Where to shop for nice but cheap home furnishings

[hellenbackagen]

I find myself at almost 50 having to start again.

I'm going to need to furnish a 2 bed bungalow from scratch with very little money.

I have a sofa
A bed
A washer/dryer
A mini hi fi thingy

And that's literally it.

I'm going to need wardrobes/bedroom furniture
Pots and pans
Kitchen equipment like kettle/toaster/microwave
Fridge/freezer
Towels
Bedding
Curtains
Tv
Tv stand

Basically absolutely everything. I want nice but cheap - does that exist? Where should I look?
Thanks in advance

Supermarkets
B&M
Local second hand furniture shop (they often deliver)
Ikea
Car boot sales
Charity shops

Get absolute essentials first and then build up slowly things that you need.

H&M home is overpriced, but you can sometimes find things in there, Next, M&S etc on clearance.

As far as tvs -or anything else really - ask around - people may be getting rid of stuff. Might not be to your taste but perhaps drop a throw on it - this is until you can afford something nicer.

I got a tv free from someone at work, whose daughter had bought a bigger one - plenty big for me in my little room!

Don't buy from Ikea- most of it is cheap tat that won't last- good on design but low on quality- which is reflected in the low price.

Op you can't go wrong with charity shop. You just have to put them time in finding the good ones.

Ikea
Asda
B&M
The Range
Wilkinsons
Home Bargains

If you shop around you can pick up some nice bits for cheap. Not exactly in your situation OP but we have been given notice from our landlord after almost a decade in our house. I'm devastated about having to move. It's horrible isn't it when it's not really what you want to do.

Facebook marketplace
eBay
Gumtree

IKEA, Asda, the range are great for if you need new.

Disagree about ikea being that, most of ours has done 10+ years and still going strong.

Definitely a trip to IKEA.

You can get some bargains in Dunelm in the sale bins. I got some curtains that had been £50, for £11 as well as sheets/pillowcases etc some 70% off but you have to dig. Also some kitchen items again greatly reduced.

Oh and 2 blinds that I thought were £20, paid £9 at the till and when I was standing there there was a trolley with 'everything a £1', got 4 lampshades and a base! Bargains

Freecycle, ebay

Tesco and Matalan have some reasonably priced nice stuff, wilko is also decent and very good value.

ASDA and Wilkos are spot on for smaller appliances; home furnishings; decorative items.

We liked Currys for white goods as they had such a massive range from budget right up to megabucks.

Facebook buy/ swap/sell groups. Often I see people changing colour schemes and selling bundles of kettle/ toaster etc as they’re not in keeping with their new scheme
Wilko form cheap utensils etc and B and M for throws/ bedding. Primark have nice house bits too

Car boot sales are great and so is Facebook - our local one has a 'gifting and giving' as well as marketplace. People get rid of really decent furniture quite regularly!

Boundary Mill if you are near one. Fantastic kitchen stuff, towels and bedding, huge discounts on nice brands. Otherwise, Asda and TKMaxx.

Ikea - browse the markethall for crockery and pots and pans.

eBay - I know you said you don’t trust eBay, but you can buy new or used items at a buy it now price, in a similar way to buying from Amazon etc.

Tk maxx - hit and miss, but worth a try . Great for bedding, towels and storage containers,

H&M home for accessories etc. Also Sainsbury’s have good home pieces.

Furniture look on local Facebook selling groups or gumtree, IKEA furniture too. We also bought some bits from local second hand furniture shops and upcycled.

Hope you soon feel settled in your new home.

I like Matalan and TKMaxx for the smaller stuff. I got some nice bedding, throws and cushions in there.

Supermarkets are usually good for kitchenwear, towels etc.

Good luck in your new place

Also if you're near me, I have a decent TV that I'll be giving away soon, you are very welcome to have it.

Gumtree: much rather have good quality used than cheap but unsound new. Good luck.

Another vote for The British Heart Foundation shops.

I don't generally do ebay, but picked up an gorgeous sideboard from oak furniture land the other week for £72 from just up the road from me. Larger items tend to be cash on collection so you go and take a look, and if it's not as described you can in theory walk away. Or contact the seller and ask for a viewing before placing a bid.

Charity shops are good. Any of the supermarkets are good for basic kitchen stuff, and Wilcos is fab for just about everything.

Look for local auctions, sometimes they are full of tat but you can get the odd bargain.

Also if you know you can afford it, and your credit rating is good look for interest free finance deals on big ticket stuff. I have bought from Harveys before, know it doesn't have the best reputation but I was pleased with our sofa and dining table. Both still going strong 4 years later and got 0% finance. And AO.com sometimes do 0% finance as well.

Sone things you can't find cheap or secondhand, or can but they would make you miserable.

I second Sainsbury’s for kitchen and home accessories.

Argos curtains are okay too.

My DSis furnished her house for next to nothing from Facebook Marketplace. There's a lot of tat to wade through but it's worth it.

I don't know if there's something similar where you live, but in my city there is a community furniture store where second hand furniture, white goods etc are sold cheaply, with an extra discount if you are on a low income.

As pp said ebay. I'm picking up a M&S large solid oak dining table and 6 chairs in excellent condition this afternoon for £50. Local to me so I'm sure I could have viewed first if I wanted.