To use my recently cleared Credit Card for this..

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I'll try and keep it short.
Overcrowded in HA. Have found a private rental. Awaiting on the paperwork to move end of month
We've been told we can paint as 2 of the bedrooms are not good and need to do before moving as once furniture in it will be difficult.
My son has enough stuff as he has own room now.
Dd and dsd have nothing for a bedroom as currently sharing with us. Ie wardrobe space etc.
The girls room will need a carpet too which we've been given permission.
I'm stressing as every bit of cash we've had to use for deposit and month upfront.

I need to get wardrobe and drawers for girls. A bed for ds and the girls will have the bunks that ds currently uses ( dsd normally goes in with him and dd in cot but outgrown)
A few homely items like lighshades. Curtains etc.

Everything else we'd make do. But to try and furnish a 3 parlour bed house from a small 2 bed flat at short notice is stressing me out.
I struggle with change and the fact I love my home as it is.

Due a babybin the new year so wanted to get sorted by end Oct to then concentrate on Xmas and baby.

Please note. I didn't expect my life to change so much when I moved here it was just me and ds. Never expected to meet so. Wine and get married. We had dd with treatment but was told we wouldn't conceive naturally and we did.. If it wasn't for that we would of manged to scrape by until ds goes to uni.

I had worked hard to clear the credit card so feel gutted to feel the need to use it. But I goess it's not like I'm using it for useless things or meals out etc.

I think your landlord should have the rooms decorated and carpet put down. If it’s just not tobyour taste you could get a rug.

Don’t forget that any improvements you make will only benefit you in short to medium term. I’d be wary investing heavily in decoration and carpets that you won’t be able to take with you if you move.

I am not sure if your circumstances but aren’t there grants or loans available to those on lower incomes? If so and if you’re eligible you could apply and use that.

Also think about gumtree, Facebook or freecycle as people will be giving things away. Again this could tide you over until you’ve got funds to buy things you’d like. You may also find other things quite cheap.

Good luck in your new home.

Don’t do it. You’ve struggled to clear it and it’s a huge achievement, well done. Don’t undo your hard work for this. Go on Freecycle, be polite and you’ll be able to get what you need for free. Save up for carpets.

If you plan on being there for a good while I think it would be wise to get carpets (realistically it's such a pain to do them later down the line once the furniture is in) but that's one of the more expensive things. Try and get a good deal like end of roll/ free underlay/ free fitting? Painting is fairly cheap, say 20 quid for paint and a fiver for rollers and brushes, well worth it imo. I wouldn't splash out on furniture though, like pp said second hand will be fine for now and you can save up for new (I'd get new mattresses though). Set a budget for what you can realistically afford to pay back in a set time (don't forget Christmas is coming too so will need to pay for that) and do what you can. Don't be tempted to do everything at once, you have your home just concentrate on getting in and enjoy it, the rest will come xx

Facebook marketplace is brilliant for second hand furniture, don't waste your money buying new (except mattresses).
It's really not that much hassle to move furniture to paint. You can do it a room at a time when you can fit it in. The kids won't mind putting up with grubby walls.
If there is no carpet at all the landlord should put one in. If it is just a bit tired you could rent a carpet cleaner or get it cleaned professionally.

YABU and I say that as someone who truly understand the stress of moving and tight money...not having furniture OR the money to buy it.

Been there and done that.

The fact is that you can get perfectly good furniture in charity shops or auctions.

Many larger charity shops have warehouses full of stuff...CHEAP too.

Also, Facebook and similar have stuff for free or cheap.

We once sat on a garden bench for months rather than get a sofa on hire purchase. Watched my neighbour get tonnes of stuff from Brighthouse and deep in debt.

NO. Don't do it.

Agree about carpets being the Landlord's job. What condition are the floors in? If they're floorboards then just get big rugs.

Painting is pretty cheap, you can get a massive tin for £10ish. Carpet is probably the most expensive thing. I’d consider saving up instead of using the CC and doing the carpet as and when you can afford it. I realise it’s trickier once furniture is in but it’s not exactly impossible.

Wardrobes and soft furnishings, try eBay, FB marketplace or charity shops.

I second charity shops for furniture. You can get some lovely items at bargain prices.

You can get room sized offcuts cheaply to carpet a room and a tin of paint won’t be a fortune.

I wouldn’t want to put stuff on a CC in your situation & I have been there. We once had flattened cardboard boxes taped to the floor whilst we saved for a carpet and a bit of copper pipe in an alcove instead of a wardrobe.

Have a look on Freecycle and Gumtree for free or cheap furniture that you need, that will save a lot of money

I'm another one saying dont do it. It is urgent and you worked hard to clear it which must feel like a weight off your shoulders

It isnt urgent I mean

Carpets are the landlords job.

In your circumstances I would not use the card. Go on freecyle and other charity places for furniture. You can always replace at a later date.

How gracious of your landlord to “give permission” for you to paint and install carpets when upkeep of the house is his responsibility!!!

Agree with others not to go nuts buying furniture - I know you want to make it absolutely magical and perfect right away; but you’ve survived this long with the current set up and so it won’t harm the DCs to wait a bit longer to get everything sorted.

Lurk on all your local fb pages (we have a ‘freebie’ page) as well as gumtree - it’s amazing what people literally give away! No, it won’t match - but it’s better than going into debt.

Charity shops and gum tree are fantastic for furniture etc also near me there is a furniture shop that does second hand items that they have cleaned up I really would recommend that too when I moved I had no money and my cooker broke I managed to get a brand-new one that I could activate the guarantee on for £80 on gumtree they did want more but I explained that was the maximum I could pay and they just wanted rid of it ! Totally understand your stress op but try not to rack up debt also on a private let there should be adequate flooring down I would raise this with them as they really should pay for the carpet have a look online for large tins of white paint and just spruce the place up with that for the time being

If you MUST put it on a credit card, get a new one that is 0% on spending for X months and buy the minimum.

By which I’d say carpet, 1 bed, curtains.

YABU, it's really not worth getting back into debt.

Painting doesn't need to be done straight away unless you can get some free paint from one of those schemes that they run where people donate unwanted/ unfinished paint.

The furniture you should try to get free from Freecycle, or charity shops (some are very cheap as they're run specifically to help those on very low incomes).

Flooring should be down to landlord. If it's just that it's grubby, hire a carpet cleaner, and make do for now.

You might actually also find carpets on freecycle. DP managed to carpet his entire flat from frecycle. Bloke had moved into his flat and didn’t like the carpet put down, so put it up on freecycle, DP helped take it up and used it in his own flat. Carpet was brand new!

Don’t use your credit card for this, you have a new baby on the way you don’t needed added stress of debt.

Freecycle, eBay Facebook selling sites and ask among family and friends.

Congratulations on your new home and baby.

I'm a landlord and painting and carpets are my responsibility. I don't mind tenants choosing their own stuff but they shouldn't need to.
Provided the landlord has done this and it's in good nick, no, I wouldn't use your card for this.
I'd look round on FB etc for furniture.

Oh, hang on! I thought you were going into HA not a private let, hence needing to buy the carpet.

What floor covering is down now? You shouldn’t be paying for carpet in a private rental. Be very cautious doing that.

Paint is different but you shouldn’t be improving the actual fixtures and fittings which is what carpet is.

Also op alot of people are now putting lino down in bedrooms and it actually looks great so might be worth looking at that option if the landlord won't do carpet

Your new private landlord is taking you for a fool.

We've recently moved and donated the crib to family so all we had was the mattress. My son slept on that on the floor for 6 weeks. He was fine. It's a bit like camping and it meant we could get ourselves sorted first.

It was lucky we waited too as the bed I liked for him was around £400 online but we saw a similar (not as nice) bed in B&M for around £150.

As PP said, paint is cheap so it's worth doing that before you move in and the LL should really install carpet. I know HA houses it's up to the tenant but you shouldn't have to foot the bill.

Everything else can wait and you can spend time choosing and getting excited. It doesn't have to be perfect. I bet the children will love the extra space more than a pretty wardrobe.

You can get paint cheaply and home bargains and B&M even B&Q does slightly cheaper generic brand paint.

Don’t get yourself into debt over this. I’ve used the cheap paint and we all rolled up our sleeves and spent a few weekends cleaning and painting. House looked lovely and the make of paint didn’t matter at all.

Landlord should paint and sort carpets before you move in.

Look on Freecycle and charity warehouses for furniture, curtains, lamps etc. Only buy mattresses and bedding new.

If you get into more credit card debt this side of Christmas, you'll find it incredibly hard ever to get out in the NY, especially with a new baby and bigger outgoings on rent, utilities etc.

Please don't stock up on worries that could taint your first month's with your precious newborn.

Unless they drop the price in rent, don't do any work for them. It's the landlords job to make sure the house is adequately decorated and have carpets put down. Never invest in a property that isn't yours.