What would you buy first? Social housing

[Miratea]

You move into social housing, you need flooring, decoration and furniture, you already have curtains and light fittings but white goods need to be replaced within the next year. You can buy one thing a month, like a bed, the next an area rug and so on. What do you buy first and in what order?

Flooring and paint!

Once I'd booked the flooring I want - you'd need to choose the official flooring you want to last for years - then I'd focus on painting before the flooring goes down

I'd do a quick job of mist coating the new platser, if needed and then i'd paint tough and washable white, until youre ready to go for your final look

I'd keep as much stuff as I can packed away until the flooring is done

congratulations on your new home 🥰

what do you have?

in order I would go with two big things like
bed
couch

rugs and stuff are way down the line.

A mattress, flooring, and paint. Then start saying for replacing appliances.

Other furniture you should be able to get for free or cheap if you keep an eye on eBay and Facebook marketplace.

1. A bed
2. Flooring
3. Paint

4.sofa

I would look on free stuff sites like on Facebook for other bits- you can get all sorts

I agree with this.

Beds, sofas and other furniture turn up frequently on my local Facebook Freecycle. There are also plenty of local charities that sell secondhand furniture for cheap. Some can also arrange to deliver to you if needed.

Furniture and furnishings you can get for free or cheap on Facebook/marketplace/gumtree/charity shops.
There are numerous items in my house that are really good quality and I wouldn't have been able to afford new.
A bed is priority, however spend more on the mattress as the base isn't so important or indeed vital at first.
Painting first is always a good idea before flooring, accidents happen and I recently had to replace a carpet due to a paint spillage!

Oo I forgot a bed 😅

Bed and a fridge.

One thing a month sounds hard . So would that want 1 mattress a month ? And so on?

Do you have children?

Please try and contact some charity's and look out for free items reach out to your local Facebook group to.

I think mattress/beds would definitely be first . Then a sofa .

I have heard good things about pay weekly carpets /flooring

What were you and the family sleeping on before you got your new home ?

Bed.

Facebook/freecycle local groups are good for free/cheap furniture so I wouldn't be prioritising that.

Have a look on your local Facebook marketplace or put a post (anonymous if you prefer) on a local Facebook community page asking if anyone is giving anything away furniture or furnishing wise. Make flooring the priority

so I just want to say as it’s being suggested a lot I’m aware about second hand furniture and cheap or free furniture being sold used. People giving away things cheap or free expect you to collect and a man with a van to collect isn’t cheap once you have factored it in.
There are local charity shops that do furniture for a price I could afford. I can still only afford one thing a month.

Almost everything in our house was from our local freecycle or Facebook market place so I’d prioritise carpets/flooring. The only thing we’ve bought new are mattresses. You can paint yourself in time.

When you say you need flooring what are the floors currently?

So if it's carpet but old carpet I wouldn't make that a priority for example.

Decoration equally I would not prioritise although you can get trade paint in large quantities in basic colours (white, cream) for very cheap.

I would prioritise furniture. Which furniture I prioritised would depend on whether I had kids or not.

Beds first. Chairs and table of some sort next. Most charity shops will do delivery although sone charge.

You can buy futon type mattresses that are intended to go on the floor - they need to be moved and aired frequently though.

Bed and bedding
Fridge
Cooker
Sofa
TV
Paint walls
Get some large rugs and do each room as you have the money re flooring

Flooring, if you don't care about rooms matching each other then roll ends can be a real bargain, I was able to do the stairs and landing with a £50 roll end from Flooring Superstore

https://www.flooringsuperstore.com/carpets?utmsource=googleeaiquire%22%22&%22utmmedium=cpccCarpetsPmax%22&%22utmmcampaign=21088762537%22&%22utmadset=%22&%22utmmad=%22&%22utmkeyword=%22&%22utmmmatchtype=%22&%22utmadposition=&gaddsource=1&gbraid=0AAAAADxR0NXPWEI0ckszQTPbwUFKZ2U8A&gclid=CjwKCAiAwaG9BhAREiwAdhv6Y2F7kGt5LVC67GMAfo0KAv9t38aVWQGclMlD7Yz5G16HS18R4T0ZRoCVFkQAvDD_BwE

I would try to get flooring done as early in the process as possible it gets more convoluted once you have loads of furniture to move around.

I don't understand why people are saying to prioritise flooring. If op does that where are they sleeping?

White goods should be last as op says she could get another year ish out of them

Somewhere to sleep
Somewhere to sit
Somewhere to eat

I'd put aside for the white goods from now so you can replace as necessary. I'd prioritise Fridge, washing machine, dishwasher. I'd put flooring last and manage with rugs meanwhile and do it a room at a time. Personally I think we'll laid lino can be as good as more expensive stuff.

I think the bed(s) should be new. Other stuff can be 2nd hand. The British Heart Foundation shops can arrange deliveries.

Good luck.

@Youagain2025 most social housing has no flooring which is a massive source of heat loss. By not doing it, you’ll be paying more for heating in the long run.

Do you have children? Do you have any furniture at all?

If you have absolutely nothing then my first priority month 1 is a bed, or at the very least a mattress. You need somewhere to sleep and you can then sit on your bed as well.

Month 2 I’d be doing flooring but as cheap as possible, as another poster suggested off cuts are great and cheap, so if your budget for spending for that month was £200 you could get potentially get your flooring sorted for half that price and then look at second hand sofa.

Also worth considering that some flooring companies will offer finance now so you could potentially do that and so you’d have your flooring sorted and pay it off each month while you get your other bits.

I’d have paint right at the bottom of the list, it’s lovely to have a nice painted home but not so great if you have nowhere to eat, sleep or sit while you look at it.

I get that. But they can't sleep in mid air

Our council tip has a section with free leftover paint - something to check out!
Alternatively, B&Q also has a basket of 'clearance' paint, stuff that's been mixed wrongly or whatever.

I would prioritise a mattress, then flooring.

Congrats!

I'd buy furniture first. Need somewhere to sit and sleep.

Bed and chair.

Ask on Facebook groups for help. Look at second hand options.