Home Furnishing Blunders New Homeowners Should Avoid

As a homeowner, furnishing your new home is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that can be exciting as well as daunting. There are a great number of things that you need to consider before your home acquires the appeal you have dreamed of. Most first-time homebuyers either miscalculate or overrate things like furniture, space, or even an ideal décor for their home and end up making costly mistakes.

So, to be on the safe side read through this list of the five most common furnishing blunders new homebuyers make and how to remedy them.

1. Buying All Of Your Household Items At Once:

Many first-time homeowners make the mistake of rushing out and buying all household items at once in a bid to be “done with” the move. This is a big mistake. No matter how tempted you are either to fill in the empty spaces in your new home or replace the old furniture with new avoid impulsive purchases as it will lead to clutter, mismatches, and decorating blunders.

You should plan and think it through as it takes a little while to acquaint yourself with your new place. A few things that you need to consider and will guide you when you plan on how to furnish your home are:

  • How you intend to use each room,
  • How you want each room of your home to look like.
  • The way light comes naturally in through the windows.
  • How naturally you position yourself in each room.

Though you may not get the perfect piece of furniture every time the real thing that matters is that you have thought over it and you love it. So go ahead and purchase it.

2. Trusting Your “Eye” Instead of the Tape measure:

If you find the perfect piece of furniture you might just measure it with your eyes and decide that it will fit. This is not a good idea. You may end up with an expensive piece of furniture that will never make it to your home because you did not take into account the size of your doors, elevators, and stairs. It will also be a waste of money as you will have to pay the restocking fee. However, this is one of the common mistakes that many new homeowners make.

So, even before you begin shopping do not forget to measure the dimensions of each room (width, length, and ceiling height) you wish to fit in with new furniture and make a rough sketch of the layout of the room. This will help you decide on how many furniture pieces the room can accommodate without being congested. You should also account for existing pieces that you will have to walk around or avoid windows and doors.

3. Cramming Your Place:

When there is more space many people are tempted to fill every corner with new stuff. But when it comes to interior decorating practices, it is always good to leave room for movement. You should be able to see your home and not just the furniture inside. To avoid overcrowding the place with items, the rule of thumb is to start with the basic items that you need for each room according to your priorities. This will save you from buying unnecessary stuff that can lead to making your space feel cramped and small. However, personal preferences do play a part in how much furniture, photos, art, etc., are paced in a room. Some people like a closer feeling while others like the sleek look. You should stick to your preferences as it is your home and you should love how it looks.

4. Placing Furniture And Other Items Up Against The Wall:

It is really common for new homeowners to place furniture and other items against the wall. The popular belief is that leaving a lot of open space in the center of the room will make the place look more spacious. But, on the contrary, this setup is boring and makes a room feel smaller. You need to get more creative with your room layouts. You can create a cozy atmosphere in the living room by bringing together your furniture. This can be used for reading, watching T.V, socializing, and making your home feel warm and welcoming. Furniture and décor can also be arranged in such a way as to break up a big room or pull together two separate spaces together like the living room and kitchen in an open concept design. However, do leave room for walkways.

5. Choosing Style Over Comfort:

There are so many beautiful styles and designs of furniture to choose from that many homeowners get carried away and buy things that look great or stylish. But, remember that making your home look like it is come out from a page of an interior design magazine is not always practical. Before you buy any furnishings you should ask yourself these questions: Is it is fit for everyday use? Is it comfortable? Will it serve the purpose it is intended for? Remember that you are going to live with it for years to come. It will also save thousands of dollars as you will not want to replace the piece after only a few months.

If you want to be trendy then you can furnish your home with easily replaceable things like accessory items, mirrors, throw pillows, and blankets, etc.

Summary

It is common and acceptable to make mistakes when you are excited to furnish your new home. However, knowing how to avoid them can save you a lot of time and money. Hope these few tips will help make your home more appealing according to your lifestyle and preferences.