How to furnish your first family home
Your first family home is an exciting, but slightly scary prospect, a sure indication that you have made a firm commitment.
You might think that once you have negotiated the minefield that is choosing your first home, whether you have chosen to buy or rent, then the hard work is done. Not true – the work is just beginning, as your next job is to furnish your new home from top to bottom.
Here are some pointers to help you create a home that can live up to the wonderful memories that you will soon be creating there.
Plan
You might think you are “not a lists person,” but you really need to be organised. Start out with a list of what you have, what you need and what you want, and then prepare a little gap analysis of what you can afford.
If the gap looks big, don't worry. Part of the planning process is to set out your budget and to define your timescales. Decorating an entire house or flat is probably not something you can feasibly do in one hit, so you will need to prioritise the things you absolutely need from day one and the things that can wait a while.
More broadly, it makes sense to attack the rooms one at a time. This not only makes things more manageable financially, but also from an organisational perspective. Any big project seems easier if it is broken down into parts.
Shop around
One of the reasons that planning ahead is so important is that it is easy to be seduced into buying all sorts of things that you do not need or that can wait until later, particularly if you fall into the clutches of a good sales person!
Be strict with yourself, stick to your schedule and, most importantly, shop around. Take a quick look on local life and you will see just how many home furnishing and DIY stores there are in the Exeter area – you will need to get to know all of them!
Think long-term
The fact that you need to economise and stick to your budget does not necessarily mean going for the cheapest option in all things. In some cases, it makes sense to think long term. After all, paying 50% more for something that will last twice as long clearly makes sense.
There are a number of areas where you might want to take this into consideration. Firstly, do not stint on a comfortable bed and mattress. You will spend a third of your life in it, and with all the decorating and furniture moving you have planned, you definitely need a good night's sleep! You and your partner need to take time over this choice, as the firmness and type of mattress is very much a personal choice.
Another area where you might think long-term is the windows. You will probably be thinking that curtains are an essential as soon as you move in, to avoid that “goldfish bowl” feeling. However, it is worth looking at the wide variety of classic shutter styles now available. These will last indefinitely and will never go out of fashion. They are also very hardwearing and more effective at keeping both noise and draughts out.
Paint not paper
You will probably decide that you want to redecorate your new home before you fill it with furniture. Even if it looked fine when you viewed it, chances are that with the rooms bare, any slight imperfection will be glaring at you and you will decide you might as well put on those overalls and make it exactly the way you want it.
The advice here is if in doubt, paint. If you really want to put up wallpaper, think again and paint!
The advantage of paint is that it is so versatile, as well as being quicker, cheaper and simpler to apply. If you are struggling to decide on a colour scheme, stick to something neutral. You can always build on this by adding colour through accessories like rugs, throws and cushions in the future.
Enjoy
The most important piece of advice that anyone can offer is to relax and enjoy yourself. It is not a race, and it should not be a chore. This is one of the most exciting moments in your life, and a time that you will look back on in years to come.
So, make it a time to cherish, and have a great time setting up your first home.
