It can be a lot of fun to find a new apartment or move into your first place. It’s an adventure that can often leave you wondering what steps you should initially take.
Whether you have a roommate, a small studio apartment, or lots of space, you’ll discover that an endless supply of furniture options promise to make your new home look fantastic. How do you know what statements to believe?
When you have the correct measurements and priorities to consider, picking the furniture for your apartment becomes a straightforward task that helps you turn that place into a home. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.
Tips to Follow When Picking the Furniture for Your Apartment
1. Take accurate measurements of each room.
Before you can start shopping for furniture, you need to know how to manage the apartment space you’re getting. When you know the measurements, you can purchase the furniture that meets your needs without overwhelming the room you have.
Instead of waiting for the keys to your new apartment, try contacting the landlord, property owner, or management company to get the unit’s dimensions. That way, you’ll know what to get for each room. A king-sized bed might fit in a 120-square-foot bedroom, but what space would you have left?
2. Prioritize your furniture purchases.
Although it is tempting to splurge on décor, it helps to have all your necessities in place first. You’ll want to prioritize what furniture is needed for moving day instead of trying to get everything at once. When you make purchases in different phases, your budget can support these investments while taking care of the basics.
If you don’t have anything for a first apartment, the first purchase should be a place to sleep. When there’s a bed frame with a comfortable mattress and a dresser, the space will feel like home even if you have nothing else.
3. Think about the colors you want.
Most apartments have a neutral color scheme because it maximizes the interest of potential renters. When you sign a lease, don’t be surprised if the landlord, property owner, or management company doesn’t allow you to paint the walls.
That means you can use your furniture and décor to add some style and color to each room. If you have the typical white, beige, or tan hues in the apartment, darker earth tones will work well for your decorating.
It helps to take pictures of each room as reference points to ensure that you’re matching the carpet, flooring, walls, blinds, or other elements in your new home.
4. Think about function first.
When you rent an apartment, you probably have less working space to use than you would in a single-family house. Some rentals have unique layouts that make using the furniture a challenging consideration.
It’s usually better to choose functional furniture that offers a streamlined space to maximize the potential benefits of your room. It should be mobile, with exposed legs, and less weight so that you can move things around when it’s time to freshen up everything.
A minimalist approach often works, especially when you have storage carts, ottomans, and Murphy-style products to use. These items have multiple uses, which reduces the overall clutter that can develop in a smaller apartment.
5. Avoid shopping retail to save some money.
When you visit retail furniture stores, you’re dealing with a significant markup on the prices of your desired items. Most companies set the prices up by almost 80%. When they have a sale, the price comes down where the gross profit margin is still around 40%. That’s why you should always try to negotiate on this amount.
If you cannot avoid shopping for retail furniture, the best option you have is to pay with cash. You’ll have more bargaining room, especially when you work with a business unaffiliated with a national chain. Some stores won’t allow for any haggling, which means you should keep the product name and barcode to search for it online. You might find a better price waiting for you there.
Finding the right furniture for your apartment might feel like a challenge at first, but it can also be a lot of fun! When you’re hunting for the perfect items, the goal is to create a living space you’ll love for the months and years to come. Think about what you need, how much you can spend, and what size your unit can support to get the best results.
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