Anyone who has ever made a new start has probably had the problem of furnishing a new place from scratch. Maybe you’re fresh out of secondary school or university and you’re looking to begin a new chapter in your life or perhaps you are just ready for a change of pace. Whatever your reason for moving or redecorating, starting from scratch can be a daunting prospect. However, with a little ingenuity and searching you can have a fully furnished home in no time and for a fraction of the typical cost.
Pace Yourself
Some people see an empty flat and feel the need to fill it all at once. But don’t be tempted for the ‘buy now, pay later’ deals that the furniture dealers offer, it doesn’t have to be a rush. Instead, make a list of the items you need most, to the ones you can longest live without. That way you buy one piece at a time and keep yourself out of ‘décor debt’.
Ask Friends
Before you set out to buy the home goods of your dreams, find out if your friends and family have it lying around collecting dust. Plenty of people have unwanted furniture because they don’t want the bother of getting rid of it. In these cases, the furniture that could be the perfect adornment for your new home is cluttering up a spare room or storage unit somewhere else. There is no shame in asking; you are probably doing your friends a favor by taking it off their hands.
Meet your Maker
If you’re after a truly fresh start, you can try design retailers that work directly with the makers. Typically, when designer furniture and fashion is sold on the high street they are much more expensive because everyone between you and the designer wants a cut. Instead, strip out the middle men and buy from designers directly. Made.com for instance ships designer furniture like chairs, art and lighting for a fraction of what it would cost in local stores and retailers.
Garage Sales and Flea Markets
The next stop on your tour de décor should be garage or yard sales. In cities there are plenty of yard sales happening each month especially on the weekends. To find them, check local bulletin boards, look for yard sale listing websites, or just look around town. Again, people are often willing to part with unwanted items for less than they are worth purely to get them out of the way. Flea markets often have specific locations that there appear in often. If you found or heard about one in the past, then there is a good chance that it will be in the same spot again at some point.
Consignment Stores
A charity shop, thrift store or a consignment shop would be another place to find items for less than they typically cost. For the most part we tend to think of these stores as primarily selling clothing but they sell all kinds of things. Most of the time they sell used items for a tenth of the original price. You never know, you may find a diamond in the rough.
Any or all of these options can help you fill your flat for an affordable price. With an eye for both value and fashion you can have the home you want at the price you want to pay.