In our introductory article for this series on furnishing your first home,
we talked about two different ways of thinking people who have just purchased
their first homes generally have. One couple figures that they have just spent
a bundle on that perfect Scarborough home for sale, why not drop a couple thousand
more and turn it into a real oasis.
This article is definitely for the people who think the other way. These are
the people who have felt their eyebrows rise as they realize the constantly
mounting costs of buying a home, be it stand alone or a condominium. Downtown Toronto is not the only location in the country where homebuyers are a bit shocked
at the prices they have to pay, prices that leave a lot of people reluctant
to spend more on furnishing that home. Fortunately, there are ways to furnish
your first home without spending as much money as couple A. How? Why, through
begging, borrowing, and bargain shopping of course!
Begging
Now, we are not talking about standing outside 110 Bloor and asking every suit
you see if she is tired of her leather sofa and would like to offload it to
someone in need. Rather, we mean keeping your eyes and ears open around your
family and friends and learning to take advantage of opportunity when it knocks.
A lot of people (and we do mean a lot) have pieces of furniture that they don't
really need, don't want, and don't use. The trick is finding out
who they are, and what furniture they are looking to get rid of.
Obviously, family are the easiest people to approach with this type of issue.
You'll know when your parents are getting rid of their old couches, and
it won't hurt to ask for them before they are sold at a garage sale or
otherwise disposed of. The same works for appliances, other pieces of furniture,
really anything that you think might go well in your new home.
Borrow
Again, you will have to keep your eyes and ears open, but often there are chances
to furnish your home with pieces that you borrow. You may know of people heading
overseas for a time, moving into a smaller home themselves, or just thinking
about renting for whatever reason. Instead of just letting them put that furniture
in storage, why not ask if you can use it for your own home?
It's also possible to rent furniture in much the same way as you would
rent a car for a period of time. There are businesses that take advantage of
this when staging a Toronto resale home, and it's something for individual
homeowners to think about as well.
Bargain Shop!
Of course, there is nothing quite like finding home furnishings of your own
at a great price. Bargain shopping for furnishings means being proactive. You
might find information on local garage sales in a Cabbagetown blog, tax free
sales in newspaper flyers, or great pieces at the local Goodwill Store. Bargain
shopping has helped fill the home of more than one thrifty real estate owner!
Being cautious about furnishing a new home doesn't mean you have to live
on pillows as you save up money for appliances, furniture, and decorations.
It just means you have to get a little creative when it comes to finding those
furnishings!
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