Moving in to a new house.. need the worlds cheapest washing machine, fridge... furniture... help!

[lunavix]

Moving house start of april (fingers crossed, touch wood).

I'm a single parent, full time student. I don't drive and I have NO money so as you can tell I make life easy for myself!!!

New property doesn't have a fridge or a washing machine, I'm keeping an eye out on freecycle but to be honest I struggle with it with the lack of driving and I've recently had two washing machines from freecycle, both of which weren't in as such good working order as the previous owners insisted.

I'm investigating other options. I don't really want to go down the finance route, I'm paying off previous debts as it is (so I don't have a good credit rating to boot) but well a fridge is a fridge and somewhat necessary, and I can NOT live without a washing machine, I've tried and it's got disastrously out of hand.

What options are there? To be honest if I buy a washing machine I'd like a zanussi as from experience and friends experiences they are FAR more reliable. Has anyone got recommendations/advice on the cheapest zanussi? If it's super cheap I'll avoid finance, if I need to go up a bit I may have no other choice...

Fridge/freezer I have no idea about, brands, prices, anything. I think it needs to be a tallish freestanding affair from what I remember. I've seen cheapish looking things in Iceland???

Furniture.. Need some round sort of kitchen table thing (it's a kitchen diner) but this can wait a bit, NOT an essential but will be pretty close lol

Also my room has no wardrobes or anything, again keeping an eye on freecycle but am I best going down canvas route? I just hate wasting money on 'temporary' things

Thank you!!!

don't know much about washing machines, if you want a zanussi get it and save on other stuff.
Fridges though are pretty much the same on the inside so go for cheapest and second hand.
Furniture, forget ikea go to a local auction house, real furniture at amazing price and a lot of fun bidding.
I got 8 dinning room chairs for a pound! big chunky wooden and lasted a dam sight longer than the ikea stuff i had to chuck.

We have an organisation called the Lighthouse Project in our area which is charitible and supplies second hand furniture/white goods free of charge. I don't know if you have something similar in your area - the citizens advice bureau might be able to find out or the local council?

Get the best washing machine you can afford. Zanussi are good, imo (very happy with mine).

Fridges are much of a muchness, I think.

Put lots of requests on freecycle for furniture (I've just got rid of lots of unwanted but OK stuff that way). Otherwise IKEA? Ads in the local paper?

Re, the lighthouse project - in the south west of england there is a similar scheme called the SOFA project, here is the website: www.sofaproject.org.uk/
There might be one near you, whereabouts are you?

There is something similar to Freecycle called Cheapcycle but you have to pay.

Casually mention at school you are moving house, someone may be looking for a home for things they no longer need. We got rid of some breakfast stools this way as our new house didn't have a breakfast bar, they were good quality ones from John Lewis.

We got our washing machine from Loot for £60
Eau Natutale had a nice dining table with 4 chairs for £90 - the chair backs 'moulded' round the table when tucked under to save space

Where abouts are you?

I'm in the NE and have a washer going spare

or emmaus in various places around the country. I know people who've used the one in St Albans and found them a life saver.

Thanks everyone

Sheshells - thank you so much for the offer but I'm nowhere near, SE

The landlord has decided to put a fridge freezer from another property in so one problem down!

I've saved up enough money from selling bits/argos valued opinions giftcards! to buy the kids a much needed drawers/wardrobe, they have the malibu stuff from argos, but a friend suggested that i got the triple wardrobe as apparently it holds the same as a wardrobe and drawers. So need to sell a bit more!!!

ohdear/fimbo/madmazzy/cheerfulvicky - will look at all those thank you. We do have a similar scheme here but it's REALLY expensive (£180 for a washing machine! which comes from the tip cos thats where they get their stuff from!)

zanzibar - would they deliver though?

iklboo - whats eau natutale?

Thank you everyone, been a great help! A friend is doing two loads of furniture for me, then I'm going to try and convince other friends into a few carloads I did get a good quote for £80 from a man and van!!!Absolute bargain but to be honest I don't even have that as I didn't bank on the £150 admin fees the agency just asked for