How do I furnish a home without spending a fortune?

Furnishing costs escalate because people try to complete rooms. Buying in order of how much you actually use something spreads the cost and avoids the expensive mistake of buying furniture that turns out to be wrong for the space.

What you'll need

• A tape measure
• A list of rooms and needs (optional)

Step by step

1. Measure everything before buying anything.Rooms, doorways, stairs and turns. Furniture that will not fit through the door is a common and expensive mistake.
2. Buy in order of daily use.Bed, somewhere to sit, somewhere to eat, storage, then everything else. A house without a sofa is fine for a month; a house without a bed is not.
3. Spend on the mattress.You spend a third of your life on it and second-hand mattresses are a genuine hygiene concern. This is where new is worth it.
4. Buy solid wood furniture second hand.Old solid furniture is better made than most new flat-pack and costs less. It can also be sanded and refinished, which flat-pack cannot.
5. Use marketplaces, charity shops, house clearances and free-to-collect groups.House moves and clearances produce large amounts of good furniture at very low prices, and free groups exist in most areas.
6. Check second-hand upholstery carefully.Look and smell for damp, check for fire safety labels where required, and inspect the frame and seams for damage.
7. Live in the space before committing.A few weeks tells you how you actually use each room. Furnishing on day one produces decisions you undo later.
8. Prioritise storage.Underestimated by nearly everyone. Insufficient storage makes a home feel chaotic regardless of how good the furniture is.

Tips

• Delivery is the hidden cost of cheap second-hand furniture. Factor in a van hire or a delivery fee before deciding something is a bargain.
• Paint and new handles transform tired but structurally sound furniture for very little. A solid chest of drawers is worth reviving.
• Buy end-of-line and ex-display from retailers. Substantial discounts on items whose only flaw is being discontinued.

Common mistakes

• Buying second-hand mattresses — Hygiene and hidden wear are real concerns, and support degrades in ways you cannot see. This is the one item worth buying new.
• Buying without measuring access as well as the room — Sofas that fit the room but not the stairs or doorway are a common and costly error.
• Furnishing everything in the first month — You have not learned how you use the space yet, and you will replace some of it. Spreading it out costs less and produces better decisions.

Questions people ask