Moving to an Unfurnished Apartment

HelpingHand on 30/08/2022 - 17:57

Just scored an apartment that my partner and I are hoping to set up shop and start a family of our own but we don't own much apart from personal stuff and a washing machine and a mattress/base.

Would it be best to just buy everything in one place quality and financial wise i.e. ikea and big w for homeware or does anyone feel that by doing this before you regretted owning something that might be sub par quality (like getting thr cheapest microwave or fridge from kogan or something similar. Though I've read some that has great reviews) or something you end up not needing in the first place?

Home & Garden

Comments

  • bobbified on 30/08/2022 - 18:19
    +9

    If you're setting up for the long-term, buy quality things if you can afford it so you don't have to buy them a second or third time later. I find that sometimes with the cheap stuff, they don't just "break" and stop functioning so I can just chuck it out. Instead, bits of it might break so I've got this situation where the damn thing still works to a certain degree (but it's a piece of sh!t) and it feels like a such waste to just chuck it out…. but it also annoys me every time I look at it.

    There's key items that you will need like a fridge and dining table and then there are things like blenders and toasters etc that you may or may not need - get the key things first and buy the other (usually smaller and cheaper) items as you need them.

    • Mokr on 30/08/2022 - 23:10

      Lots of cheaper second hand fridges but check running costs.

      Dinning tables the same.

      Just a matter of how you value your time.

  • [Deactivated] on 30/08/2022 - 18:33
    +14

    buy things as you need them, don't go all out and buy everything you think you'll need, it is tempting to do so but you'll probably end up regretting it.

    i wouldn't buy things all from the same place, check out reviews and what people recommend for each specific item.

  • jjjaar on 30/08/2022 - 18:50
    +6

    I would honestly join some local neighbourhood facebook groups and just post asking for household things. I've seen people completely furnish their houses through this. These groups may be called Good Karma or Neighbourhood Network - we even have some that are Hard Rubbish Rescue. Some of these items are even things people have never used.

    This way you can spend your money on the things important to you, and upgrade certain items as you need to rather than spending a lot all at once. But you'll also still have everything necessary to live in a house.

    • ihbh on 31/08/2022 - 21:37

      This way you can spend your money on the things important to you

      … like paying off the mortgage and then not having to work as hard/stress as much.

  • RotundPolarBear on 30/08/2022 - 21:42
    +2

    In my small apartment, pretty much all my furniture is from IKEA. From my sofa, to dining table, entertainment unit, coffee table, bookshelf, rugs, even my bed frame and mattress, all IKEA.

    It's fun and satisfying putting it all together, looks decent, and best of all, fits my limited budget.

    • donga100 on 30/08/2022 - 22:04
      +2

      It's fun and satisfying putting it all together

      I agree with your other points.

      • azngamer on 31/08/2022 - 01:15
        +1

        But building is the best part!

  • try2bhelpful on 31/08/2022 - 00:19

    I would look at OP shops as well.

    The IKEA stuff is, usually, not great quality. From an OP shop you can, usually, get solid wood furniture.

    I’ve got some King Furniture couches that aren’t cheap but they’ve lasted well for decades.

    This looks pretty good if you are a Costco member and like white
    https://www.costco.com.au/Home-Furniture/Living-Room/Sofas-A…

    We got a cheapie one of the below, in the scratch and dent area, that works well as a spare bed. You need a bit of padding because it is quite firm. We normally leave it in “bed mode” and make it one chaise longue all the way along for watching the TV. This is our winter snug couch.
    https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/friheten-corner-sofa-bed-with-s…

    Get good quality knives and pots and pans. I would also consider an InstantPot and a Magimix Food processor.

  • jonoo on 31/08/2022 - 02:39
    +2

    Gumtree is your friend. You would be surprised the prices of secondhand furniture and the quality is so much better than budget stores like bigw.

  • garetz on 31/08/2022 - 06:16

    Take your time, figure out what you really need that will last 5+ years and you wont need to throw out if you move to another place.

  • geekcohen on 31/08/2022 - 07:25
    +2

    Personally, I wouldn't get really good quality, matching or expensive stuff unless you own the joint. If you have to move out, you don't want to damage your stuff in the moving process and have it be a pain to get in + out of the apartment.

    I would suggest buying stuff off Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree that all looks okay and functions. Buy some cheap appliances that are still reliable.

    Then, when you buy a place, spend the money on having good quality matching stuff because you are more likely to stay there for a longer period.

    That is what my wife and I did. We moved houses every 2 years almost when renting either for a change or because the landlord was doing something with the house (selling etc). When we bought our current house 18 months ago, we invested in good quality and matching furniture because we know we are going to be here for a long period of time and it isn't going to be moved anytime.

    Just my 2 cents.

  • Euphemistic on 31/08/2022 - 09:11
    +1

    Got a ute or access to a box trailer? Getting second hand stuff is the go for a first apartment but it’s often harder to get than something you buy new with delivery.

    Don’t buy everything at once.

    Ask friends and family, they are often contemplating upgrades and may give you free/cheap stuff knowing they don’t need to get rid of it.

    Buy cheap kitchen utensils, crockery, other small household items etc. not a lot to go wrong there

    Don’t buy cheapest appliances, you’ll be buying another later or paying more in running costs.

    Buy new sheets and towels. Don’t buy the cheapest, buy reasonable quality you can afford.

    • bbinc on 31/08/2022 - 09:48

      Kmart have a range of reasonable quality kitchen and laundry stuff. We replaced a $200 smart kettle with a $27 Kmart one - it is actually better. Read the reviews carefully. I start with the one star reviews.

      • Euphemistic on 31/08/2022 - 11:07

        A cheap kettle is pretty robust and will last long enough generally. They are simple and have been made forever so not much can go wrong. Toaster, blender and other simple appliances are probably OK to buy cheap(ish) as well, although brand name items can be had pretty cheap too.

        Microwave and other complex things are worth paying a bit more for IMO.

  • Quantumcat on 31/08/2022 - 09:39

    Join your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook.

    Get everything you need for free through there.

    Gradually, buy quality items (when they go on sale or as you can afford them), and gift the old items back to the group.

  • bbinc on 31/08/2022 - 09:50
    +1

    Don’t accumulate too much stuff!

  • ForkSnorter on 31/08/2022 - 09:53
    +1

    Get everything at IKEA. You won't be disappointed. When I moved to my current place, I spent weeks trying to find cheap (but good) furniture on Facebook and Gumtree. I saved a bit of money, but it was exhausting and wasted a lot of time that I could have spent cleaning/packing/moving.

    Then I got a few things at IKEA after I moved. For example, solid pine Hemnes bookcases, which are absolutely beautiful. https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/hemnes-bookcase-light-brown-403…

    I noticed, and can still notice a big difference between the things I bought 2nd hand and the brand new furniture I bought at IKEA. And I only saved a bit of money by buying 2nd hand.

    At IKEA, don't buy furniture made of fake wood, like particleboard, e.g. the Billy bookcases, or cardboard like the Lack coffee table. The difference is night and day, and again you only save a few hundred $. The Lack products dissolve in water. For example, about 12 years ago a Lack coffee table I kept in the garage got a bit wet and dissolved into a flexible rag equivalent to a wet towel.

    At IKEA, don't buy the cheapest of everything, you can spend just a bit extra to get quality and to get a plethora of options that will suit your apartment better.

  • Seraphin7 on 31/08/2022 - 10:40

    Are you talking about a rental or have you purchased the apartment?

    If the former, I would err on the side of limiting your purchases and buying at the lower end. Admittedly you don't want the joint looking only half-furnished or cheap and nasty, but you need to consider how long you're really going to be there either as a result of your choice or the owners. Now is not the time to over-capitalise.

    If the latter, and therefore on an assumption that you are going to be there for 8+ years, you can be a bit more expansive in both quantity and quality. That said, you need to make a choice between (amongst other things) saving time or saving money. Let me assure you that (IMHO) there are few more frustrating ways to spend your time than traipsing through furniture and appliance shops. By all means, accumulate more slowly and look for more quality items that you expect will last through that 8-odd year cycle.

    • Euphemistic on 31/08/2022 - 11:12
      +1

      Admittedly you don't want the joint looking only half-furnished

      People need to get over this attitude. As long as you and your friends can sit and eat somewhere comfortable that’s all you need. It used to take time to bound up a decent household of furniture. Nowadays marketing has convinced everyone they can have it all from day one on easy finance or cheap and nasty but it’s not necessary. You don’t have to have a fancy side table and a lamp next to the couch don’t go into debt to impress the Jones’s.

      Good friends will understand you are starting out.

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