Here’s the furniture you’re going to need in your first home
It can be difficult to prioritise what needs to be bought for your first house.
You’re spending enough money paying for it, but now you need to furnish it?
How do people afford it all at once?
Well, to be honest, most people don’t.
Usually, you can start collecting items for your future home years before you plan to move out.
But buying kitchen utensils for sale, mugs and crockery doesn’t make a home. It’s those staple furniture items that are necessary and, usually, the costly investments. And don’t worry, you might only start out with these essential furniture items, but you’ll grow your inventory the longer you stay there and, soon, your house will become a home.
The following furniture items are the “bare necessities” when it comes to home furniture and appliances. These are the absolute musts that you’ll need to save up for and buy when you’re starting out in your first home.
Something to sleep on
Okay, this is an obvious one. You’re definitely going to need something to sleep on. Now, an entire bed with a frame, headboard, mattress and bedding can end up being quite expensive. And you don’t necessarily need all of that to start out.
Having a “mattress bed” on the floor without a bed frame or base is actually something that’s trending on many Pinterest boards at the moment. And while you’re living on your own or just with your partner, you don’t need more than that right now. Another option would be to buy a futon. A futon (or sleeper couch) is a foldable bed that doubles as a couch. They aren’t the most comfortable sleeping furniture and is definitely not a long-term solution, but it will fulfil its purpose for the time being while you save for something better.
Something to sit on
We mentioned that a futon is a dual sleeping/seating option, but that also only really works if you’re sleeping in your living area and not your bedroom. You’re definitely going to need something for you and your guests to sit on in the living room. There’s nothing more awkward than visiting someone’s house and not having a place for them to sit.
When you move into your first home, you might not have the funds for a lounge suite and a dining room suite. But if you have couches, ottomans and armchairs, you can happily eat dinner on your laps in front of the TV (if you have one). It doesn’t quite work the other way around because, while you may be able to eat at a dining table, you won’t be as comfortable watching TV or lounging on a dining chair as you would on a sofa.
A fridge/freezer
This is probably the most important piece of furniture you need after your bed. A fridge/freezer is a necessary kitchen furniture item as you need it to store your food to keep it fresh and edible. Without it, you’ll be spending double the amount of money on groceries which is money that could, otherwise, be saved for more home furniture.
While we’re talking about kitchen appliances and furniture, you also need to make sure you have something to cook with. If you’re lucky, the place you’re moving into already has a built-in oven or hob. If not, you’ll need to buy a cooking appliance. You don’t have to go straight for an oven if you can’t afford it at the moment. There are smaller cooking appliances such as mini-ovens and slow or pressure cookers that you can use in the meantime.
Curtains or blinds
Many people forget about curtains and the importance of covering your windows when you move into a house. This is usually because when you go for a viewing, they might already have curtains up, or, it’s the middle of the day and the room is supposed to have natural light pouring in, so you don’t think twice about it.
But when you do end up moving in, come nightfall and you’ll be looking for curtains to close for privacy and peace and mind. You need to bring curtains into your new home and they need to be the first thing you put up.
Storage furniture
And the last piece of priority furniture is anything to do with storage. Furniture like bookshelves, floating shelves, a chest of drawers, coffee tables or storage ottomans will all work in your home. And the reason it’s so important to have storage furniture is that you don’t want to be living out of boxes for months or throwing half of your things away because there’s nowhere to put it.
You will always need a surface to leave your keys on, put your drinking glass on and hide all your random but necessary items that have no other place. As for getting all of these furniture items without going completely broke, paying them off on a monthly basis makes it more affordable in the meantime.