Moving into a new home offers a rare opportunity to start from scratch and create an interior design just as you like it. This is especially true if you are moving into your first home with newly purchased items.
While getting settled, you might need to come up with some creative solutions to get your home fully furnished within your budget. Here are 5 great ideas.
- Take stock of what you have and what you want to keep. – Before you move, decide which items move with you and which are donated or given away. Moving is a time-consuming and strenuous task, and you want to cut to a minimum the number of items you need to move.
- Give it time. – Purchase new pieces of furniture gradually as you notice the need for them. Have patience throughout the decorating process and take the time to get a feel for what your home is lacking rather than buying on a whim.
- Don’t turn down second-hand items immediately. – If family or friends offer you furniture and home decor items, consider the possibilities before you turn down the offer. Go through your furniture inventory and determine if a hand-me-down might be acceptable. Also, consider antique stores, flea markets, and other places that sell used furniture. Often, you will be surprised with the quality of the second-hand items you find and the charm they bring to your interior design.
- Shop around. – Realize that shopping for furniture to fill your new home is a one-time opportunity and a great joy. Be aware that the opportunity to decorate a new home doesn’t happen very often. Research locations for purchasing furniture, and visit them all before deciding on an important purchase. Become familiar with the furniture stores, antique shops, flea markets, and other vendors in your area that might offer the perfect items for your new home.
- You don’t have to match – Be cautious about buying complete rooms of furniture at one time. When you purchase a new bed, the salesperson may push you to take the night stand, dresser, chest, and mirror with it. Yet matching sets of any type of furniture may give a room a bland, boring look. Aim for some originality and creativity when decorating your new home.
Think about these 5 tips when decorating your first home and enjoy a process that results in the home you were dreaming of all along.
About the author:
David Larkin is CEO/President of DAL Builders, which is a general contractor in Chicago serving residential and commercial property owners since 1994. Connect with DAL Builders on Facebook.
Tags: furniture
