Furnish now or furnish gradually?

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When moving in to your new home, you have a choice to make that could result in a lot of stress or it could make your life easier (depending on what way you look at it). Do you A. Buy everything now and pop it on your credit card, or B. Only buy what you can afford and build up your furnishings gradually.

Let’s be honest, there is no right or wrong answer here, but let’s take a look at the pros and cons of both.

Furnishing Gradually

When we moved in to our first home we only had a few items. We purchased some essentials and compromised on bits and bobs until we could afford it. We sat on camp chairs and used a picnic table for dining.

Of course a nice TV was essential…

Pros

  • Buying gradually can feel more rewarding as you appreciate each item you purchase after saving hard.
  • No stress of a big credit card bill that you would have to pay off.
  • You have time to decide your style and to make choices with care.
  • Watch your home transform over time and make memories with what you have.

Cons

  • Having guests round is not ideal in the early stage (unless they don’t mind sitting on the floor).
  • Going cheap to make do will cost you more in the long run.
  • It will take time to feel like a home.

Buy everything straight away

Now this could result in months / years of monthly payments to pay off your credit card but it could be worth it depending on how you handle the stress.

Pros

  • Firstly the most obvious one is – you can have guests around straight away!
  • Make it feel like a home in a short space of time.
  • You won’t have frustrating moments of – “I could really do with this”
  • It’s exciting! Getting exactly what you dreamed of there and then.

Cons

  • Depending on your financial situation, fun days out can be put on hold as you now have a big bill to worry about.
  • Did I mention stress?
  • The norm of society is to buy a house, get married, have kids… The getting married and having kids part might be a challenge when there is lots to pay off.

This decision should not be taken lightly, as I said there is no right or wrong but make sure you choose what is right for you both.