Budget Furnishings For Your Holiday Home
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Making a property purchase abroad is a huge commitment and often requires a large investment, either through your own cash or a mortgage. This can often mean that the budget is restricted when it comes to decorating and furnishing your new home. So whether you’ve recently bought some prime Marbella real estate or are planning a property purchase in Portugal, here are some fantastic ways to furnish your new place without spending a fortune.
One of the first things you need to consider when buying furniture for a holiday home is how often the property will be used and who will be using it. If you’ve bought it to be your permanent home then it might be worth spending a little bit more on pieces you’ll be using and seeing every day or arranging to have all of your current furniture shipped over from the U.K
Budget Furnishings For Your Holiday Home
If the property has been purchased as a holiday let for others to use, there is the possibility that furniture could get damaged or stained, especially if you’re letting to families, so it needs to be easy to clean and replace if needed. You could buy locally or purchase from the U.K and look at the cost of having it shipped over. You would need to do some research to decide which of these options would be preferable cost-wise.
Ikea is Your Friend
Ikea is the biggest furniture retailer in the world with stores and franchise’s across a staggering thirty-eight countries. This means wherever your property is, there’s likely to be one within a reasonable distance – especially in European countries such as France, Spain, Germany and Italy. Ikea is famous for it’s cheap yet stylish flatpack furniture and amazing storage solutions and is perfect for those on a budget.
The advantage here is that many products are sold across all Ikea stores. So you can do all of the planning here in the U.K at your local Ikea, making a note of the products, colours, sizes etc that you would like to buy and then take that list to the Ikea nearest your holiday home when you’re ready to make purchases.
If your time in the country of your property purchase is limited, this is a brilliant hack as you’ll already know what you want to buy and where to get it.
Buy Sheets and Bedding in the U.K
There’s nothing like home comforts when you’re abroad soaking up the sunshine. It’s surprising how much bedding can vary from country to country both in style and comfort. There’s also the price to consider – bedding is typically cheaper when bought in the U.K than in other areas of Europe. Bedding items such as sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases can easily be popped in a suitcase so it’s one thing that’s easy and cheap to take with you to a new property abroad.
Buy White Goods Abroad
If the move abroad is a permanent one, it can be tempting to take absolutely everything with you including electricals and white goods, especially when you’ll likely be forking out for shipping on everything else.
However, it’s worth remembering that it can be much more difficult to get repairs done on U.K products in a different country. Buying new when you arrive will mean the manufacturer’s guarantee will be in place from the start if anything goes wrong. Sell your white goods in the U.K and put the money towards buying new.
Buy Second Hand
Most European countries will have places to buy second-hand furniture, just as we do here in the U.K. Look out for local second-hand furniture shops and markets as well as the usual online shopping hubs such as eBay and Pre-loved. If you get to know some of the locals they will often be able to tell you the best places to buy second-hand and where to find house clearances and auctions which can often be a treasure trove of vintage furniture.
Protect Your Furniture
Taking some small steps that protect your furniture could increase its longevity and save you money in the long run.
Here are some things you could try:
- Ensure sofas and wooden furniture are placed away from direct sunlight to prevent fading and discolouration.
- If the property is being let to families, invest in sofa covers to help protect the fabric, these can be purchased on Amazon for around £25.
- Alternatively, you could cover sofas with throws that can be washed.
- If the property is going to be empty for any part of the year, cover furniture with dust sheets and check for signs of rodents before leaving for any period of time.
