Homebuying 101: How Much to Furnish a 4 Bedroom House?
Your house is probably the most expensive purchase you will ever make. From the monthly mortgage payment, to the upfront closing costs, to the furniture you need to fill up the entire home, many costs are associated with buying a new home. While the mortgage payment and the closing costs are pretty easy to estimate up front, the actual cost of furnishing a home remains a mystery to many homebuyers. This post is going to provide furnishing cost breakdowns for each of the main rooms in a 4 bedroom home, including the total cost of furnishing the entire house, on average.
It is important to remember that each room's furnishing costs have a very wide price range, and this post is just meant to give you a better idea of what to expect. Every homebuyer has their own furniture budget, and your own needs, personal style, and the square footage of the whole house can all cause these estimates to be too high or too low. It is always a good idea to base your furnishing budget on your own financial capacity and to communicate this budget to your interior designer if you are working with one.
Some people enjoy shopping for furniture at flea markets and yard sales while others opt to buy new furniture from designer brands at furniture stores. Obviously, where you decide to purchase furniture affects the overall cost greatly, and the average person decorates their first home on a limited budget rather than taking out a personal loan.
Based on this post, the average cost to furnish a 4 bedroom, three bathroom house is anywhere from $7,500 at the low end to $60,000 at the higher end.
Average Cost to Furnish a Living Room: $2,000 to $15,000
In terms of square feet, the living room is often the largest room in the entire house. Logically, its large size means that it is usually one of the rooms that add the highest total to your furnishing credit card bill! The average furniture costs for a living room range from $2,000 to $15,000 depending on the quality and quantity of items that you buy.
While most living rooms have at least a coffee table and a couch, some opt for end tables, table lamps, area rugs, a television, an entertainment center, and recliners. If you work with an interior decorator, the living room is where a lot of your extra money will wind up being spent.
If you stick to just the basics and are willing to check out some thrift stores and online marketplaces, you can furnish a living room with quality furniture for just a couple thousand dollars. However, if you add in a flat-screen TV and some electric recliners, the total price can skyrocket.
Average Cost to Furnish a Dining Room: $1,000 to $10,000
Dining rooms tend to be much more straightforward than living rooms when it comes to furnishing, as they don't really require much furniture. The most important thing you need to purchase is a dining table, which is also easily the most expensive piece of furniture in the room. In addition to the table, the pieces of furniture you will need are chairs, table settings, and potentially a chest of drawers or a china cabinet.
At the higher end of the spectrum, you can order custom pieces that reflect your own signature style. If you are looking for less financial burden, you can always look for a great deal on pieces at local furniture stores and spend closer to $1,000 to furnish the whole room. If you have a standalone dining room, you likely will not need to spend much on kitchen furniture.
Average Cost to Furnish a Master Bedroom: $1,000 to $15,000
Other than the living room, the master bedroom is almost always the most expensive room to furnish. Your master bedroom is your own paradise, and it is worth spending the time to find the perfect pieces. In addition to a bed frame and a mattress, you will need to purchase side tables, dressers, decorative pieces, and more.
Bedroom furniture prices range greatly depending on quality and style, and a great way to decorate your new space while maintaining a realistic budget is to create a solid design plan before you start purchasing individual items. The purchase price of a matching set tends to be much lower than the price of each individual item bought separately, and these dollars definitely add up.
Average Cost to Furnish a Home Office: $500 to $4,000
Working from home has become a very popular added benefit of many jobs, thanks to the pandemic, and many people speculate that remote work is here to stay. As a result, many people are starting to create dedicated office spaces within their homes. While the design process for a home office isn't nearly as elaborate as it is for a master bedroom, it is worth mentioning that the costs of furnishing a home office can quickly add up.
On the high end, you may choose to buy monitors, a high-quality desk and chair, and wireless computer accessories. Your home office can be a great place even without spending much money. While you can buy very high-end desks and desk chairs, most cost a lot less than you might imagine, and the size of your room will likely dictate how much money you spend on your home office.
Average Cost to Furnish a Guest Room: $750 to $5,000
Usually, guest rooms are much more straightforward to furnish than master bedrooms. While thoughtful and stylish touches are always great, the fact of the matter is that guest bedrooms are only used a fraction of the time, and the best way to cut down on furnishing costs is to spend less on furnishing the guest room. While you should give every room in your new house or new apartment plenty of effort and time, a good rule of thumb is to make the guest bedroom your last priority.
A guest room will need a bed, a dresser, and a nightstand at minimum. Anything in addition to these things should be focused on creating positive vibes and peace of mind for your guests.
Average Cost to Furnish a Bathroom: $250 to $1,000
Bathrooms tend to be very simple to furnish. Full bathrooms need a floor mat, a bath or shower curtain, soap dispensers, towels, and a waste basket. Half bathrooms just need hand towels, a wastebasket, and a floor mat. While you can always add more items, these are the staples that you can't do without!
Other Ways to Save Money When Furnishing a Home
Minimize Delivery Costs
Unless you have a truck and don't mind hauling your new furniture around, you will likely need to pay the supplier to deliver it to your home. While some stores offer free delivery, this is not common. However, if you ask, many furniture stores will condense delivery fees if you can coordinate items to be delivered together.
Consider Leaving Hardwood Floors Exposed
Hardwood floors are beautiful, yet they are frequently covered by area rugs. While area rugs add a nice touch, they can be costly and can even detract from the beauty of your home.
Purchase Protection Plans on New Furniture Items
While spending money may seem like a counterintuitive way to save money, purchasing protection plans on new furniture could save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Financially protecting your home furnishings from damage before it occurs is one of the best ways to save money when purchasing furniture for a new unfurnished apartment or house.
Consider Sample Budgets Before Creating Your Furnishing Budget Breakdown
The internet is filled with detailed sample budgets, and it is a good idea to check out as many of them as possible before you attempt to craft your own. Understanding the piece-by-piece items that fill up a furnishing budget can greatly help you when you make your own budget breakdown.
Take Advantage of Seasonal Sales
There are better times than others to purchase furniture. Generally speaking, the best times to buy furniture are in late winter and in late summer, when stores are trying to offload their current merchandise to make room for the next season's stock. This is especially true for patio furniture.
If you decide to visit Myrtle Beach or any other place in South Carolina and fall in love, reach out to us for help. We at The Boyd Team are always here to help you figure out whether Myrtle Beach is your next home or not, and we are committed to helping you find the right property for your needs and dreams. Any question that you have about moving to the area and finding your dream home by the beach is our pleasure to answer. Feel free to send us an email at eddie@boydteam.com or text or call us at (843) 222-8566, and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Being true natives of the Grand Strand and Horry County and with over 25 years of experience in the local real estate market, whether buying or selling, we can help you make your dreams a reality.
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