In amongst all the to-dos of moving into a new home, you’ll need to start purchasing all the furnishings to get your new home completely set up. Here’s my list of some must have furniture for your new home, with the absolute essentials. Everything else (even the coffee machine) is a luxury to be purchased after the move in. 

Kitchen 

The kitchen is the largest and considerably most important room in your house. There are plenty of kitchen essentials that need to be purchased. Although these might not be “furniture” you still don’t want to be caught short.

Eating Essentials

• Tableware – Buy a set of plates and bowls. Paper plates might suffice for moving day, but you’ll need something more standard and durable longer term. 

• Cups, mugs & glasses – Making sure you have plenty of mugs and glasses is essential, especially when you become thirsty from the move and need a cup of water or a hot coffee your first morning waking up.

There are plenty of shops that offer budget-friendly options for kitchenware including Kmart, IKEA, and Big W. For those with a bigger budget, Robin’s Kitchen, House, and Wheel&Barrow have some fantastic options too. 

Cooking Essentials

• Bowls – Large bowls are ideal for mixing a variety of salads, pasta, and rice dishes, as well as serving food on the table

• Utensils – Utensils come in all shapes and sizes so you need to find some that work best for your kitchen needs. You’ll like need a serving spoon, wooden spoon, vegetable peeler, and tongs to get started. There are a few other essentials like a masher, spatula, garlic press, and whisk. You’ll be surprised how often you use all of these.

• Knives – Purchasing a knife block is a great way to ensure you have all the knives you need as well as a safe place to store them. If this a knife block isn’t within your budget, consider buying at least one sharp knife so you can prepare food.

• Pots and Pans – Cutting boards, pots, pans, and baking trays are important items. Make sure you have at least one fry pan, a large, medium, and small saucepan, and a baking tray. As you get used to your new kitchen and the items you use most, you can add to your collection.

Appliances

• Fridge – A fridge is an essential part of your kitchen. When you first move into a new house you need to store essentials like milk, butter, and meat. If you’ve ordered a fridge but there’s a delay in delivery, borrowing or buying a mini fridge could be a good interim solution.

• Kettle and Toaster – Unless you want to boil water on the stovetop to make a cup of coffee or make toast over the grill, a kettle and toaster are important parts of your new kitchen

• Microwave – Having a microwave in the home is essential for many people and can warm any dish quickly. 

Living Room

• Sofa – There’s nothing more relaxing than chilling out in your new living room. Sofas are a must-have for this space. Most furniture retailers have a long lead time when it comes to delivering sofas so you may need temporary seating. Consider buying some cheap camping chairs or bean bags until it arrives. Alternatively you can purchase second hard sofas if you’re on a budget.

• TV – You can check various retailers for special offers and deals on TVs 

• Entertainment Unit – If your TV isn’t fixed to the wall you may want to consider a TV stand or entertainment unit.

• Coffee Table – While it’s not an essential, it is a great way to add a finishing touch to your living room. 

Dining Room

• Dining Table – What better way to have a housewarming party than to gather everyone around the dining table. It is essential item for eating but can be multifunctional as a desk, craft table, and more. The dining room table tends to be a bigger purchase so make sure to take time to find one that suits your needs. As a temporary option to a dining table you could always invest in food trays to eat off your lap or even borrow a table from family or friends.

• Chairs – Once you’ve sorted out the table, dining chairs need to be purchased. This is so you can see what type of chairs would suit the table, as well as how many can fit around the table. 

Bedroom 

• Bed – A bed is a wonderful way to create a comfortable, welcoming bedroom. A bedframe might take a while to come, so you may have to make do with a mattress on the floor until it arrives. Don’t forget to get a mattress that’s suitable for the frame.

• Bedding – Pillows, sheets and other bedding are all vital to a good night’s sleep.

• Wardrobe – Of course you’ll need somewhere to store your clothing. It’s best to wait until you bed arrives so you can see how much space you have to play with. 

• Bedside Table – Bedside tables are a practical piece of furniture to have. You can keep drinks on the top, whilst many come with drawers to store more delicate items. 

Bathroom

• Towels – As long as your new place has a bath or shower, you’ll need towels. You should also consider any toiletries you may need like shampoo, conditioner, and soap for when you move in.

• Bathroom Essentials – Other bathroom items you’ll want include a small bin, toilet brush, and possibly even a shower speaker.

Office

• Desk – well, without a desk you’ll have nowhere to do work

• Desk Chair – Make sure to find a desk chair that is both comfortable, offers lumbar support, and is suitable to your needs and your desk. 

• Bookshelf – Even if you don’t have a lot of books, a bookshelf can become a favourite. Choose a sturdy bookcase that has plenty of shelves to display décor, framed pictures, and other collectibles. I have 2 bookshelves dedicated to my décor and collectibles!

Finding Furniture on a Budget 

• Second Hand Shops – Shopping at second hand furniture shops or shop shops is a great way to find items at a lower price. It might take a couple trips till you find what you’re after, but you’ll definitely walk away with great bargains.

• Sales – You can often find good deals by shopping the sales in furniture shops, and homeware stores. Most retailers have key sales throughout the year including summer and winter sales, and Black Friday sales which can help you save money. 

Freebies – I managed to score my couch and most of my kitchenwares a few years back for free by simply asking family and friends if they had any spare items they didn’t need. When you move it’s definitely worth putting the feelers out to see if anyone you know is getting rid of household items.