Figuring out where to start to transform your new space into a home doesn’t have to be daunting. Moving into a new home or apartment can be an exciting new chapter, whether it’s HGTV-worthy, minimalist or maximalist.

A good first step might be to decide on a budget and priorities.

It may take some trial and error. There is no shame in starting a project and realizing that this is not what you want to spend your money and time on.

Related: 4 Ways To Improve Your Home

6 tips for furnishing your home

The key to finding the right furniture is to follow your instincts. There is not a universal definition of good taste. It’s your taste, and where you’ll live.

Here are some tips for furnishing your new home.

1. Consolidate your business

Part of setting your furniture budget is figuring out what you want to keep and what you will need to purchase. That new home you are moving into is the perfect opportunity to say goodbye to rooms that no longer suit your lifestyle. (Remember WWMKD: What Would Marie Kondo Do?)

Start with key furniture like beds, sofas, dining tables, and rugs. Review what you have. Have you recently bought the bed of your dreams or have you had the frame since college? Decide what to keep and what to throw away.

You can sell or give away what you say goodbye to.

2. Prepare before the schlep

As a general rule, for interior decoration, it is much easier to lay carpeting or paint the walls before bringing furniture into the house.

Before move-in day, it may be a good idea to create a list of all the changes you want to make to the existing interior. Here are some basic things to consider:

• Walls and ceilings: Choose a paint color, fill in existing holes, remove popcorn ceilings
• Floors: Remove or add carpet, install hardwood floors, restore floors
• Appliances: Choose kitchen appliances, bring a washer and dryer, install ceiling fans and light fixtures
• Bathroom and kitchen improvements: Redo the bathroom tiling, choose a backsplash, redo the kitchen counters
• Laundry room redesigned: A laundry room remodel could create a more efficient space or a dual-purpose room

Once you’ve made the list of changes, figure out what needs to be addressed now and what can wait. You might be able to live with the blue tile in the kitchen, but maybe the pink walls in the bedroom won’t cut it.

Next, figure out what you can do on your own and what will require professional attention.

3. When buying furniture, start with the key pieces

The living room and the master bedroom are the two places where you probably spend the most time, so these are good rooms to focus on. (You don’t want to have a fully organized pantry until you have an acceptable place to sleep.)

A bed and sofa can be worth spending the extra money on getting something that will last for years and tie the room together.

Bedroom: A good bed frame and a good mattress are probably your investment pieces. It may be a good idea to choose a bedroom vibe before purchasing new pieces in order to have a cohesive theme.

Salon: A sofa is the centerpiece here, so it’s the investment piece (and a good starting point for decorating). Consider size, comfort, and color. A large television or entertainment center can also be part of the equation.

4. Keep things organized while you unpack

The two elements that really shape a home’s feng shui are organization and decor. An organized pantry or closet makes life easier, while an organized shelving unit can subtly affect the mood of a room.

See what you already have that may be functional – baskets, bins and the like. As you unpack your things, use these tools to stay organized.

Depending on your lifestyle, organizational expenses for your new home can range from thin hangers to a closet remodel.

5. See the big picture

Arrange any decor pieces you own, including art, books, heirlooms, photographs, platters, candles, and vases. Ideally, you’ve gone through most of these things during the consolidation phase and only kept the things that are meaningful to you or that match your home’s aesthetic.

Once you’ve seen it all in one place, start picking out the things that go together. There are no wrong answers here. You can choose travel books for your office and a variety of heirlooms and photographs for your bedroom. This is the most forgiving aspect of interior design, as the smaller decor pieces can be easily moved.

Once all of your belongings are in place and the art is hung, you can browse online to find great pieces that resonate with you and your space.

Maybe it’s time to frame that print you have clung to or splurge on the perfect pillows for your new sofa. These may seem like little additions, but they can make a huge difference.

6. Space out the purchase of expensive items

It doesn’t matter if your house looks like a construction site for a few months. Once you’ve consolidated, organized, and decorated, it might be time to buy your bullion coins.

You might want to pick out your three or four non-negotiable items, like a live bed, sofa, TV, or dining table, and put them around the house. Next, focus on purchasing the art, rugs, and lights that you’ve looked at.

How much does furnishing a house cost?

Here are some potential costs for furnishing a new home to help you budget. Keep in mind that these are estimates.

Painting: $ 500 to thousands

Painting supplies depend on the size of your home, the number of rooms, the amount of door and window trim, and the quality of the paint. Paint costs $ 15 to $ 40 per gallon on average, but a designer brand can cost a lot more than that.

One gallon of paint covers approximately 400 square feet and two coats may be recommended. Take into account all of the myriad of painting supplies to buy if you are DIY.

Expect to pay a painter $ 2-6 per square foot for labor and materials, according to HomeAdvisor. So if you need 2,300 square feet painted, the cost can range from $ 4,000 to $ 11,000.

Bed: $ 200 to $ 2,000 and more

Single bed frames are available from Ikea or Wayfair in the $ 100 to $ 200 range. You can also find mid-range selections of $ 200 to $ 1,000 at these retailers as well as more design-oriented vendors such as West Elm, Raymour & Flanigan, and Crate and Barrel.

Mattresses: $ 300 to $ 2,000 and more

New brands like Zinus, Casper, and Nectar are offering mattresses starting at a few hundred dollars. High-end brands like West Elm, Raymour & Flanigan, and Tempur-Pedic can cost over $ 3,000.

Sofa: $ 200 to $ 3,000

Ikeas, Wayfairs, and Targets of the World offer plenty of options for a starter coin for a few hundred dollars.

Mid-range selections range from $ 300 to $ 1,000 at these and other retailers such as Ashley Furniture, West Elm, Raymour & Flanigan, Crate and Barrel, and CB2. At the higher end of the spectrum, there are more sophisticated designs from Roche Bobois, Ligne Roset, Design Within Reach and many other luxury brands.

Bedroom set: $ 500 to $ 5,000 and more

Bedroom sets can be found at most of the same types of retailers and range from modest to extravagant.

Carpets: $ 30 to $ 1,000 and more

Carpets are an easy cost to forget, and they can be a lot more expensive than you expect. A high-quality Persian rug can cost thousands of dollars, but some of the mid-range retailers mentioned offer rugs starting at $ 100. Also watch for the Labor Day and Black Friday sales.

Organizational pieces: $ 20 to $ 300 and more

Baskets, trash cans, storage ottomans, vanity sets, and freestanding cabinet systems can add methods to the madness. The Container Store offers inspiration.

Take-out

When furnishing a new home, you may want to start with a budget, sort through your belongings, prepare the new space for move-in (re-carpeting, redoing counters, remodeling a closet), and identifying the first ones. key purchases. Interior decoration and design can take shape over time.

When you’re converting your new home into a home, a personal loan can help make sure you don’t have to save money.

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This article originally appeared on SoFi.com and was unionized by MediaFeed.org.

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