Best Store/Way to Furnish a New House

8ro on 21/04/2023 - 22:36
Last edited 22/04/2023 - 22:13 by 1 other user

Hi,

I have finally jumped on the bandwagon and have bought a house in Sydney, (before becoming a father later this year).

I am now tasked with "preparing" this empty place and have it ready to be lived in. So far, I have recognized 4 categories under which most purchases can be grouped.

  1. Furniture: (Bed, sofa, shelves etc)
  2. Electronics: (Fridge, Dishwasher, washing machine etc)
  3. Smart home / efficiency: (Automatic vacuum, Echo show, Solar panels etc)
  4. Baby Stuff

I have come to a realization that while I might look for individual items and find the best deals separately at different stores, this process seems inefficient as it would mean spending and dealing with different vendors, thereby "wasting" time/money.

Are there any one stop shop that offer wide variety of items and is it then possible to buy majority of the items there and request for a discount given that the total purchase amount would be substantial?

I am thinking of making large purchases from 2 shops; one for Furniture (I think there will be some overlap with the baby stuff) and second for Electronics (I think this should be easier as "smart home" is often a sub category in most of these shops)

Additional info:

While I do enjoy bargain hunting, I'm also somewhat constrained by my current situation where I am time poor and can not physically go to several places, therefore delivery and perhaps online access are now more important than ever. Unfortunately, dumpster diving / kerbside collection is not a viable option.

Also, I am not averse to second hand items (In fact, I agree that new baby products often come with high markup, for just few months of use); its just that my experience dealing with fb marketplace/gumtree has been quite frustrating, where one has to navigate between scammers, fake sellers etc., and at the same time forgoing certain assurances around the products.

I don't mind shopping from various online retailers, I just thought maybe I can consolidate the purchase and ask for a discount (I had done this when I was living in Europe, so I was not sure if there was a similar option here)

Please feel free to suggest a better way of shopping for the items.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • sumyungguy on 21/04/2023 - 22:53
    +18

    Gerry Harvey will gladly help with everything except the baby stuff and solar panels. You won't get any bargains but you seem like an affluent person for whom time is money?

  • Wiadro on 21/04/2023 - 22:59
    +19

    i furnished my place in expensive furniture from facebook marketplace.

    i got MCM HOME dining table for $500, a seat of 7 new wishbone chairs for $200, brand new fridge for $1400 (not $4k), 5 dowel jones bar stools for $500, ethnicraft side table next to the lounge for $100.

    set your location on fbmp to the rich area and not much out of it. you'll find heaps of stuff pretty easy

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 21/04/2023 - 23:03
      +17

      Op is far too high brow for second hands goods I imagine based from write up.

      • Wiadro on 21/04/2023 - 23:05
        +2

        too rich to worry about the numbers after the dollar sign $

        • [Deactivated] on 21/04/2023 - 23:46

          Sometimes the numbers are in front of the dollar sign

      • Yola on 26/04/2023 - 07:44

        OP said

        I am not averse to second hand items (In fact, I agree that new baby products often

        He is just time poor.

    • thrillhouse on 22/04/2023 - 07:55

      Ethnicraft are great. I have one of their sideboards, bed, and dining set. All in Oak, beautiful stuff.

      Trithouse in Redfern are a stockist if you’re interested OP.

    • dasher86 on 22/04/2023 - 09:45

      If he doesn't want to deal with multiple vendors this ain't an option.

    • Faithgrrl on 22/04/2023 - 22:13

      I just want to say…Oooooooooooo fancy!

  • sassypants on 21/04/2023 - 23:00
    +2

    JB Hifi for most of #2 and #3. They will happily do a deal for you.

    Otherwise, do the legwork and buy online for best prices but get everything delivered.

  • Kail on 21/04/2023 - 23:01
    +7

    Furniture: Homemaker centre, so you can browse through multiple furniture shops in walking distance to each other.

    Electronics: Appliances Online, their prices are quite competitive too

    Smart home: JB Hi Fi? They have Google Home/Amazon Echo stuff. They also have smaller appliances like fans and vacuums etc.

    • Brianqpr on 22/04/2023 - 21:25
      +3

      +1 for appliances online. They also have a pretty good price match policy. Next day delivery and also take away old appliances.

  • boomramada on 21/04/2023 - 23:04
    +1

    Just get them as you need based on the requirements and deals?

  • John Kimble on 21/04/2023 - 23:05

    Try and wait for EOFY sales if possible?

  • [Deactivated] on 21/04/2023 - 23:09
    +11

    recognized

    realization

    Sydney, USA?

    • Stewardo on 21/04/2023 - 23:33
      +1

      Sidney, Ohio

      • [Deactivated] on 21/04/2023 - 23:36
        +1

        I was betting on Sydney, Florida

  • MeesusEff on 21/04/2023 - 23:25

    How affluent are you 8ro. I hired a furniture staging company to stage my house for sale and it looked fantastic (enough to make me wanna live back there 😂). She said they can buy the furniture at a discount so if you have the $$$$ then it'll cover your furniture and nursery.

    • CommuterPolluter on 22/04/2023 - 13:05
      +8

      I used to work for a staging company. Most of the furniture was cheap shit that looks nice but is crappy construction. Weight is a non-trivial factor when you’re moving the furniture as often as twice a week.

      • MeesusEff on 22/04/2023 - 14:17

        True, I didn't exactly sit on the furniture, looked too fancy 😂

    • payless69 on 23/04/2023 - 09:30

      Good idea: List your house and every 3 months ask for a new agent with new staging company. Kills the boredom of being stuck with old stuff.

  • randomusername2017 on 22/04/2023 - 00:02
    +6

    will this post differ from previous iterations of the template…or just another post and ghost …

  • freefall101 on 22/04/2023 - 00:08
    +4

    https://www.solarquotes.com.au/ - best starting point for solar.

    IMO you're about to spend 800 million billion hours on your child, spending a few hours now to save some money is probably worth it. Besides, delivery is cheap.

    • 8ro on 22/04/2023 - 22:17

      Thank you!

      So far I had been looking at "product review" for guidance around Solar options.

  • videlity on 22/04/2023 - 02:27
    +2

    Congratulations on many fronts!
    A lot of baby stuff you can get quite easily for cheap from Facebook marketplace.
    Original prices for baby stuff are heavily marked up.

    • Brianqpr on 22/04/2023 - 21:28

      Good call, everyone who spends a fortune on baby stuff has no use for it a while later so its always being sold off.

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 22/04/2023 - 05:02
    +3

    Kmart. Love those influencers.

  • djones145 on 22/04/2023 - 07:21
    +2

    first step is…

    ask your partner if they have a preference on style or theme etc!
    u seem like you dont have a preference! modern, costly, old, new, white, black etc

    with a kid coming along it will also mean with furntiure u should get kid friendly ones, like ones which u expect will break or be drawn on! or vomitted on lol (ikea ain't bad)

    with electronics buy with family size in mind, if u want more kids, get a slighly bigger fridge and washing machine.

  • x x on 22/04/2023 - 08:11

    Kmart is best for bedding

  • holdenmg on 22/04/2023 - 08:40
    +2

    If you are looking at Baby Names, OzBaby™ has a nice ring to it.

    Obviously grab the domain name…

    • Cletus vandamme on 23/04/2023 - 20:55

      I thought calling him Bikies would be a given.

  • jjjaar on 22/04/2023 - 08:54
    +1

    Find some “Hard Rubbish Rescue” Facebook groups and list all of the things you need. I often see people furnish their entire house for free.

  • JIMB0 on 22/04/2023 - 08:55
    +5

    Nothing beats the variety and price on offer at your local kerbside hard waste collection. See something you like, just pick it up and take it home. Bring a friend to hold the other end.

    Money back guarantee, don't like it, doesn't suit your home? Kick it to the kerb for a full refund.

  • saltypete on 22/04/2023 - 09:15
    +6

    Life is short and mortgages are long.
    Start with whatever is super cheap and gets you by, then start to buy what you really like - a few pieces a year and aim for as little as you can get by with - but each piece something you enjoy each time you use.

  • Tech5 on 22/04/2023 - 09:25
    -4

    One point - don't buy furniture sets unless your overriding priority is cost. Looks tacky

  • solidussnake on 22/04/2023 - 09:44
    +1

    If you have a child on the way get a couch off marketplace etc mines covered in baby spew etc

    Also plenty of baby stuff half price, we got lovetodream and medala stuff super cheap

    You can pickup $3k couches for $500 as people move house or interstate and it's too bulky to take

  • Sweet3st on 22/04/2023 - 13:38
    +2

    For appliances I swear by https://www.homeclearance.com.au/. It's the discount outlet for Winnings, and they sell items with cosmetic imperfections at very competitive prices. They also offer free delivery and installation (same service as Winnings). Also warranties etc.

  • rumblytangara on 22/04/2023 - 13:44
    +3

    Surely anyone looking for a one stop shop furniture store to fit out an entire home 1) doesn't care about supposed discounts and 2) is wasting their time on this website.

  • Ghost47 on 22/04/2023 - 14:16

    If you want to do it quick and dirty then go to any furniture store to get all your furniture. Harvey Norman, Fantastic, Amart etc.

    Then go to JB for all your electronic goods.

    Unless you only want to do it in one go and can't spare any more time, then as mentioned earlier give your money to Gerry Harvey, he'll happily take more of it.

  • lostgoat on 22/04/2023 - 14:20
    +1

    Wait for hard rubbish collections in affluent areas.
    Beat the other seagulls to the loot .

  • Alexxx on 22/04/2023 - 14:57
    +2

    The day before I settled on my unit I ordered a whole lot from IKEA for next day delivery. Couch, beds, mattress, dining table, chairs, cutlery, utensils, plates, bowls, shoe cabinet, welcome mat, chopping board, storage cabinets, and more.
    First day I spent the morning cleaning and the whole afternoon and next day unpacking and assembling IKEA furniture.
    Didn't even have any issues with quality since I didn't buy the cheapest IKEA offered.
    For whitegoods and electronics I used ozbargain over the next 3 months.

    • sw00p on 23/04/2023 - 20:50
      +2

      This is the way.

      People often sook about IKEA - then you ask them which product they bought and it’s the bottom of the range, chipboard offering aimed at students. A quick glance at the product materials is usually all that’s required to separate the wheat from the chaff.

      We have quite a few solid wood furniture items from IKEA that are in great condition after 12 years of use. 10/10. Would buy again.

  • fishing on 22/04/2023 - 14:58
    +4

    IKEA IKEA IKEA

    • DoctorCalculon on 22/04/2023 - 19:25

      They do solar using a mob called SOLARGAIN.

  • Euphemistic on 22/04/2023 - 16:04
    +1

    Depends if you ‘need everything now’ or are looking for best value. Need everything now will lead to a fairly sizeable bill and likely getting cheap pieces you are not that keen on. Looking for best value will have you hunting marketplace and gumtree to find quality items at great prices.

    Preferably don’t try to get everything at once, spread it out and buy only as you need stuff.

    Start with a fridge, a couch a table and a bed then move to coffee tables, bedsides etc.

  • lachhelix on 22/04/2023 - 20:12
    +1

    Combination of marketplace and Ikea
    I furnished a 3 bedroom house entirely for under 3k

  • randomusername2017 on 22/04/2023 - 20:40

    thereby "wasting" time

    Why not just outsource the project to an interior designer or similar.
    Leaves both hands free and plenty of time to play with yourself.

  • Brianqpr on 22/04/2023 - 21:31
    +4

    IKEA is good. It ranges from cheap and nasty to some pretty decent stuff that lasts well and also has good resale value.

    We bought a couple of small leather sofas there that wore far, far better than much more expensive freedom ones we bought later and sold for a good price after several years use.

    Also sold one of their bookcase things for almost what I paid for it after about five years because the buyer hated assembling the stuff himself.

  • Tily on 22/04/2023 - 22:58

    Do take note depending on what furniture you’re after it can take many months for it to come in. I would probably hit the furniture stores first.

    Facebook market place is also a good place to grab a bargain if you can easily arrange for transport, etc.

    JB/Harvey Norman/Good Guys can work with pricing if you buy a lot of stuff together. You can also get discounted gift cards, etc.

  • Blargman2001 on 23/04/2023 - 01:18
    +1

    Yes go to JB, Good Guys etc and negotiate a package for white goods. If you're not a TV geek there are so many lightly used TV's on Gumtree for half of their retail price it's not funny. Plug in a Chromecast or Fire TV stick and you're good to go. Every time I want something from IKEA I also look on Gumtree to see if someone has it for sale so I don't have to assemble it.

  • drprox on 23/04/2023 - 08:29
    +1

    I'd go E&S. I've had nothing but great dealings with them but unsure if they cover it all. Time is money and all that so you check.

    • 8ro on 23/04/2023 - 17:39

      I've just had a look at their site. I don't think they deliver to Sydney.

  • Bren20 on 23/04/2023 - 09:26
    +1

    Do you need new blinds or carpet/ floors polished? It's easier to do these before the rooms are full of furniture

  • payless69 on 23/04/2023 - 09:27

    First stop: Nick Scali. Buy one item.
    Next stop: Bank manager to up the loan…..

  • xrayed giraffe on 23/04/2023 - 14:16

    I refuse to buy for HN after GH deemed tens of millions of tax payer money too small an amount to return JobSeeker money when he lost no revenue for to covid.
    Baby stuff from marketplace is best. I bought a baby monitor from there today. You'll use it for a short time want to get it out the house, so on sell it again.

  • dragong87 on 23/04/2023 - 20:24
    +1

    FB market place and Gumtree have a lot of bargains.
    The baby items can be found cheap on Marketplace but even consider checking if any friends with toddlers have baby things laying around they're looking to sell as well.

  • mousie on 24/04/2023 - 09:30
    +1

    Congrats on the upcoming fatherhood.
    Your baby will chew and bite every stick of furntutre in your home. I get it, if you have a brand-new home, you want brand-new furnishings.

    Also, many insist as a status symbol to buy the most expensive stroller at Baby stores. It

    Furniture stores normally have flash sales around public holidays, but you may have missed out because Easter has just gone.

    Best investment - a new bed for you and the MRS and a quality mattress, you will value every minute of sleep.

    • Yola on 26/04/2023 - 07:51

      A king-size as the child will join you for at least some nights.

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