cart, then stopping short of completing the check out. Many companies have a little alert for this within their e-commerce system that will automatically send you an “abandoned cart” email. Sometimes it’s just a reminder to finish your purchase and sometimes they include a little discount code for an extra 5-10% off to sweeten the deal!
When shopping at furniture stores, check their website and advertisements first to find out if there are an good sales coming up. Most stores are always running some type of sale, but your local furniture store may have an annual event like a tent sale each summer that’s worth timing big purchases around. Avoid any 0% interest financing offers and instead ask if they offer any additional discounts if you pay for your purchase with cash or check. It might not be a very big discount, but it will be even easier to relax on that new sofa knowing it is paid for in full.
Updated March 2021. The original version of this post was published here in November 2015 and featured on The Huffington Post in August 2016.
