House set up costs

[putitdown356]

Im moving into a new house in a few weeks and trying to organise my finances so that I don't have to keep taking money out of savings account due to limited withdrawal allowances.

How much do you think I need to furnish a small 3 bed house using high street and FB marketplace? Fridge and dishwasher are included and I have one bed frame, a saucepan set, one pair of curtains and 4 towels.

I would get a good mattress from Argos and Spread the cost on a Buy Now Pay in 6 months type offer. + Cheap bedding

A clothes rail from Tesco £9.50 to hang clothes up for now and some plastic storage boxes in place of a chest of drawers and an airer or two for drying cloths + a dehumidifier or dehumidifier boxes. Camping chair and folding picnic table for a dining set for now. All will still be useful when you buy the permanent stuff.

Then as it's just me, I would take a breath, work out what I actually needed and make a list after I moved in. I'd think about what style I want too.

I'd wait until the January sales and buy the things on my list. Getting what I could from Next sale / Next account and then I'd know how much to withdraw from savings.

@Garlicpest thank you that is really helpful.
@MiddleAgedDread agree regarding mattress, I hadnt realised they were quite so pricey.

@Singleandproud good idea about waiting till im in, I felt a bit panicky this morning as im missing all the black friday offers, but I don't want to waste money on getting the wrong things.

You need to get browsing the internet, it’s not hard
to find prices! www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk/mattresses/double/

@putitdown356 there are always sales.

Nexts are December, March, June, September and always around the 25th of the month - they always have furniture, bedding and curtains for sale. AO has a good knee in January for big or small appliances. DFS always have a sale on sofas and beds.

Don't rush, as it's just you you can have the bare basics and work out what you need and what you want. Once you have taken stuff in to your home It can be difficult to find the time to get rid of of it again so 'just for now' stuff can still be hanging around 15 years later

Just get the essentials to start with, but try to get the best you can afford rather than the very cheapest otherwise you're going to end up having to buy them again. As others have said, look for second hand or even free stuff, you may be able to adapt, paint, renovate etc. old, solid stuff and make it look fantastic.
You have a bed, you will need something to store your clothes in, maybe a dressing table, some lighting, sufficient bedclothes to be comfortable. You will need a comfortable living room with something to sit on, some storage, a television? some lighting. You will need window coverings. You will need basic kitchen and cleaning equipment. Don't forget the importance of simple things like kitchen knives and a chopping board, pots and pans. And don't forget you may need some additional heating, so think about that too.

I don't know your personal circumstances but my extended family has a stash of curtains that do the rounds as we move houses. We also don't get rid of furniture without checking whether anyone else could use it first - so it may be worth asking around your friends or family if they have anything they don't need any more.

@putitdown356 I highly recommend ikea mattresses they're so comfortable and very reasonably priced
Ikeas actually pretty good for setting up a home from scratch and stuff is quite well priced

@DilemmaDelilah a family member has kindly offered a chest of drawers , it has a handle missing but still perfectly useable and I will paint it at some point.

@NailsHairNipsHeels hadnt considered them for mattresses, will have a look thanks.

@NailsHairNipsHeels arent ikea mattresses different sizes to standard bed frames? They used to be slightly bigger.

@putitdown356 new handles are a great way to update furniture!

No, they do normal UK sizes now.

I paid £300 for my mattress - it was a Groupon offer. That's always a bit of a gamble, though, and Ikea ones are perfectly reliable.

I've had to set up from scratch more than once. I would suggest two saucepans (pasta and sauce), crockery, knives, forks, cups for four. A pan that can go in the oven - will do a casserole or a stir fry with a lid. At least one even tray and a deep one that does things like roasties.

A sofa or chairs is great but be wary of second hand and will have an extra delivery charge.

A couple of changes of bedding and towels. I

The best mattress you can afford, ideally tried out, that's something to me that can really make or break my quality of life (I'm a sleep hog).

If you shop somewhere like Sainsburys for food look at Argos, especially for the student kitchen stuff. You can combine nectar points so you get something back.

If you don't need to paint or do flooring (or stuff you can't live with that's good).

But I'd make a list of what is absolutely necessary, what is a like/want and what is a can wait.

Most other things can be replaced as and when and congrats on your new home, I hope you're very happy there 😊

Argh, just thought of small appliances!

Kettle and toaster - you can do without but do you want to?
Iron & board or steamer & pad
Vacuum cleaner
Hair dryer?

I always buy these things from Ebay or Amazon, normal retailers seem to overcharge for them.

Also mirrors: Ikea's very good for those.
And duct tape, everyone needs duct tape!

@notwittywithusernames thank you! Good idea about lists as im sure quite a bit can be likes/wants.

@Garlicpest iron and board and hairdryer can definitely do without but not kettle.

I need to buy a new mattress. Please could you recommend one from IKEA?

Is it possible to replace all of the handles?

This must be a really exciting time for you. I would focus on a good sofa and mattress for now. What kind of look do you like in a house?

I would look at bootsales and charity shops for kitchen stuff, and keep an eye on Freecycle for other things. Supermarkets can be good for things like bedding and cushions, and bins and storage. Aldi middle aisle has great deals on things like cookware and random stuff .
British Heart Foundation does second hand furniture very cheaply, and some of them deliver. It might take a while to find something that you like though.
Some areas have great secondhand shops, check out what's available near you. Let it be known that you are happy to accept unwanted items from friends and family - people sometimes don't offer for fear of offending, but if they know you're in the market for whatever they clearing out, you'll soon find people offer you things. I've had carpets, curtains, tables and chairs, even a washing machine , just handed on to me from people I know.
You don't need to get everything at once. Take your time, and enjoy putting your new home together.

You need to check - they do UK standard sizes and Ikea sizes, which are slightly different. Measure your bed frame before buying a mattress - there's only about 10cm difference, but it needs to be the right one to fit comfortably on your bed. I've bought the wrong one before and they wouldn't change it once it was unrolled.

Look for Facebook free groups for your area - search eco community,
helping, sharing, giving away, preloved, freecycle. You'll be amazed at what people offer.

Let it be known that you are happy to accept unwanted items from friends and family - people sometimes don't offer for fear of offending, but if they know you're in the market for whatever they clearing out, you'll soon find people offer you things. I've had carpets, curtains, tables and chairs, even a washing machine , just handed on to me from people I know.
Agreed, but with a big caveat. If you are accepting from friends and family do make sure what the 'terms and conditions' are. Will they expect the items back when you have finished with them? Will they be offended if you sell on in years to come? Etc, etc.
Agree expectations in advance. It saves fall-outs later.

@healthybychristmas I have the VÅGSTRANDA it was slightly more than expensive but it's the comfiest mattress I've slept on

In my spare room and DPs bed has the
VESTERÖY
Again very comfortable and a good quality mattress for price

Basics for a house ( for me ) would be sofa , coffee table , dining table & chairs , tv & stand , bookcase ,
Bed & mattress , bedside cupboard , chest of drawers , wardrobe .
Kitchen white goods would be cooker , washing machine fridge freezer.
Then all the fittings , such as carpets or other flooring , curtains or blinds. All your kitchen equipment needs , towels , t towels , bedding. Cleaning products . Bathroom cabinet.
Then the home making stuff , ornament s , nik naks ( if your into that ) candles , books , rugs , mirrors , lamps etc.
I don't think you can put a cost on all that , it depends on quality , what you can actually afford , and what you see as a need / want .

@healthybychristmas good point about replacing all handles, I didnt even consider this.

The kind of look I want to go for is a grown up shabby chic/French farmhouse.