How much does it cost to furnish an apartment? How much should I spend on my first apartment’s furniture?
Quick Summary Video (if you prefer) and then keep reading.
The cost to furnish an apartment will depend on a range of factors, but generally expect to spend $2,400 for a studio, $4,000 for a one-bedroom, and $6,000 plus for a two-bedroom.
Here are some considerations to help you determine how much it costs to furnish an apartment.
What Are The Major Items To Be Included In Furnishing An Apartment?
First, get a floor plan of the exact apartment you will live in to see if the furniture you plan to purchase will fit.
The major furnishing items include sofas, beds, dining / kitchen tables and chairs, lighting, and TV.
There are budget-friendly and luxury items.
Here are some cost ideas for each.
- Sofa – If you choose a 3-seater sofa, expect to pay upwards of $500, or more if you want an entire set.
- Beds – Beds start from $400 but mattresses are usually sold separately and can cost between $200 and $1,000+.
- Dining Tables – typically start from $500 for a budget set and will go up depending on what you want. You might be able to get a small kitchen table for a few hundred dollars and up.
- Chairs – Don’t forget you will need chairs for your table. Expect to pay $50 or more per chair.
- Lighting – Most apartments require extra lamps and floor lighting which can cost $50 plus per piece.
- TV – It can cost $200 plus depending on the size.
- Dresser – It can cost $150 plus, depending on the size. You also likely have other accent pieces to consider like artwork and decorations.
How Much Does It Cost To Furnish An Overall Apartment?
The cost to furnish your apartment overall will depend on its size.
Larger apartments will cost you more because there is more space to cover and more bedrooms.
Here are some overall costs to keep in mind.
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- Furnishing studio apartments start from $2,400
- Furnishing one-bedroom apartments start from $4,000
- Furnishing two-bedroom apartments start from $6,000. These costs are considered if you need to furnish your apartments from scratch.
Buying furniture can be expensive and should be considered as part of the money you should save before moving into an apartment.
How To Budget For Your Apartment Furnishing
In order to budget for our apartment furniture, it’s important to consider your own needs.
- Consider Budget – After allotting for rent and other expenses, how much can you afford to spend on furniture?
- Consider Frequency of Move – if you move a lot, you may want to choose more budget pieces that are not expensive
- Consider Apartment Size – for smaller sized apartments; you need fewer pieces of furniture so your overall costs will be lower.
Other than these furnishings, you will also need to budget for additional items like cutlery, crockery, dishes, appliances, televisions and much more. It’s important to create a checklist of every item you want to include in your apartment along with an expected expense for each item so you can properly budget for these expenses, which can add up over time.
What Other Options Do I Have?
If this all sounds too overwhelming, you can consider renting a furnished apartment although these typically cost a premium to rent (for the convenience).
You could also consider renting furniture. The advantages are lower monthly costs (i.e. it might be $400/month), but the disadvantage is that you don’t own the furniture, and costs can add up quickly.
The better you are with budgeting, the better position you will be in when it comes to sticking to your expected expenses.
