You probably just got done with all the hassles associated with buying a new home and you are getting ready to enjoy the new house. Before you can settle in and enjoy the comforts of your own place you probably want furnish it with new or higher quality furniture. Most people will be asking how much does it cost to furnish a house? The question is not as simple as it sounds. There are many factors to consider when furnishing your new house:
- How big is your new place?
- How many rooms do you need to furnish?
- What furniture and belonging do you currently have that you want to bring along?
- What quality of items are you aiming for?
- Are you buying second hand furniture or all brand new?
- What do you want to have in each room?
- Are willing to the buy the essentials and furnish the rest in time?
- What’s your budget?
Below we will cover all the questions above and then give you an estimate breakdown of the different room costs for a grand total. The total will obviously be a range, but should give you an idea of the various costs involved in furnishing various rooms.
How big is your new house?
The size of the new house will largely factor how much you might have to spend. If you are trying to furnish a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom it will be cheaper than a 5 bedroom 5 bathroom. Most people will have a good idea on what items they want in a bedroom along with a bathroom. You can have similar items in each room which makes budgeting a bit easier.
It gets trickier when you want to furnish an office, a den, or large basement. There can be large variability in the items one person wants versus another person. Another cost to consider is if you have a large yard. You can consider getting a lawn mower, ladder, hoses, and gardening tools as furnishings. This can easily add $1,000 to your expenses.
How many rooms do you need to furnish?
Are you trying to furnish every single room your new house right away or are you willing to furnish the main livings spaces first like master bedroom, master bathroom, kitchen, living room, and maybe a guest room plus bathroom? If so then your immediate costs go down.
In addition, you can buy lower quality furniture for guest rooms, but you don’t want to go too cheap. It would be awful if you had a nice house with cheap furniture you provided to your guests. Wouldn’t send the right impression. In general you want to spring for high quality furniture that is well built and will last you a life time.
What furniture and belonging do you currently have that you want to bring along?
You can drastically reduce the cost of furnishing a new house if already have a lot of furniture you are bringing along. However, when most people move from an apartment to a new house they want to upgrade their old items to higher quality furniture to have a fresh start.
It is common to bring a lot of kitchen items since you don’t really need to have new pots or pans as long as the ones you currently have are in good shape. Bringing the 10 year old couch with stains and rips to a new house is probably not the best idea.
What quality of items are you aiming for?
The higher quality furniture can get pricey very fast especially if you are going designer items. They can get into the thousands of dollar per item range. For this guide we will assume that we want to stay medium to high end. After all we don’t want a house filled with plywood. Not that there is anything wrong without but it wouldn’t be the best approach after spending so much money buying a new house.
It may even be smart to buy some cheaper furniture to hold you over until your financial situation gets better after all the costs associated with a new home. Just don’t invest too much in cheap furniture as you don’t want to fill the house with it and has low resale value.
Ideally you want to purchase furniture that is made of solid wood construction with a modern or classy style. The decor is and style of furnishings is up to the individual, but always important to understand the material of construction. If there is a warranty available you might want to check to see if it is worth it and within the budget.
If you are buying a leather couch ensure it is real leather and not bonded leather that will peel and breakdown after while. You will notice large price difference in items that are made from solid wood construction versus plywood.
Are you buying second hand furniture or all brand new?
Buying used furniture can provide big value if you know what to look for. Many older furniture at antique stores or thrift stores are well built and can last a life time while still looking new. This will depend on your comfort with purchasing used furniture and your ability to find high quality items. Sometimes finding a good piece can take a while, but often the cost savings can be quite large compared to buying the same item for new.
Buying new furniture will obviously be costlier, but allows your to be more picky on your customization and ability to choose exactly what you envisioned for your decor.
What do you want to have in each room?
Are you aiming to have only the essentials in each room. For example, in a bedroom do you just want to have a bed frame. mattress, pillows, rug, and dresser? Or do you want to add extras like an ottoman, ironing board for each room, lamps, desk, and chair? All addition will have an extra cost attached so it’s important to make a list of items you think are “crucial” and what items are a “nice to have”.
Make a list for every room that you want to furnish. Try to have an image in your mind of how the room will look completed and write down everything that you want. This way you can get an idea of the cost for each room like the basement or home office.
Are willing to the buy the essentials and furnish the rest in time?
One important thing to consider is are you trying to buy everything at once including the small accessories? This will make your budget much larger and might skew what you think you should be spending. Most people try to buy the big ticket items first like a bed, bed frame, couch, tv, dining table, and chairs.
As always you will continue furnishing your house in the coming weeks and months so keep in mind to have a little wiggle room for items you may have missed in your initial budget.
What’s your budget?
This is the biggest question and usually what constrains many people. Some people have a set amount they want to spend under while others are more flexible depending on the item. If there is a certain dollar amount you can only spend now then only buy the essentials and take your time furnishing the house. There is no need to furnish everything in one go although it might give peace of mind.
Remember furnishing a house should be look as a fun opportunity to create a space you feel comfortable able to relax. Given your goal set your budget according and you can always upgrade to the high end stuff in a few years if you want. The important thing is to feel financially safe without stretching yourself too thin.
The Breakdown By Numbers and Estimate
Master/Guest Bedroom
- Mattress: $200 – $3,000
- Bed frame: $200 – $2,500
- Pillows: $20 – $100
- Pillow Cases: $30 – $100
- Comforter: $60 – $500
- Duvet Cover: $60 – $400
- Dresser: $60 – $2,000
- Rug: $50 – $3,000
- Bed Sheets: $50 – $600
- Ottoman: $80 – $300
- Night stand: $30 – $300
- Mirror: $20 – $250
- Overall the cost to furnish a master/guest bedroom can range from $900 to $13,000 depending on the cost and quality of each item
- The list above outlines the essentials for each room so any other items will put the cost to furnish the room above $1,000 at a minimum assuming you are buying new and relatively good quality furniture.
Living Room
- TV: $200 – $3,000
- TV Wall Mount $50 – $500
- TV Stand: $50 – $800
- Rug: $50 – $3,000
- Couch $200 – $10,000
- End Tables: $60 – $400
- Throw: $20 – $200
- Accent Chair: $50 – $800
- Wall Art: $50 – $2,000
- Plants: $20 – $300
- Decorative Pillows: $30 – $200
- Coffee Table: $50 – $500
- Overall the cost to furnish the living room can range from $900 to $22,000 depending on the cost and quality of each item
- The primary cost drivers will be the expenses associated with the couch, TV, rugs, and art
Kitchen/Dining Room
- Dining Table: $200 – $5,000
- Dining Chairs: $200 – $2,500
- Drapes: $50 – $800
- Vase/Art: $20 – $2,000
- Pots & Pans: $60 – $800
- Kitchen Utensils: $30 – $400
- Cutlery: $50 – $500
- Floor Mats: $50 – $300
- Knife Set: $50 – $600
- Trash Can: $20 – $300
- Tupperware: $30 – $100
- Blender: $20 – $250
- Overall the cost to furnish the kitchen can range from $800 to $16,000 depending on the cost and quality of each item
- This cost can be reduced if you are bringing a lot of kitchen items with you
Bathroom
- Shower Curtain: $10 – $50
- Towels: $20 – $100
- Bath Mat: $20 – $100
- Soap: $20 – $100
- Plunger: $20 – $50
- Scale: $20 – $100
- Toilet Brush: $20 – $100
- Trash Can: $20 – $300
- Door Mirror $20 – $100
- Toilet Paper: $20 – $100
- Facial Tissues: $10 – $100
- Miscellaneous: $20 – $300
- Overall the cost to furnish a bathroom can range from $250 to $1,500 depending on the cost and quality of each item
Home Office
- Desk: $200 – $1,000
- Office Chair: $100 – $500
- Rug: $50 – $1,000
- Book Shelf: $30 – $200
- Filing Cabinet: $60 – $500
- Monitor: $150 – $1,000
- Desk Lamp: $60 – $200
- Printer: $50 – $500
- Extension Cord: $10 – $50
- Mouse/Keyboard: $50 – $300
- Overall the cost to furnish a home office can range from $700 to $6,500 depending on the cost and quality of each item
Laundry Room
- Hamper: $20 – $100
- Detergent: $20 – $80
- Washer : $300 – $1,000
- Dryer: $300 – $1,000
- Iron: $30 – $300
- Ironing Board $30 – $100
- Hanger $10 – $60
- Vacuum: $30 – $300
- Overall the cost to furnish the laundry room can range from $800 to $3,000 depending on the cost and quality of each item
How Much Does It Cost To Furnish A House Conclusion
As you can see the cost to furnish a house can add up fairly quickly. The list above gives you the essentials you need for each room. If you only had the 6 rooms above we estimate it can cost between $5,000 – $62,000. For most people we don’t expect the upper range, but you can easily reach it with some high quality furniture. If we assume you have a 2-3 bedroom house with 2 bathrooms we estimate the cost to furnish the house between $8,000 – $15,000. This would include items we haven’t mentioned above which gives you wiggle room to buy extra items you may have forgotten.
Hopefully this guide was helpful in planning your move into the new house and has helped budget to furnish all the essentials. Check out these other articles to help you further furnish your new place: