The cost of furnishing a 3/4 bed house?

[polka6]

I appreciate I’m asking how long is a piece of string… just wondering how much most people budget for this?

We will need everything. From beds, sofas, dining tables, wardrobes, the lot.

Any other hidden costs?

Carpets, curtains, bedding, towels, kitchen equipment, domestic cleaning stuff, washing machine, fridge freezer etc etc

it will cost a lot. Do it second hand. It will look better too if you do it this way.

If you’re buying your first house though bear in mind that the vast majority of people have second hand from charity shops, family etc and build it up gradually. They don’t go out and buy everything they might need in one hit. We had rooms with nothing in for months

Thanks @User952539 . Yes we are only planning to furnish the bare minimum first - double bed and sofa. Possibly also a dining table and a wardrobe. Some kitchen appliances come with the property - I.e fridge.
I assumed carpets / curtains would be left behind - I didn’t think people ripped carpet out? Or take curtains?

happy to consider second hand and see if there’s any local groups online (Facebook marketplace etc). If there any websites I should know of please do share.

Try looking on Freecycle, there's usually lots of furniture being given away, and you can gradually replace with your own choice as and when you can afford it.

Buy cheap and small first. If you buy a second hand table that seats 6 with 6 chairs that you don't much like, you'll never replace it. If you buy a tiny table with 2 chairs it's easy to sell or take to the tip when you have money to get something you do like!

It's quite hard to get even second hand stuff much cheaper than the IKEA basic range unless you own a van and have loads of time to do collections. Costing out with IKEA is a good start. It costs to get it delivered, but delivery may well save your sanity and means you're not sleeping on the floor the first week. We've done a couple of international moves with just a suitcase each so are old hands at it!

You can buy furniture packages like
aspirefurnishings.co.uk/service-apartment/

Google furniture package
Will give price idea

I’ve just done it it cost me about 20k probably more
I needed every single thing for a 3 Bed for one adult and two children
Everything from cutlery to their clothes . Painted throughout , flooring through t’as it had none at all . All appliances .

ex husband has everything else but we are happy .

Look at local auctions, furniture often goes for next to nothing. Factor in a man with a van though...

Check out your local emmaus/
British heart foundation/debra etc for second hand furniture

Also local auction rooms and man with a van can work out very cheap.

Ask around family for things that people are throwing out.

My dining table was bhf and cost 60 inc delivery. Is still going strong 10 years later!

John lewis/next etc all offer ez display sofas etc if you are looking to cut costs. I wouldnt buy soft furnishings second hand after having bed bugs in a flat at university but everything else, why not?

Othewise id say 4k minimum...

Join the Facebook group for your local area - lots of people post furniture for free. Also search freecycle/free your area on fb for groups.

When dh and I moved into our first home, we asked around for anyone getting rid of stuff. We got sofa, fridge, freezer, coffee table, a TV etc. All mega old, well used, but did us for the couple of years it took us to replace stuff.

We paid new for our bed, mattress, wardrobe and an armchair, all of which we still use now 14 years later.

Are you buying a place? If so, it may be worth letting the vendors know that you're starting from scratch. My first place, they left (with my consent) a two wardrobes, a chest of drawers, a bookcase and their garden table & chairs. All IKEA but absolutely amazing as I couldn't afford a thing. 20 years later, and I still have one of the wardrobes (a friend has the other) and a chest of drawers.
I lived there for 8 years and then became an accidental landlord for 2, renting it out as a furnished place. When I sold it, I paid it forward and asked the purchasers what they'd like. They had a bed, the sofa as well as the same garden furniture and bookcase as I'd been left.