When moving to a new place, a new apartment, you will quickly find out just exactly how expensive that process can be. Transporting all of your possessions from one place to another can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. But, if you do not plan on taking your old furniture with you, you will need to furnish your apartment. In fact, buying new pieces of furniture might actually be cheaper than transporting all of your old stuff to your brand-new home. But, buying new stuff can be a bit complicated when on a budget.
However, with a bit of planning and cutting down on unnecessary expenses, I think that it is very possible to properly furnish your new apartment. With a clear budget, no matter how small, I think it is very possible to design your apartments the way you want to.
If you do not have any kind of experience with this type of project, I might help you with that. A lot of people have managed to redecorate their entire homes with a very small amount of money. To show you that this is possible, I decided to write this article. I hope that it will be of use to you.
1. Make a plan
I know that things can seem impossible right now while you are looking at your budget, but believe me that there is a way that you can properly furnish the entire apartment without going over that limited amount of money. Yes, that is possible. But, without a plan, you will not be able to achieve anything.
Your first step should be to make a plan. After you take this first step, you can write down all the next steps that you will have to take to ensure that you stay under that budget and that has everything that you need for your new home.
Whatever happens, I suggest that you stick to your plan and do not deviate from it. Unless there is a situation where you simply have to take a different path.
2. You do not have to buy everything at once
This is something that everyone does which is a huge mistake. A mistake is that people want to get all the furniture they need with a small budget. It is impossible to achieve a properly furnished apartment when financially limited.
Obviously, you can always buy cheaper furniture, but I do not think that is ideal. You are spending your hard-earned money on an item that is made from low-quality materials and something that goes through a cheap manufacturing process. In other words, you are buying a piece of furniture that will start to deteriorate or it will completely break after just a few years or maybe even months. For these cheaper items, there is no warranty.
So, instead of spending your money aimlessly, I suggest taking things a bit slower. This takes me to the next point.
3. Buy only what you must have
As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, you do not have to purchase every single piece of furniture right now. You can delay this process for a few weeks, months, or even years if you want to. Sure, your home might not look great with a few pieces missing, but will it look great if you start filling it with cheap items and furniture?
The strategy is to buy only what you must have. For example, you can just sleep on the floor, you need a bed. A bed in a home is mandatory in my opinion. Companies such as homedesignstore.com believe that it is best that you invest in high quality and an expensive bed that will last you for years and years in the future.
You will also need to properly equip your kitchen. This is one of the more expensive steps of furnishing apartments. I think it is crucial that you also do not cheap out on the parts of your kitchen.
4. Consider second-hand furniture
A lot of people seem to think that they have to furnish their apartment with brand-new furniture. Of course, it can be easier to combine certain elements in their home when buying new, but that is a much more expensive option. It seems like a lot of people forget just how many good offers are on the second-hand market. This is a place where you can find pristine pieces of furniture at a fragment of the original cost. You can probably find an entire sofa for under $50. And do not get me started on tech. These days, you can easily find 60 inch TVs or bigger ones for less than $100. That is a bargain. Of course, when purchasing second-hand tech, I advised that you first test the device before buying it.
5. Borrow furniture
I know that it can be difficult for many of us to ask our close friends or family members for help, especially when it comes to financial help. But, you should always know that your loved ones will always be prepared to do anything for you. There is no shame in asking for help.
This is why I believe that is a very good idea to try and borrow some furniture from some of your close friends. They could have some older and unused used items that they will willingly give to you. In fact, they might have some stuff that they never use and they do not know where to store them. In other words, they will give those stuff to you with pleasure.
Once you have enough money, once your budget for furnishing is raised, you can finally give back the furniture that you have borrowed from your friends or family. Keep in mind, some of them might not be willing to take it back which means you will either have to find a place to store them or keep them somewhere in your home.
Furnishing in your apartment on a tight budget can look scary, but as you can see from this article, but with some managing and planning, anything is achievable. Check out rent.com to find affordable apartment units in Austin.