How to Furnish Your Home on a Budget: 6 Smart Ways to Save Money – NFCC

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on May 2019.

Moving into a new home is exciting! But transforming a house into your dream home is too expensive for most home buyers. In 2026, it could cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 to fully furnish the average home.

Don’t have so much money to spend behind you buy a house? Here’s the trick: Take inspiration from your dream furnishings, but find cheaper alternatives. If you need a little guidance, these six tips can help you get started.

1. Create a furniture budget

Buying home furnishings is emotional for most people. To avoid buying based on emotion or impulse, arm yourself with a budget before you start shopping.

The best way to furnish your home is to use the money you have already saved. However, if you have an emergency fund, don’t dip into it for furniture, as you may need to use the money for things like plumbing repairs or medical bills.

If you don’t have money saved up for home furnishings, you can start by asking friends and family if they can donate any old items and then save up for better items. Alternatively, you can carefully consider getting a loan from your credit union or bank. Just make sure the payments fit comfortably in yours bUDGET.

If you’re tempted to use credit cards, do the math first. How much will it cost you? pay off your credit card debt if you use it to buy a $4000 couch and seat set? If you owe $4,000 and make a minimum monthly payment of $75, with an APR of 21% (this is the current national average rate for credit cards), the purchase will cost you $7,707 and take over 13 years to pay off.

2. Buy used furniture and home decor

Your biggest opportunity to save money is to buy used furniture instead of new. Here are some great places to find what you’re looking for:

• Thrift store
• Yard sales
• Facebook Market
• Flea markets
• Buy Nothing Groups.

Before you go bargain hunting, measure your space and keep the dimensions with you. That way, if you fall in love with a piece of furniture or an appliance, you can remove a measure of tape and make sure it fits. After all, you usually can’t return used items.

3. Get designer looks for less

Have you fallen in love with a lighting fixture? Do you feel that your life will not be complete without that splash of stone? Whatever you want, there’s probably a cheaper version.

A quick Google search is often all you need to find a budget alternative, and chances are you’ll find something that’s nearly identical for much less. Here are some sites and services to try:

• Upload a photo to Google Lens.
• Copy the website link to Dupe.com or Spoken.io

4. Make these kitchen updates on the cheap

Is your new kitchen a little shabby? Sure, you could do a complete kitchen remodel, but in 2026, the project could cost around $25,000. Here are some clever tricks to update your aesthetic for a lot less:

• DIY Cabinet Rebuild: If the cabinets are functional, painting them can change the look of the room for very little money. Alternatively, you can remove the cabinet doors to create modern open shelving, or remove an entire cabinet to open up the space.
• Change your hardware: Changing the hardware in your kitchen (knobs, hinges, etc.) is a cheap and easy way to update the look and feel of your kitchen. You can maximize your savings by shopping online for discontinued or sale items.
• Replace the faucet: Is the sink a problem? Changing the size of a sink often requires new plumbing and counters—but turning off the faucet is easy. Just make sure you choose one that works with your existing setup.

5. Make your old appliances look new

Have you inherited equipment that is ugly but works well? Paint may be the way out of this dilemma.

You can cover many spots and stains with epoxy hardware paint. Plus, having colorful appliances is a modern way to add some style to your kitchen. Here’s how it works:

1. Choose your epoxy paint color.
2. Check the paint product for advice on proper tools and application.
3. Remove handles, knobs and seals. If they cannot be removed, mask them with painter’s tape.
4. Clean the device and remove any loose paint with sandpaper or a wire brush.
5. Paint your refrigerator, stove, washing machine or other appliance in the color of your choice.
6. Top it with a gloss enamel polish to protect the paint and make it shine.

Alternatively, you can apply chalkboard paint to the fridge for a fun and whimsical finish that can double as a message board.

note: If you’re painting a stove, make sure you buy heat-resistant paint.

6. Turn your photos into affordable wall art

Buying art can be one of the most expensive parts of decorating a home. But leaving walls blank makes a home feel impersonal and empty.

For a more affordable option, check your phone. You can find artistic photos of flowers, scenic beach photos or cute pictures of your children. Your phone probably holds hundreds of photos that would look great hanging on your walls.

To turn them into art, do a little editing, print them on canvas or art paper, and voila!—each piece will tell a story.

Christina Wood covers topics including money saving tips, technology and business. She contributes to publications such as Family Circle, PC World, Better Homes and Gardens, Popular Science, This Old House Magazine, NASDAQ International, Working Woman, Discovery, Greatschools.org, Jaguar Magazine and JeanKnowsCars.com. She covers tips on saving money and shopping for Groupon.