Moving in lockdown when you have no furntiure!?

[Belinderina]

I'm moving from a furnished property to a house of my own imminently. I'm excited but the monumental task of furnishing a house from scratch during lockdown is beginning to overwhelm me!

I need everything and my initial plan was to just buy furniture locally from independent shops and large furniture charity shops that have things in stock. Obviously all those kind of shops are now closed due to lockdown and I'm panicking!

Did anyone have to do this in the last lockdown? do you have any tips? or can anyone recommend any online furniture retailers that do quick delivery but still decent furniture?

Thanks!

I think it's good advice not to rush into decisions! so thanks everyone. I've found a bed on Amazon that has a 3 day delivery thats the same as one I saw on Bensons Beds with a much longer delivery!

Was thinking of just getting a cheap second hand sofa on gumtree/FB/Freecycle for the short term then at least I can sit on something until what I really want can be ordered and delivered.

@Cockadoodle27 - I'm doing the exact same type of move!! Thanks for all the tips I like the idea about doing a tesco order for all the kind of household items. I need to do an AO order for appliances too. There are just so many decisions I feel like my head is going to explode. I hope things are going smoothly for you and congratulations on your new home!

@belinderina I've come to realise that all my big plans and ambitions are going to take some time 😄 just go for essentials. I forgot to mention that my favourite online item so far was a desk from VonHaus - and it's by far the best quality item I've had so far. My chair for it comes today from the range, and I have fabric samples for sofa beds from made.com so can get that ordered for the office as soon as chair arrives to make sure they match. I'm exhausted but I love it and you will too! One more tip, we have a little portable EE router thing that has been a lifesaver for Internet when my 5G vanished and I realised signal isn't that great 😆 (3-4 weeks for sky to come, although they send the router after about two, you could get that ordered in advance). Good curtains are expensive, I kept my eyes on ebay for Dunelm ones (got one set so far) and got a couple of cheapies from amazon just to tide over, you can really tell the difference with the good ones. But they cost hundreds new!

On beds, Mattressman is really worth a look. They have a very large trade section, which supplies landlords and hotels, and can produce just about anything. My experience has been one or two days if they have something in stock. They are likely to be a lot cheaper than someone like Bensons.

10 years ago when DH and I got our first flat we had no furniture for two weeks. We look back on that time fondly. You need somewhere to sleep and sit mainly. IKEA beds are fine (ours is 10years old now, but we have had a new mattress). Buy other stuff when you look in person and take time to measure up properly.

@Belinderina: I'm not at all snobby about second hand furniture if its wood etc, but having suffered a hugely expensive (1K + to sort) & destructive moth attack from an infested armchair, I am sworn for life off second hand soft furnishings (unless I knew the home they were from was moth & other bug free)

If its an interim, a garden chair/an ikea poang armchair (i know they are a bit studenty!) or anything else would be my preference...

Argos maybe? Ikea is doing deliveries too. Local Facebook pages/gumtree/eBay or better still Freecycle (aka free) or post on you local next door app, people are so generous and have garages full of things they no longer need! (I posted looking for movers and a local business currently closed have offered to move my stuff, just said it was their pleasure, I was gobsmacked basically!

Ps my first place we slept on an air mattress for a week!