Furnishing Your First Apartment: How to Save Money Massively

So you’ve just signed the lease for your very first apartment. Very exciting! I actually just did this myself. While moving into your first apartment is of course exciting, the expenses can add up quickly. You’ll need furniture, appliances, kitchenware, and bedding, among other things. If you’re on a budget, these items can cost money that you just can’t part with.

Well here’s the good news…you don’t have to.

Below is a list of 5 ways you can save money BIG TIME when moving into your first place. 

1. Ask family and friends for spare furniture

Before you buy a SINGLE thing for your first apartment, please do this first. When my roommate and I told people we were moving, you would not believe the amount of people who offered us furniture and other home items.

Either family members were moving houses and getting rid of extra things or people had collected stuff over the years which they simply never used.

Here is a list (which is still growing) of items we’ve received for FREE from family members and friends: a full-sized couch, a loveseat and matching ottoman, a futon, two dressers, a bed frame, a desk, multiple side tables and night stands, a coffee table, a crock pot, a standing lamp, a Soda Stream, a Ninja, a brand new dish set, a practically-new set of pots and pans, and a cutlery set.

And I’m telling you, people are offering us more stuff every day. The list of things we have to purchase for the apartment is getting awfully small. And it’s awesome.

Of course, not everyone is going to be as lucky as we have been during their first big move. But seriously, just ask around. Let people know you are moving into your first apartment. Go to your family and friends who are moving homes. Have your parents tell their friends you’re moving. You’d be surprised how many people are more than happy to help you out, and make some more space in their own garages at the same time!

2. Craig’s List

So many people I know have used Craig’s List to find and purchase inexpensive home items to great success. My sister bought an entire living room set for her very first apartment from Craig’s List for $250. I’m not kidding when I say she got a couch, a loveseat, a coffee table, and two side tables…all for $250! You can’t beat that. And it was practically brand new. Turns out a furniture salesman purchased this set for his own house, and used it for two weeks until his wife decided she didn’t like it. So he decided to sell it for super cheap on Craig’s List. And my sister ended up with a sweet bargain. 

Many people selling furniture and home items on Craig’s List are moving, sometimes in a hurry, and are trying to get rid of their stuff FAST. These people are going to list their goods for cheap because they’d rather make something from them than have to leave everything at the curb come moving day.

If you’ve never used Craig’s list before, simply go to the website, type your search word into the search bar (examples: furniture, couch, kitchen table, bed frame), and then choose your geographical area. I used the map feature to select my location radius.

A ton of results will show up, many of them even listed for $0! Like I said, a lot of people are just trying to get rid of their stuff. Obviously you are going to have to do some sifting through the listed results to find what you are looking for. But you can find some really good stuff on there!

It’s important when buying from or selling to online strangers that you do so in the safest and smartest way possible. Avoid meeting strangers alone and try to meet them in a public place if possible. For some tips on buying from Craig’s List, check out this article.

3. Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is another awesome source for seriously discounted home goods. You can buy anything on there from dumbbells to artwork, furniture, and kitchen appliances. Like Craig’s List, Facebook Marketplace connects buyers and sellers within a certain region. As long as you have a Facebook account, then you can access the marketplace.

You can find the icon for Facebook Marketplace on the top of your home page– it looks like a little house (not the homepage icon). Just click on the icon, enter your location under the “filters,” and type in what you’re looking for in the search bar. Or simply browse what items local people are selling! If you are interested in an item, you will have the option to message the seller about purchasing. Negotiate prices if you like, set up a time and place to pick up the item, and you’re done.

Honestly it’s a relatively low-effort, convenient, and cheap option if you’re looking to furnish a space on a budget. As with Craig’s List, you’ll see that lots of items (some decent quality) are listed for completely free! If you’d like to read a more in-depth guide to shopping on Facebook Marketplace, check out this post by Jenuine Home.

4. Garage Sales

You might think garage sales are only for the old folks, but that’s where you’re wrong. Garage sales are the original Craig’s List and Facebook Marketplace. And they are still an amazing source for bargain home goods! Look out for sales in your neighborhood in spring, summer, and early fall when the weather is nice.

My mom has gotten some of her best kitchen glassware from local garage sales. I’ve personally gotten great deals on exercise equipment, furniture, and kitchenware from garage sales. On top of that, it makes a really fun weekend activity to drive around, hunt for a few sales, and check out what local people are selling. Try it out and you may be surprised what you can find!

5. Thrift Shops

Of course this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning one of my favorite places, the thrift shop. Thrift shops have more to offer than secondhand clothing (I’ve gotten so many cute closet staples from my local thrift shops). Thrift shops are also great places to find used furniture, houseware, kitchen items, and home decor.

My cousin got the cutest couch for her very first apartment from Goodwill (the exact one she had been eyeing on the Ikea website) for $50! The same couch bought brand new costs over $500. That’s a lot of savings. I have personally purchased table runners, lamps, vases, wicker baskets, mugs, and glassware from thrift shops, all for next to nothing.

6. Refurbish old furniture

The art of refurbishing old furniture is something I’ve only recently discovered. Remember when I mentioned all that free furniture my roommate and I got from family members? Well some of the pieces are admittedly a little outdated. This is likely to happen when you’re receiving secondhand furniture. However, DON’T turn down free furniture simply because it is old and out of style! Often, these older pieces will actually be of a higher-quality than many of the mass-produced cheaper furniture sold in stores and online today.

Here’s an example.

I received two antique dressers from my aunt who was moving. They looked pretty “80’s” to me and I wasn’t sure if I wanted them. My dad took one look at them and told me I should definitely take them. He noted that the dressers were made of real, solid wood and that the drawers were constructed using “dovetail” joints. I had no idea what dovetail joints were (helps to have Dad around), but apparently it was a sign of good quality furniture.

To know if secondhand furniture is worth your time refurbishing, you’ll want to make sure it’s good quality. Is the piece made of quality materials? Has it been constructed well? Is it in salvageable condition? You’ll want to ask yourself these kinds of questions before choosing to refurbish a piece of furniture, because the process of refurbishing requires an investment of time, energy, and a little bit of money. For help determining whether a secondhand piece is well-made, take a read through this helpful post.

I plan to update the two dressers from my aunt, along with some other pieces I received (I’m thinking of painting them a rustic farmhouse blue). There are lots of video tutorials on YouTube on how to do this.

Go and Get Thrifty!

So, in summary, there are a LOT of affordable options for you to furnish your first apartment without running straight to the nearest furniture or home goods store. Why break the bank when you can find quality items to fill your new home for way less? Give these resources a try and let me know what you find!

Have you used any other sources for affordable or secondhand home goods? Leave a comment in the comment section below! I’d love to hear about them!