Making a home is a dream for almost everyone. People grow up nurturing their dreams of a house in their own name. Choosing carpets and wallpapers for the imaginary space, adding curtains and artworks to recreate a chic, 1960’s Hollywood touch to your house is only natural if you too happen to be a film buff.
And once the stars align in your favor and you finally have the home that you have always dreamed of, its time to bring in the decorations. We know that the aesthetic genes have skipped the majority of the families, and everyone feels a little skittish when it comes to designing the interior of your home.
So here is a tiny checklist to help you figure out the finances of your first furniture and fixture spree for your new home. We hope that this article will help you set up the home you have always wanted, with the white picket fence and cozy attic, and everything else.
Visualize First
Whether you are closing on a condo or a studio apartment, taking a day to visualize each nook and cranny of your living space is essential. Visit the place during daylight hours and make extensive lists about what is going to be in each room.
Start from the large furniture items like beds, couches, tables, nightstands, and include all the additional things like garbage cans, doormats, plants, fixtures, and whatnot. Determine what you want to put in the foyer and corridors so that you have the complete picture. We believe that a rough image of how you wish to style the place would allow you to budget and style better.
Prioritize next
The economic problem of infinite wants and limited resources becomes the real deal when you start furnishing a new living space. The entire plan becomes dependent upon your priorities. This is where you need to differentiate between needs and wants.
This is the point where you divide things according to survival and long-term goals. You can take the checklists from the visualizing period and divide each room into two black and white columns of needs and wants. You can start from the bare minimum like a bed, kitchen table, and sofa and then gradually add other things to the list.
Budget Strategically
The budget is where your vision board for the house meets your pocket. This step is critical to your finances in your initial days at the new home. From our extensive research on the subject, we found out that people usually spend up to $7000+ on the first furnishing spree. We believe that taking a generic baseline has the potential to set a reader’s budget way off of their plans. Hence why we dug up the ‘x3 Saving’ technique.
You need to figure out your general monthly expenses with groceries and bills, come to a set figure, let’s say $5000. Multiply the sum by 3. Hypothetically, we arrive at $15000. Technically, any amount that your accounts have above the three-month floating amount can be used to buy furniture. The x3 saving amount can help you make the most significant purchases in the future if you keep your savings sorted this way. When your savings hit the six-month mark, you can start with your next set of furniture shopping.
How to fill up the rooms?
Now that you have a clear cut budget and list of priorities in your hand, it’s time to start shopping. We have shortlisted some of the most budget-friendly ways to fill up your home without resorting to Ikea furniture.
Shopping
If your recent Google searches have been ‘’ furniture stores Rhode Island’’ then you should not limit yourself to the top three stores. Dig a little deeper to find stores that have cheaper options. You can start shopping with second-hand furniture from antique stores and even garage sales.
Most people have found gems in these spots. You never know what you may find. You can shop for sheets, towels, crockery, and other household items from end-of-season sales. Or you can find the best organization systems at the dollar stores. Baskets, and boxes for a dime, a dozen could help you declutter faster than you can think. A little compromise now can take you a long way in the future.
Decoration
If you are having a tough time trying to recreate your Pinterest board on a budget, then you can go the DIY route. You can look up the pocket-friendly options on DIY blogs and channels and decorate your home with low budget aesthetics that no one would pick apart. Ideas like a feature wall, DIY garden, and customized, hand-build bookcases add character to your house and help you save many dollars at once.
If all else fails, then the addition of a few house plants could make all the difference in your home. You can add minimalist pops of color in the shape of cushions, sheets, wall arts, and whatnot. Strategic pieces of decoration will help you distract the visitors to the most appropriate, attention-seeking spots of your home.
To illustrate the scenario with an example, let's have a look at a personal experience. One of our writers was having a tough time trying to cover up a crack in the wall that needed to be replaced. But budget constraints are a nightmare faced by many. We suggested her to put a blown-up photograph on the wall to cover a large chunk of the crack and place smaller frames around it to cover the remainder. and voila! A beautiful feature wall was ready to break the ice amongst her guests at the housewarming party.
Conclusion
Your home is a representation of your ideas, hopes, and dreams. Moving into a new home with budget constraints could mean a few compromises in the beginning, but you can always make a difference with your mindset.
You can either start with purchasing only high-quality goods for your home and take your time filling up the rooms. Or, you can start shopping at garage sales and dollar stores to fill in the bare walls with a collection of stories. The choice is all yours because it is your home. The only opinion that matters is yours, so go easy on yourself and let things take their sweet time.
Author Bio: About Michelle Joe: Michelle Joe is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences, and express herself through her blogs. You can find her on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook.
