8 Tips for Furnishing a Home on a Budget
Updated January 1, 1 . AmFam Team
If you’re a first-time home buyer, there are plenty of things on your mind — but chief among them may be furnishing your home, as it’s an important part of making your living space comfortable and your own. As you start to find pieces that make your home uniquely yours, you may realize there are many things you need for your new home — and it can add up quickly! That’s why you’ll want to be cost-conscious when picking out furniture and décor. To transform your new home without breaking the bank, we've highlighted eight simple ways you can furnish your house on a budget.
1. Set a Firm Home Furnishing Budget
The first and most important part of shopping for furniture on a budget is setting a budget. Make sure that you’ve created a firm budget — a maximum amount of money to spend that you will not cross — so that you can set expectations for yourself and your home right away. By having a firm budget, you’ll be able to more easily weed out furnishing that is inessential or too expensive and make the purchasing process more efficient.
How much should I budget to furnish a house?
According to ForRent (Opens in a new tab), the average person spends $8,000 on furniture. An additional $3,500 is spent if the homeowner has more than one bedroom, and $120 for each additional bathroom. While these numbers can be used as a start for your budget, this number is unique to each homeowner’s situation and can be lessened with the tips provided below.
2. Be Willing to Settle
Furnishing on a budget requires compromise. Chances are if you stick to your firm budget you won’t be able to buy every piece you want — but you will save money. If necessary, opt for less expensive wood finishes or a design that’s close enough to that pricy sofa of your dreams.
3. Shop for Furniture Online
Although shopping at big furniture stores has the advantage of letting you try and see pieces in-person — it’s not always the budget-friendly option. Online stores such as Birch Lane or Furniture.com tend to offer furniture at lower prices than in-store counterparts because they don’t have to cover the expenses associated with brick and mortar stores. As an additional bonus, delivery fees are also often included with online furniture purchases as well.
4. Visit Thrift Shops
Sometimes you need to get thrifty. Your local thrift shop may have that couch or dresser you’ve been searching for at a fraction of the price for a brand-new equivalent. Thrift shop furniture won’t be in pristine condition—but often the prices are impossible to beat.
5. Keep an Eye Out for Garage Sales
You may not have to look beyond your own neighborhood for that end table you’re after. Shopping at garage sales can be a convenient and very affordable way to find home furnishing. If you’re garage sailing locally, chances are your neighbor will cut you a great deal just so they can part ways with the furniture they don’t need anymore. For more information, check out our garage sale buying tips and garage sale safety tips.
6. Wait for Holiday Sales
That new bed frame you want may be expensive now but check again during the holidays. It’s very common for retailers to have big furniture sales during holidays such as Fourth of July, Labor Day and Black Friday. These sales are usually when you can find the best deals and lowest prices on all types of furniture. If you can live without it for now, you may be able to buy for less if you wait until the holidays.
7. Turn on Price Alerts (Price Watching)
Many retailers offer many ways shoppers can be notified when a product they’re interested in goes on sale. Price alerts — such as signing up to be notified via email when a piece of furniture you are interested in goes on sale — can be an effective way of monitoring furniture deals and give you notifications the instant the piece you want is more affordable. Price checking apps such as PriceGrabber and Honey can also be effective tools for knowing when furniture you want is cheaper, and where to get it.
8. Get Creative and DIY
If you’re up to the challenge, you can always make your own furniture or refurbish old furniture. Unique lamps, curtains, coffee tables and many other pieces can be created with only your own tools and elbow grease — often at the fraction of the costs of retail prices. Sometimes all it takes is a refinish and supplies like varnish to make an old dresser or table look brand new. It takes time, but the results will be worth the effort.
Protect Your Home Furnishings
Furnishing a home on a tight budget is challenging, but possible. Once furnished, your home is now more valuable and a greater investment. That’s why it’s important to protect your home — and what’s within it. Talk to your American Family Insurance agent (Opens in a new tab) to learn more about the home insurance options right for you.
Related Articles
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Your home is more than a roof over your head. It’s where your dreams grow, your family thrives and memories are made. But the possessions you keep inside are important, too.
Whether you’re renting an apartment or own your home, you’ve most likely got an insurance policy designed to protect your dwelling and the things inside. Should the unthinkable happen and you have to use that insurance policy, it’s important to have a plan in place. And a home inventory list is a great way to get started!
We’ll walk you through how to create a home inventory so — in the event of the unexpected — you’ll be more prepared and have a streamlined recovery.
What Is a Home Inventory?
Quite simply, a home inventory is a complete list of all the items, especially valuables, in and around your home. The best home inventories include photos, descriptions and dollar values of each of your belongings. The more detail, the better! It’ll help you provide a comprehensive list to your agent of items lost in the event your home is damaged or destroyed, allowing you to get the most out of your coverage.
When your describing the items in your list, remember that the more information, the better. Here’s a quick reference list of the type of information you should include in your home inventory list:
- An in-depth description of the items. For example, rather than writing down “diamond ring,” be more descriptive, such as: “an emerald cut diamond ring, with white gold shank, accent stones and initials inscribed below the bridge.”
- Make, model, and/or serial number of the items.
- Date of purchase, receipts and photos.
- Estimated replacement cost if you bought it today. Do note that the value of the items might be different today than it was when you first bought them. This is especially true with jewelry, and other valuables.
- Appraisals at time of purchase. Especially if your items were appraised for insurance purposes.
Why Do I Need a Home Inventory?
Whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, everyone can benefit from a home inventory!
If you ever have to make a claim, a home inventory is a great asset to have, especially after stressful events like theft, storm damage or a fire (take a look at how one renter used their home inventory after facing an apartment fire).
When you make a claim, you typically submit information on everything that was lost — which can be difficult to do off the top of your head for all your possessions. Remembering to replace your TV or computer are no-brainers, but when it comes to remembering each piece of jewelry in your jewelry box, things tend to get overlooked. Having a personal property inventory will help, along with knowing how to properly insure your jewelry.
When you have your home inventory checklist, you know exactly what needs to be replaced, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing your entire household is protected.
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You’re admiring the rain from the comfort of your home when you notice a sound — the unmistakable drip of water dropping onto your floor. The first and hardest step is figuring out why your roof is leaking. And with these tips, you’ll find the culprit in no time!
Here’s Why Your Roof Is Leaking
The list of reasons why your roof is leaking may seem long, but don’t worry — when it comes to finding the leak and fixing it, the finding is the hardest part. And the good thing about these problems? They can all be fixed. Check out the list and see what’s troubling your roof:
Your roof is old
Roofs don’t last forever. Protecting your home and everything inside it from the elements comes with a cost. And with all that rain, snow, ice, wind and even sunlight wearing down your roof, it becomes more susceptible to leaks. Every roof will eventually need to be replaced, so learn more about how long your roof should last based on what it’s made of.
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There’s no good time to find out your roof needs repair — but you may be able to mitigate that pain by routinely checking your roof for damage after severe weather. Waiting for a leak or damage to present itself gives the problem time to grow and worsen.
And sometimes, you’ll be faced with expensive roof and interior damage repairs if you’re not diligent. By being proactive and checking your roof for damage after severe weather hits can help your roof — and your savings — stay healthy.
