When you move into your first home, the whole thing can be so exciting. But at the same time, it can be so frustrating, as often there isn’t much money leftover to makeover your home in that way that you would want. For first-time buyers especially, getting on the property ladder costs a lot, and uses savings for a deposit. So unless budgeting for furnishing and renovations are part of your mortgage, then it can be less than ideal. 

You might accept items that friends or family members are casting-off, which can be really generous. But unless they are pieces that fit your home well or are the right colour or fabric for what you want, the home can look a little mismatched. Of course, there are things that you can do to save, with cutting back on things like vacations or meals out for a while. There is always the credit card route but that is not really the best way to be, especially if you won’t be able to pay it off anytime soon. So with all of that in mind, here are some of the things that you can be doing to furnish your home, but keeping the costs of it all as low as possible.

Shop in Thrift Stores

Thrift stores can be great, and other times they can be not so great; it is all about hitting them at the right time, to see if there are things that can work for you and your needs. For example, an old dining table and chairs could be picked up secondhand. It might be fine as it is, or might just need a little sanding down or revarnishing to get it as you would like it. The base is there, though, and it won’t cost you much. Don’t be put off getting a bargain, just because you can’t transport the items home. If you look up the cheapest ute rental to where you live, then you could get the items back quickly and cheaply. So look at their potential, rather than what they look like as is, and you can find some great bargains.

Use Social Media

Social media has been a tool for selling things for quite a while. A lot of people will sell things like baby items or clothes, but there will be furniture items too. Because of the fact that the collection is local, the costs are likely to be kept quite low, which can be a great thing for you. Again, don’t take the items for sale at face value; what kind of potential do they have? To keep things within a budget, though, make sure that you are only taking things that you can do something about. If you don’t know how to sew or reupholster, then the costs of buying the materials can end up being a lot. So is that saving in the long term? Stick with affordable changes that you can do yourselves, like sanding, painting, and varnishing.