5 Ways To Furnish Your Home On A Budget
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This post comes to you from Laura who writes over at ThriftyLondoner.com. If you’d like to see more of her awesome budgeting tips you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Home furnishings and appliances can often come with an expensive price tag, and the cost of furnishing a house can easily snowball when you first move into a new home- or even if you’re renovating. If, like me, you are renting, flats and houses can often come with some small pieces of furniture (which may or may not be to your own personal taste) or completely unfurnished. The costs can really start to mount up over those first few weeks of settling in- Wilkos even starts to look expensive!
Over the last 5 years I have moved house 5 times and so I’ve definitely picked up a few tips on how to make a house feel more like a home on a budget. Whether you’re a home owner or you are renting, it’s important that your home is somewhere that feels safe and welcoming, so hopefully these 5 tips will help make your home feel personal to you, without spending a fortune.
5 Ways To Furnish Your Home On A Budget
1. Online marketplaces Such As Facebook And Vinted
Online marketplaces can be an absolute gold mine when it comes to sourcing second-hand furnishings. eBay has hordes of furniture, with many items being available to collect in person. You can view the listings by distance from your home which means that it’s so easy to see which listings will be feasible to collect. Sites such as Gumtree also always have lots of furniture for sale, so make sure you check out both sites if you are looking for something specific.
Facebook Marketplace is a relatively new feature on Facebook, and browsing the marketplace using the Facebook app is super easy. Again, you can view listings by distance which makes it a complete breeze to see whether something is within range for you to collect.
Shpock is another handy marketplace app where you can browse items for sale near you. You can whittle down your search into categories, and even see the newest listings from people in your area- check back regularly to make sure you get first grabs on the best bargains.
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2. Hand-me-downs
When I moved to a new flat two months ago, my boyfriend and I were so shocked at how generous people were with giving us hand me downs. We received a microwave, lots of pots and pans and even a hoover from loved ones which saved us well over£100.
Once friends and family know you are moving, they will more than likely want to help out and pass down any unwanted items to you- spread the word and see what happens!
3. DIY Is A Great Way To 5 Ways To Furnish Your Home On A Budget
If you’re handy with a needle and thread, sewing your own cushion covers and other soft furnishings can save you an absolute fortune. The other bonus with making your own soft furnishings is that you can choose the exact pattern, shape and colour to compliment the rest of your home décor. Even if sewing is something you’ve never tried before, there are many step by step videos on YouTube that you can follow to become a pro in no time.
If you’d rather stay away from sewing, you could get creative with a tired-looking piece of furniture. Painting a piece of furniture can transform it, especially if you add things like new handles too- you’ll barely recognise it when you’re finished with your upcycling.
You could choose to update a piece that you already have that needs some TLC, or you could find something second-hand with bags of potential. This is one of the best ways to save some money on furniture in your home, and it is one of the most rewarding when you see the finished piece.
4. Freecycle
Freecycle is an amazing tool where you can find furniture and other items for free – perfect for if you’re trying to furnish your home on a budget!
Check out the Freecycle website to see what people want to get rid of in your area. You can browse the items available by location, and even place ‘wanted’ advertisements on the site if you are looking for something specific.
There might be another scheme that is local to your area only- so check out your local paper to see whether you could have your pick from even more free items. In my home town we have an area where people can drop off unwanted items and other people can go and collect them-
I’ve got lucky in the past with a large marble slab (used for pastry) and a nearly-new Le Creuset griddle pan. Both of these items would have cost a lot brand new, but I got them both for nothing.
5. Charity shops
Charity shops are my number one destination when it comes to finding unique items for my home.
My favourite charity shop find is some beautiful hand-painted 1920s cocktail glasses I got for £2, and I nearly always end up picking up something new for my home whenever I visit my local charity shops.
As well as smaller household knick-knacks, you can also find some gems from dedicated charity shops selling large items of furniture- often you can pick up vintage pieces at a fraction of the price you would pay at a specialist vintage store.
