If there’s one thing more exciting than your wedding day, it’s probably furnishing your first home together. You’re finally at this exciting chapter where ‘yours and mine’ finally become ‘ours’. And this home will be the first real space you’ll be sharing and living in together for better and for worse.
But as exciting as furnishing your first forever home sounds, it can be financially overwhelming. Perhaps you’re still making up for the wedding expenses (considering that the average Australian wedding costs over AUD$34,715). Or you may be one of the 26% of couples who’d gone over their original wedding budget. You now might have very little room to splurge on costly furniture pieces. (1)
Fortunately, you don’t really need a massive budget to create a cosy, stylish, and functional home. With a few clever hacks, you can stretch your dollars and still build a space that reflects your new life together.
Start With the Essentials First
Before buying any piece of furniture, figure out what you both absolutely need during the first few days in your new home. Focus on items that you’ll use daily, like a bed, fridge, sofa, or dining table. Rank your furniture and appliances by priority so you won’t blow your budget on decorative pieces too soon.
Ideally, start by creating a sleep sanctuary first. A comfortable mattress should be high on your priority list as you’ll surely need a place to rest after hauling furniture pieces all day. And of course, your bedroom isn’t just for sleeping. It can be an extension of your honeymoon, wherein it’s calm, intimate, and exclusively yours. You can always upgrade bedding and accessories later, but a good foundation makes all the difference.
Set a Realistic Budget and Stick to It
It’s easy to get carried away when shopping for a new home, especially with all the Pinterest-worthy inspiration out there. And without a firm spending cap, you’ll likely overspend.
So, work together with your spouse to create a realistic budget, then break it down into categories like furniture, appliances, decorative items, and essentials. You can use a shared spreadsheet or budgeting app to easily track every purchase.
If you’re not sure how much to allocate for certain items, research average prices to get a rough idea. For instance, for mattresses, learn more here about the options available, along with their prices, before making big purchases. Comparing prices online can help you score better deals without compromising on quality.
Mix New, Secondhand, and DIY
If you receive some furniture pieces as wedding gifts from your guests, then lucky you! This can lessen your expenses in furnishing your home. But for the rest of the items you need, you don’t have to buy all of them brand new. In fact, combining new items with secondhand or DIY pieces can give your home’s interior design more character!
Check out local marketplaces, garage sales, or community groups for gently used furniture. Many people sell quality items at a fraction of the original price. In 2022, about 38% of Australians said they’d consider buying a secondhand dining table online. This shows that there’s a growing interest in sustainability and avoiding waste. Plus, with more resale platforms popping up, it’s easier than ever to score well-made pieces that still have plenty of life left in them. (2)
If you’re handy, you can also repurpose old items with a bit of creativity. For example, repaint a dated coffee table or add modern handles to an old dresser. Some projects take just an afternoon but can save you hundreds of dollars.
Choose Multi-Functional Furniture
For newlyweds with small homes or apartments, you may benefit more from furniture pieces that do more than one thing. Look for beds with built-in drawers, sofa beds that convert to guest beds, or ottomans that offer storage inside. These clever choices help maximise space without needing to buy extra items.
Modular or collapsible furniture also allows you to adapt as your needs change. It makes your space more flexible and reduces the need to buy replacements when your lifestyle shifts down the line.
Wait for Sales and Discounts
There’s really no need to rush into buying everything all at once. If you can, just hold off on those non-urgent items and keep an eye out for seasonal sales, clearance events, or moving-out deals. You can save hundreds just by waiting a few weeks for prices to drop.
Australia’s rising cost of living is already shifting how households spend their money. One major furniture retailer reported a 20% drop in annual profits, with sales down 1.2% year-on-year over just two months. More people are putting off big purchases, waiting for better prices, or simply choosing not to spend at all. (3)
Meanwhile, if you’ve got your heart set on something specific, consider setting alerts online or looking for coupons and codes before you hit that checkout button. Timing your purchases might really help stretch your budget without sacrificing quality.
Take Inventory Before Buying
Before making a shopping list, look at what you already have. Maybe you’ve received housewarming and wedding gifts, or you each brought things from your previous homes. Combine your inventories to avoid doubling up.
It’s like the furniture version of ‘what’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is ours.’ After all, merging your stuff is part of uniting your lives. It saves money and, at the same time, makes your first home feel shared from the start.
Key Takeaway
Furnishing your first home together doesn’t have to mean financial stress. You can build a space that feels like home while sticking to your budget with some planning, creativity, and smart choices. So, just take it slow, choose what matters most, and enjoy the process of creating a place with your spouse where memories will be made.
References:
- “How much does the average Australian wedding cost in 2023?”, Source: https://www.forbes.com.au/life/lifestyle/average-aussie-couple-spending-on-their-wedding/
- “Items that online shoppers would consider purchasing secondhand in Australia in 2022”, Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/912282/australia-second-hand-item-preference/
- “Furniture is getting really expensive. That doesn’t bode well for the Australian economy”, Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/09/australia-furniture-prices-industry-sales-decline