Furnishing an entire house doesn't have to be expensive. Here are some tips for buying furniture on a budget, as well as some creative ways to furnish your home for free.

How to furnish an entire house on a low budget (or even for free!)

If you’re moving into a new house by yourself, or with a partner or friends, for the first time, then you may need to furnish an entire home for the very first time.

It’s an exciting time to live by yourself and move into your own home, however it can also be overwhelming when you realise just how much stuff you need to furnish a house top to bottom!

Luckily I have lots of tips for you today to help you furnish a house, and decorate it, even if you are on a low budget.  

Read on for my money saving tips when it comes to finding bargain décor items and even free furniture for your home.

 

My husband made this side table, or plant stand, from used scaffold boards.

Discover cheap preloved décor in charity shops

Charity shops are an amazing place to find unique items for your home for super low prices.  They’re also really fun to browse as you have no idea what you’ll find and their stock is always rotating.

There’ll be new home décor pieces every week, so you can always find something unique when you revisit.

It’s worth checking charity shops in different areas too, as stock and pricing can vary a lot. Some specialise in furniture and larger home items, which is ideal if you’re furnishing your first home and need the basics without spending much at all.

Pick up cheap furniture from furniture recycling projects

Furniture recycling projects are another way to support a good cause and to find a preloved bargain at the same time.

If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for then ask.  Often these places are overflowing with furniture and they have loads more in the storeroom out the back.

Many of these projects will also deliver for a small fee, which can still work out far cheaper than buying new. If you’re furnishing an entire house on a budget, this can be a huge help for bulkier items like wardrobes, tables, and sofas.

Use Facebook Marketplace for cheap preloved furniture (and sometimes freebies)

Local Facebook selling groups and Facebook Marketplace are filled with people local to you selling their unwanted home furnishings.

It’s a great way to source preloved furniture close to home and keep the money in your local community rather than buying new from mainstream stores and lining rich CEOs already bursting pockets.

If there’s one good thing that’s come out of Facebook then it’s definitely things like the marketplace where preloved items are easily bought, sold and given away instead of sending so much to landfill waste. 

If you’re quick and polite, you can often secure the best deals. Set up alerts for key items you need, such as “sofa”, “bed frame”, or “dining table”, so you can act fast when something suitable comes up.

Gumtree and Freecycle

Like Facebook Marketplace, on websites like Gumtree and Freecycle people are often giving away free furniture as it saves them the hassle of getting rid of it or paying to dispose of it when they no longer want or need it.

They’ve had their use out of it and are happy to give it to a good home for free rather than seeing it go to waste.

It’s likely you’ll need to collect it yourself or find a man with a van to pick it up for you.

These sites are especially useful if you’re trying to furnish a house with no money at all. People often just want items gone quickly, so you can sometimes pick up multiple pieces in one go if you’re flexible and organised with collection.

Keep an eye on the street

Quite often people in our local area leave random pieces of furniture at the end of their drives by the pavements with ‘FREE’ labels on them.  It’s an effective way for them to get rid of unwanted stuff for free, but great if you are looking to furnish your home on a really low budget.

Many wooden furniture pieces are easy to upcycle into something more your taste with furniture paint easily purchased at DIY stores to make something your own.

Always check the condition carefully, especially for signs of damp or damage. Solid wood furniture is usually the best find, as it’s durable and easy to refresh with a bit of sanding and paint if needed.

We sanded down, stained and painted this preloved chair for a two-tone and modern look.

Shop the sales

It can be time consuming searching for free furniture and preloved bargains, and sometimes it’s convenient to shop new.  However, you never have to pay full price when choosing new furniture.

Make sure you look for the discounted goods when shopping new.  When shopping for large items like sofas you can often save hundreds by shopping in the sofa sale section.

The same goes for other high priced goods like bed frames and mattresses.  Many sofa stores and bed stores have regular sales that you can take advantage of.   That’s money back in your pocket to continue furnishing the rest of your home.

If you’re not in a rush, timing your purchases around seasonal sales can make a big difference. January, bank holidays, and end of season clearances are often the best times to buy big-ticket items for less.

Visit furniture outlet stores

Instead of waiting for regular stores to have their sales, you can visit outlets where they sell off old and discontinued stock at massively reduced prices.

Also, when ordering new you often have to wait several weeks for items like sofas to be made, however many outlet stores are getting rid of ex-display pieces and overstock, meaning your large furniture items are ready to go and there’s no waiting period.

We previously picked up two Next sofas for around a quarter of their original price in an outlet shopping centre!

Don’t be afraid to ask staff if there’s any room for further discount, especially on ex-display pieces. Small marks or cosmetic flaws can often mean extra savings, which is ideal when you’re trying to afford furniture for a new house.

Use cashback websites

I absolutely love cashback websites for saving money when shopping online.  You can get free money back on your purchases by clicking the links on the cashback website to go to the retailer’s websites.  This tracks your purchase as being referred by the cashback website and they’ll give you a cut of their commission at a later date. 

It takes a while to clear, but is all worth the wait and it starts adding up if you shop online a lot. Even if you buy preloved on eBay you can grab cashback at TopCashback.  Amazing.   

Click here for a list of the best cashback sites in the UK and welcome offers.

For instant cashback when you buy gift vouchers, use JamDoughnut.  We've managed to save between 3% and 5%, depending on the current offer, by using JamDoughnut at B&Q.  When furnishing an entire home, it really adds up!

Cashback is especially effective when combined with sales and discount codes. When you’re furnishing a new home on a budget, stacking savings like this can quietly knock a surprising amount off your overall spend.

Check for new customer discounts

When shopping online, always check for new customer discounts.  Nearly every website offers enticing new customer offers and you might need to sign up to their newsletter to grab your new customer discount code. 

You can always unsubscribe afterwards.  We did a big furniture shop recently and managed to score a 15% off promo code for our first order. If you are spending hundreds on large pieces of furniture then 5, 10 or 15% off can save quite a bit.

If you’re buying furniture from several retailers, you can often use multiple first-order discounts across different sites. It’s a simple way to reduce the cost of furnishing a house without changing what you buy.

We picked up this Next sofa for a quarter of the original price from one of their Outlet stores.

Go to car boot sales

Often you can find real bargains at car boot sales, usually smaller pieces of furniture as they’ll have to fit in the sellers boot to get there and in your boot to take home! 

You can usually barter with the sellers to bring prices down.  It’s another great way to find some truly unique finds.

Arriving early gives you the best choice, but going later can mean cheaper prices as sellers want to pack up. If you’re furnishing a house cheaply, both approaches can work depending on what you’re looking for.

Ask for homeware store gift vouchers

Is your birthday coming up, or Christmas?  Maybe your family want to get you a housewarming gift?

It’s the perfect opportunity to get some free gift vouchers for shops that are useful for you right now, such as homeware stores and garden centres. 

We had B&Q gift vouchers for years as presents for birthdays, and Christmas, as we’ve been doing up our two recent homes for over a decade now.  They’re so useful!

This can be a great way to cover essentials you’d otherwise need to budget for, like storage, lighting, or basic tools. Gift vouchers might not feel exciting, but they’re incredibly practical when furnishing a home from scratch.

Look in skips

Yes really!

Many people throw away perfectly good and useable items in skips, so if you see something you like then don’t be afraid to knock on the door and ask if you can have it! 

It’s rude to simply take something out of a skip outside of someone’s home, even if they are throwing it out, so be polite and ask first.

This works best during house moves or renovations, when people are clearing out quickly. Always trust your instincts, and only take items that are safe, cleanable, and genuinely useful for your home.

Make your own

If you’re crafty and resourceful then you can make your own furniture for free or very cheap.  Pallets, for example, are often left outside businesses on industrial parks and if you ask, they are often more than happy for you to take them.

I once worked on an industrial park and there was a heap of pallets with a stuck on sign to say ‘free - please take them!’

With a little ingenuity you can make them into effective bed bases, garden benches and coffee tables!  There are lots of helpful guides and tutorials on Pinterest and all over the internet if you simply Google for instructions.

DIY furniture doesn’t need to be perfect to be functional. When you’re furnishing your first home, practical solutions that save money can always be upgraded later when your budget allows.

Check for promo codes

Just like you should always check for cashback and new customer offers, don’t forget to check for promo codes for home and garden items when shopping new and online. 

So many websites have UK discount codes floating around and a quick Google search, or installing a browser extension like Vouchercodes, will help you easily find them and never spend more than you need.

Check out this list of UK voucher codes to get started.

Even a small discount can make a difference when you’re buying multiple items. It’s a quick habit that helps keep your budget under control while still letting you furnish your home properly.

 

Use click and collect to save on delivery costs

When you’re buying smaller items like home décor, storage, soft furnishings, or DIY bits and bobs, always check whether click and collect is available. Many retailers offer it for free to local shops or collection points, which can save you paying delivery fees on lots of small orders.

It’s not usually practical for large furniture items like sofas or wardrobes, but for smaller parcels it works really well. If you’re furnishing a house on a budget, those delivery charges can quietly add up, so collecting items locally is an easy way to keep costs down without changing what you buy.

Final thoughts

If you’re keen to find a bargain or even a freebie when it comes to furnishing your home, it can be done.

It may take a little time, searching and even creativity, but furnishing an entire home doesn’t have to break the bank.  Even if your budget is low, there are many resources online to help you get started and create a beautiful home.

It’s also worth remembering that your home doesn’t need to be fully furnished straight away. Taking your time allows you to spread the cost, make better choices, and gradually turn your house into a home that really suits you.