Getting Settled 101: How to Furnish a New Home

Furnishing a new home can be daunting. A totally blank canvas just waiting for you to add your personal touch? And after going through the new home construction process, you may be ready to move right in!

According to HomeAdvisor, the national average cost to furnish a house is $16,000 but can range up to $95,000 for larger, higher-end homes. But don’t let sticker shock shut you down! There are many tips and tricks to help you prepare to outfit your home.

We’re here to help you learn how to furnish a new home, the best way to furnish a new home on a budget, and have fun doing it. Grab your vision boards because we’re about to have some fun!

In this article:

  • Prepare to Furnish Your New Home
  • Where to Start Furnishing Your New Home
  • Hire a Designer
  • Know Your Budget
  • Decide Where to Spend Your Money
  • Be Practical with Multi-Use Items

How to Furnish a New Home

Furnishing a new build can be more expensive – window coverings, hardware, etc.

https://www.brockbuilt.com/home-decorating-tips-from-brock-builts-design-experts/ 

#1 Prepare to Furnish Your New Home

You can research how to furnish a new home before moving in! There’s no need to wait until move-in day to start your search for furniture and decor. Due to furniture shortages and delayed shipments, the best way to furnish a new home in this day and age is to plan ahead.

Collect Inspiration

Swipe through Instagram interior design accounts, search Pinterest by room, and visit model homes to collect inspiration for your unique personal interior style. Save what speaks to you and create a vision board you can reference when you get stumped shopping for a particular room.

Measure The Rooms

It’s time to find out how to furnish a new home using the floorplan! Use your home builder-provided floorplan to reference room shapes and measurements–especially when you can’t get into the house to measure it yourself. Understanding the size of the room ensures you don’t purchase furnishings like furniture and rugs that are too large to fit in the room.

Make a List

Once you’re familiar with what you want your new home to look like, you can take inventory of what you already have and what you need to fill the missing pieces. The best way to furnish a new home is to create a game plan to avoid overbuying, underbuying, or buying mismatched furnishings.

Brockbuilt bedroom

#2 Where to Start Furnishing Your New Home

Now that you’ve created a plan, you’re inspired, and you know what will fit in each of your rooms, you’re ready to begin! The best way to furnish a new home is to start smart, and this is how you do it.

Start with Larger Pieces

To avoid going overboard with the scale of your furnishings, start each room with the largest piece in it. For example, when furnishing the living room, start with the sofa. When you’re furnishing the bedroom, start with the bed. Once the largest piece is selected, the other furnishings will fit into place like a puzzle.

Start in the Most Used Rooms

Our best tip for how to furnish a new home? With patience. Don’t do it all at once. You may feel excited to complete the house immediately, but rushing to select your furnishings may force you to choose what’s available rather than what you love. Start in the most used rooms such as the bedroom, home office, and living room.

#3 Hire a Designer

If it all sounds like too much for you to do on your own, hire a designer. When you visit our New Home Design Center, our New Home Design Consultants will help you choose interior selections like hardwood floors, countertops, and fixtures, but the rest of your furnishings are up to you! A Designer will take control of the process, keep you on budget, and do the heavy lifting for you.

How to Furnish a House on a Budget

You’ve just moved into your new place, and you’re wondering how to furnish a house on a budget–you’re not alone. Investing in a new home is a big deal for your wallet too! Luckily, we know just how to furnish a new home on a budget.

#4 Know Your Budget

The best way to furnish a new home on a budget is to set expectations about how much money you’re willing to spend. Set a budget for each room and stick to it. Based on your lifestyle and room priorities, you may plan to scale your budget back on certain rooms to spend more money on others.

Average Cost of Furnishing a Home, by Room, according to HomeAdvisor

  • Living Room: $1,500-$31,000+
  • Dining Room: $1,100-$16,000+
  • Primary Bedroom: $1,000-$15,000+

#5 Decide Where to Spend Your Money

When deciding how to furnish a house on a budget, you have to prioritize your spending. Decide where you want to spend your money based on which rooms you use the most or which furniture pieces get the most wear. When our home buyers ask us how to furnish a house on a budget, we recommend spending money on investment pieces with long lifespans.

  • Sofas with comfortable, durable materials
  • Dining room sets with durable, waterproof finishes
  • Beds with stability and comfort
  • Area rugs with stain-concealing fabrics

After selecting a handful of investment pieces, the best way to furnish a new home entirely within budget is to purchase the remaining items secondhand or discounted. Places like Facebook Marketplace and interior discount stores like HomeGoods are full of affordable pieces to accent your home.

Living room

#6 Be Practical With Multi-Use Items

If you’re wondering how to furnish a new house on a budget without going overboard, choose pieces with multiple uses. This saves you money and also saves space in your home! Substitute a bedside table with a desk to turn a bedroom into a home office, or select an ottoman that doubles as extra seating for guests.

Does furnishing a new home sound less daunting to you now? Put our tips into practice! Contact us to find a new construction home you can design from the ground up.

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