Helping you Estimate the Costs of Furnishing your Home
Congratulations! You’re ready to move into your new house. You’ve got a couch, a few lamps, an end table, and a bedroom set. That’s all the necessities, but why does the house look so empty?
First-time homeowners might need to realize just how much it takes to decorate a home. Even modestly sized houses take a lot to fill. Moving from a small apartment or condo or entering homeownership after being a student can mean that you suddenly need to spend even more money after purchasing a house because you simply don’t own a plethora of furniture.
Between all of the rooms in your new place, just how much will it cost you to furnish the entire home?
The Average Cost of Furnishing a House
With rising costs, inflation, and nationwide material shortages, it’s difficult to pin down the average cost of any project these days. However, a good estimate of the national average cost of furnishing a house is about $16,000, but in our whiplash post-pandemic economy, you may want to prepare yourself for higher expenses.
For mid-and higher-end furniture pieces, you could be looking at close to $90,000 for the entire house. Although it’d be nice to get an exact total per square foot, it really boils down to your style preferences, where you live, and the layout of your home.
What does the average cost of furnishing a home actually entail? Here’s a brief breakdown of common rooms that contribute to the overall cost:
Living Room
You could spend anywhere between $2,000 to upwards of $35,000 on furnishing a living room. Furniture in an average living room includes:
- Sofa.
- Chair.
- Coffee table.
- End tables.
- TV.
- TV/media console.
- Area rug.
- Lamps.
Dining Room
These days, dining rooms are optional. Younger generations tend to skip the formal sit-down-and-eat dinners, opting to cozy up on the couch. If you’re a traditionalist, an average dining room can include:
- Dining table.
- Chairs (if not included).
- Area rug.
- Window treatments.
- Storage pieces for china.
The price range for a dining room is vast—between $2,000 to $17,000.
Bedrooms
Your home most likely has more than one bedroom. You’ll need to apply these costs to the rooms you’re planning on using as the master bedroom and guest bedrooms. For a master bedroom alone, plan on spending $1,000 to $15,000 for home furnishing.
- Bed (mattress, frame, and headboard).
- Nightstands.
- Lamps.
- Dressers.
- Mirror.
- Black-out shades.
Related Search Topics (Ads)
Bathroom
Home furnishing for a bathroom is probably the easiest task you’ll face. Already equipped with a toilet, shower, bath, and bathroom cabinet, you’ll only be responsible for just a few items, if any at all.
- Additional storage pieces, if needed.
- Toilet paper holder.
- Window treatments.
The furnishing cost for a bathroom won’t be much, it will likely set you back $100 to $300.
Kitchen
How much space is your kitchen? When you furnish your home, the kitchen might include another dining table plus chairs or it might only be large enough for a café table plus a corner storage piece.
- Dining or café table.
- Chairs.
- Storage pieces.
- Window treatments.
The cost of kitchen home furnishing can vary. You could spend as little as $500 to upwards of $2,000, depending on the layout.
The Costs to Furnish Your Home
The costs depend on where you live (as the cost of living varies from state to state and even from city to city), the price range of the store you’re shopping at, and whether you already own certain pieces (for example, if you’re already set on a nice bed, that skirts about $1,000 to $5,000 off of your overall furnishing cost).
Your overall furnishing cost will also be determined by the size and layout of your home. For example, a one-bed apartment could cost you $3,500 to $60,000 to furnish. A three-bedroom house can run you $10,000 to $100,000 in furnishing costs.
Buying furniture for your first home, a new home, or an additional house like a vacation home or a cabin can feel overwhelming. Remember that just about everyone starts in the same place, so don’t feel like you need to fully furnish your home in one fell swoop. Here are a few tips that can help make furnishing a home feel more manageable:
- Search online for gently used furniture pieces.
- Shop sales.
- Consider bulk purchases if offered from a single retailer to save on multiple pieces.
- If possible, assemble pieces yourself.
- Save up for what you really want.
- Budget and factor in hidden costs like delivery fees.
- Quality over quantity will help make furniture pieces last longer.
Furnishing a house and decorating each room is fun and exciting. Budget for the pieces you want, shop smart, and don’t feel like all your furniture needs to be purchased right away.