How Much Does It Cost To Furnish An Apartment?

April 25, 2022

How much does it cost to furnish an apartment? It will depend on how much furniture you want and the quality that you choose. However, on average, you can expect to spend anywhere from $3,500 to $8,000 and up. 

Click on the following sections for a breakdown of how much you might need to spend for each room in your apartment.

If you are looking for a great multi-purpose futon to add to your apartment, contact us.

The cost to furnish an apartment will vary depending on a number of factors

How Much Does It Cost to Furnish an Apartment? 


Essential Furniture vs Extras


When choosing the furniture that you will need for your apartment, it's a good idea to establish which pieces of furniture are essential and which ones are extras or nice to have. 


The Essentials:


Your essential furniture refers to those very basic pieces that you really need to have. For example, you will need somewhere to sleep, sit, and eat so start by choosing these pieces of furniture first.


  • Sleeping: You will need a bed and mattress or a futon and mattress
  • Sitting: You will need to get a sofa, chair, or futon 
  • Eating: You will need a table and chairs or barstools if you have an island or bar


Purchase your essential furniture first and then use the money you have left over for the extras.


Extras:


Everything other than the pieces mentioned above are basically extras. To decide which extras you should buy, write down all of the other pieces of furniture that you would like and rank them in order of the most important to the least important. Start at the top of your list and work your way down until your budget is used up. You can then purchase the rest of the items on your list over time as you save more money. 


Some extras that you might want to purchase could include:


  • Extra chairs
  • Dresser
  • Area rugs
  • Coffee table
  • Curtains
  • Bookshelves


Buying a comfortable place to sleep is an essential purchase

How to Save on Your Total Cost to Furnish an Apartment


Buy used when possible:


You can save a lot of money through buying used furniture. However, the one piece of furniture that you should avoid buying used is your mattress. You don't want to be worrying about bringing unwanted bedbugs or dust mites into your new apartment.


In addition, it is important to get a mattress that is going to be comfortable and that will give you a good night's sleep. A worn-out used mattress will not be as restful. It's definitely worth spending a bit more to buy a new mattress that will give you the support and comfort you need.


Invest in a mattress cover:


If your purchase your bed/futon and mattress new, then you will want to protect it so that it lasts longer and you won't have to buy another one in the near future. A mattress protective cover is definitely worth the extra investment.

Make sure you purchase a new mattress and mattress protector

Ask your friend and family members:


Get the word out that you are moving into a new apartment and you need furniture. Your friends and family members may have pieces of furniture that they are looking to get rid of and would be happy to see them going to someone they know. You can even put a plea out on social media.


Invest in multi-purpose furniture:


A great way to cut down on the cost to furnish an apartment is to purchase pieces that will do double duty. For example, a futon can serve as both your bed and your seating area. If you purchase a futon for your bedroom and one for your living room, then you not only have double the seating area, but you will have an instant spare bedroom for any overnight guests.


Invest in furniture that offers storage space:


One of the challenges of living in an apartment is the limited space, especially storage space. When choosing your furniture, select pieces that offer extra storage such as sliding drawers underneath a bed or futon or an ottoman that opens up for extra storage.

Look for double-duty furniture that can be both a bed and a sofa or furniture that offers extra storage space

Check out thrift stores:


Thrift stores are great places to find bargain furnishings. The problem is that they don't always have what you are looking for. Go early in the morning as they get new products on a daily basis. If you are lucky enough, you could end up finding a piece of furniture that is in great shape and will cost you much less than if you are buying new.


Go to garage sales:


If you are moving into your new apartment in the spring or through the fall, then check out any garage sales that might be taking place. Like a thrift store, a garage sale can be a great place to find inexpensive furniture. It's also a good idea to arrive early to get the best selection. However, keep in mind that you will probably need to have a way to transport anything that you buy as homeowners hosting garage sales don't usually offer delivery.


Check online sites:


There are lots of websites that offer used furniture such as Kijiji and Facebook marketplace. Check those out to see what is available in your area.

Garages sales are great places to find household items for your apartment

How Much You Might Need to Spend for Each Room in Your Apartment

Here is a breakdown of the type of furniture that you might want for each room of your apartment and a price range that you could expect to pay to furnish that room. The cost to furnish an apartment will depend on how many pieces you choose and what each piece costs, however, these price ranges will give you a general idea of what to expect.

Living room: Cost $2,000 - $6,000


 The following are basic items that you might want for your living room:

  • Sofa or Futon
  • Armchair 
  • Coffee table 
  • Side tables 
  • Floor lamp
  • Area rug 

Bedroom: $1,000 - $2,500


The following items are all pieces of furniture that you might want to include in your bedroom:

  • Futon/Bed
  • Mattress
  • Nightstand 
  • Lamp
  • Dresser 
  • Desk
  • Mirror
  • Area rug

Kitchen and Dining Area: $500 - 1,000


The furniture for your kitchen can be fairly basic as long as you have a place to sit and eat.

  • Table 
  • Chairs 
  • Barstools
  • Storage unit if cupboard space is limited

Bathroom: $50-$200


Your bathroom is going to be the least expensive room to furnish in your apartment.

  • Bath mat
  • Shower curtain 
  • Extra storage if needed 

Looking for the Best Quality and the Best Price for a Futon for Your Apartment?


If you are looking for the best quality futons at the best price, contact The Futon Shop. At the Futon Shop we know how amazing our futons are because we are both the manufacturer and the retailer! Since 1984 we have been manufacturing our own line of high-quality futons in a wide variety of styles and sizes. If you prefer, we can also make a custom size to meet your exact requirements. 


All of our futons are crafted right here in Canada at our Burlington Ontario location, so you can be sure that you are getting a quality product that will last. We are the largest futon manufacture in Canada and we even build our own line of high quality futon mattresses. You can come see our incredible lineup at our Burlington location or you can shop for all of our products online. We ship all across Canada. 

Shop Now

"I shopped at The Futon Shop in Burlington in person today and I am very happy with my purchase. Brian was super helpful and just a pleasure to deal with.  He made sure that my futon package was exactly what I needed. The futon is very good quality and the matress is very comfortable. I was able to assemble with almost no difficulties. I would recommend the Futon Shop in Burlington to anyone looking for futon."

- Sanah Laird


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