9 Best Tips On Buying Furniture For Your Home

Our 9  best tips on buying furniture for your new house!

In the UK we’ll move an average of eight times during our lifetime, and in doing so, we’ll be buying new furniture for that new home!

As a nation we spend over £10 billion annually on furniture, so what’s the best way to shop wisely in furnishing either a new home or refurbishing the existing one So, before you spend anything, take a few minutes reading these top 10 furniture tips … as doing so, could save you a small fortune!

The average cost of furnishing a three-bedroom home in the UK is over £15,000, so you can use this as a starting guide when budgeting for your moving costs.

So, then the question is “How much should I spend” – try to set a budget for each room.

Most items are used every day and so quality is important to consider.

Flatpack isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and you’ll certainly be able to furnish it for less than £15,000. However, for a premium finish, and longer-lasting items, ready-assembled products (ideally made from hardwoods and other durable materials) is the way to go.

2) Dining Chairs Are For life – Not Just For Christmas

The average cost of furnishing a three-bedroom home in the UK is over £15,000, so you can use this as a starting guide when budgeting for your moving costs.

So, then the question is “How much should I spend” – try to set a budget for each room.

Most items are used every day and so quality is important to consider.

Consider dining chairs that can also double up as occasional chairs, and so can be placed in your living room, hallway, or bedroom. In fact, many so-called ‘occasional chairs’ are equally suitable as dining room chairs (just make sure the seat height is approximately 45 cm from the floor).

3) Don’t Buy Too Much

Do you really need a coffee table in your living room Will you actually use a console table in the hallway For many people, the answer will be ‘yes’.

But do ask yourself whether you truly think you’ll use a piece of furniture before buying. This is especially true for a flat, where space is usually more limited, but it also applies to a new house.

Either way, the need for more space is one of the most popular reasons for moving, so why unnecessarily clutter Try to evaluate your needs and base decisions on functionality rather than decorative merits – it’ll save you space, and money.

4) Live In Your Living Room First

It’s all too tempting to want everything from day one, but take the time to get a proper feel for your new space as measuring up will always help.

But, there’s an even better way to simulate how much space you will need for your new living room sideboard that you’ve got your eye on will take up. Place a few boxes (you’ll have plenty after the move) in the area that it will occupy and live with it for a few days – spatially it’ll give you a great sense of whether your prospective purchase is too big.

Additionally, whilst a mood board might sound a bit pretentious for your maisonette in Ken, printing out some furnishing ideas and sticking these to your walls for a few days really can help. You can then ponder over dinner, or glance across while watching the TV, which will assist in distilling your thoughts. So, don’t click that ‘add to basket’ button until you’ve given yourself some proper thinking time.

And, there are also two very practical reasons not to buy too early – firstly, trying to decorate around new items is cumbersome and, at times, a little scary. Secondly, delays in moving house are all too common and, sadly, nearly one-third of purchases in the UK fall through. Moving is stressful enough and so try to avoid having to factor deliveries into the schedule.

5) Think About Tones And Styles

Good quality furniture will often outlast the rest of the décor, so think twice before using upholstery as a bold accent colour, and experiment with various colours and shades. It’s far easier and cheaper to change a cushion or curtain colour further down the line, so neutral tones and wood types are often a safer bet.

That’s not to say you should be staid, and there’s certainly no shortage of modern and exciting furniture styles to choose from.

Being distinctive and creative will bring out the very best in your new home – for example, an industrial table can give a contemporary edge to a kitchen with stone flooring, or the Scandi look can enhance your living room with the mid-century appeal.

Just ensure that the styles aren’t wildly different between rooms, especially if those rooms are adjacent to one another.

6) Furniture For A New Build Home

With a new build house, you’ve not only got that sumptuous, brand new feel and smell but also the benefit of a blank canvas on which to create your own personalised living space.

So, think about your future furnishings before you sign on the line so that when you’re choosing specifications, you already have a rough idea of how everything will coordinate.

Chances are you will have seen a show home before you bought and, if you’re looking for inspiration, remember that they have been carefully coordinated by professional interior designers. Therefore, take another tour and bring your notebook and camera.

However, do remember that show homes often use space-efficient (i.e. small) furniture, to give the impression of space, and so it’s also worth bringing a tape measure, for future reference.

7) Donate Your Old Furniture

In future years, you might welcome new arrivals into your home, and it’s worth thinking about their needs in advance, as good quality furniture is an investment for many years to come.

For example, if you’re thinking of starting a family, avoid units with sharp corners, and consider choosing upholstery materials that are either darker in colour to hide stains.

The idea is of course to choose those fabrics which will stand the test of time, easier to keep clean from all those impending accidents with play dough, crayons, and ‘spillages’. Also, future pets are another practical point to consider.

8) Repurposing Old Funiture

Finally, repurposing old furniture is becoming increasingly popular not just because of the cost of the replacement but can’t be parted from something that holds a fond memory.

Perhaps you have an old, beloved piece of furniture from your previous home, but can’t see how it will blend with your new décor If so, why not give it a makeover

Get creative with it and have fun – you could strip it back, replace handles or other features, or perhaps even paint it. A perfectly good piece can then have a second life – great for the environment, and your pocket.

9) Shopping Online

The way we buy is evolving, as more and more traditional ‘retail’ stores are becoming less popular as they move their furniture business online.

Online shopping is more convenient, there’s more selection, and you’re not paying a premium to cover the expensive retail space or the salaries of the commission-based sales staff.

However, remember that your consumer rights still apply when you buy online and, crucially, you’re legally entitled to return items within 14 days, if you change your mind. So, when buying online, avoid websites that charge ‘restocking fees’, or excessive delivery or collection costs – these are often tell-tale signs of companies that won’t be great to deal with.