Moving into your first home is incredibly exciting! It’s also likely to be the only time in your life that you can completely design your home from scratch, exactly the way you want it. However, before you start ordering and arranging furniture, you should be sure that you know what you’re doing as things can soon go wrong if you don’t have a plan. Here are 5 tips on finding the right furniture for your first home.
Budget
Set a clear budget and make a list of priorities, starting with things you absolutely need. For example, a bed, sofa, dining table and chairs. Don’t be tempted to go for cheap furniture just because it’s readily available and you want your house finished ASAP. This is hopefully going to be your home for many months or years to come, so take the time to make sure it’s right. Window shop first, either online or in-person, before you even think about getting out your wallet and choose the highest-quality pieces you can afford as they’re more likely to last.
Balance
Good furniture should be a balance of design and functionality. There’s no use having beautiful pieces that don’t serve any function as they’ll simply be taking up space, which is often at a premium in many homes. You want your furniture to work hard and earn its place in your home by being both stylish and practical at the same time.
Fitted furniture
If you’ve bought your first home and there’s a chance you might put it back on the market at some point in the future, then it’s important that you add to the property’s value. Adding bespoke fitted furniture, such as fitted wardrobes, can potentially add to the final resale value of your home.
Go DIY or Antique
If you’re on a tight budget or you have eclectic tastes and you’re not seeing anything you love in all the usual places, then you may need to get creative. Choosing antique, retro and secondhand pieces is a great way to achieve a truly unique look in your home without breaking the bank. All you need is a good eye and a bit of time to spare so you can browse secondhand stores, flea markets and online marketplaces for antique furniture for your home.
Let friends and family know what you’re searching for too – for example, if you’re on the hunt for a dining table or dresser, they may know someone who is downsizing and looking to pass on or sell furniture they no longer need or have space for.
A DIY approach can also elevate the look of your home and help you tie mismatched pieces of furniture together. If you’re a dab hand with a paintbrush and fancy a bit of a challenge, then upcycling furniture and refurbishing tired, old pieces can help you create a beautiful home that’s uniquely yours.
Analyse
Impulse purchasing is fine for some things, like a candle or cushion but when it comes to key pieces of furniture, you want to be sure that it’s right for your home, room and space before you buy.
When furnishing your first home, don’t just walk around the shops picking out pieces that look great in the store. Take pictures, ask questions, get accurate measurements, then go home and think about whether or not it will fit and how it will look alongside your other furniture and decor. That way, you can be sure that you’re creating a cohesive look and a beautiful space you’ll be happy to relax, unwind and entertain in, rather than just recreating a look from a furniture showroom.