My fiancé and I started buying things for our future home about four years before moving into our home.
I know what you’re thinking…. “That’s crazy!” On the outside, it does seem a bit crazy to be buying items for a home that you don’t own. But the idea of preparing for your future home isn’t a new tradition.
Back in the day, a woman and her family would prepare a “bridal trousseau” or “hope chest”. This chest would include linens, articles of clothing, and other household items which would help a woman prepare for her married life.
While this might be an outdated tradition, it’s definitely one that can be adapted to fit modern times. More and more, young adults are buying furniture and supplies before they even purchase their first homes.
For us, this has been one of the greatest hacks to adulthood and buying your first home. Keep reading to find out why you should start buying for your future home right now!
1. You won’t have to settle for items.
For me, building a home that I can be proud of and satisfied with is super important. I truly believe that creating a space that you love significantly improves your overall happiness.
So it’s safe to say that it can be super stressful when you move into a new home and you have to buy everything from scratch, pronto! This is especially true when you start cooking your first meal and realize you’re missing all the necessary utensils.
When you’re stuck in that sticky situation, chances are that you’re going to need to buy whatever is quickest, easiest, and most affordable—not necessarily what you actually want.
Obviously, this isn’t the worst-case scenario. However, it would be so much better if you could buy the items that you truly love and that you will cherish for years to come. Remember, buying something cheap that you’ll toss or donate in a few years isn’t always a better financial decision than spending a bit more on something that will last a long time.
By slowly gathering the items you’ll use in your future home, you’re also allowing yourself an opportunity to be a bit pickier. As they always say, “Beggars can’t be choosers.” But you can be if you start buying ahead of time!
You’ll be able to scope out the various options available and compare their reviews and prices. This brings me to my second point…
2. You can wait until there is a sale to buy.
What can I say? I’m a gal who loves a good bargain. And I bet you are too if you’re a twenty-something or thirty-something who’s trying to navigate the rough waters of adulthood. Buying a home isn’t cheap, and neither is filling it.
Since my fiancé and I started purchasing items for our future home, we have saved literally thousands of dollars by chasing good deals. When we set our sights on our dream bed, it was way over budget for us at the time. But after about six months (yes, six long months), it went on sale. We ended up purchasing it for $1,000 less than the original listing price.
Obviously, not everyone has the space to store bigger items like this for months or even years. But the same rule applies to smaller items, too!
3. Buying for your future home is great for your finances.
Not only will you be able to save money on individual purchases, but you’ll definitely be giving your finances a break, too.
Buying your items in smaller chunks (with a sale, like we talked about in the last point) allows you to spread out your expenses. This means that you can slowly make purchases, instead of spending every last penny on furniture or other household items.
Typically, for us, this means first putting aside money for bills, savings, and other expenses. Every so often, with whatever is left over, we’ll purchase something for our house.
On the contrary, if you were to wait until you actually move in to buy all of those items, you’ll have to rack up the credit card debt… Of course, unless you have a lot of disposable income (we do not!).
4. It gets you excited about moving!
Lastly, buying stuff for your house is simply fun and I think that reason needs to be appreciated on its own!
Sure, this isn’t exactly the most useful tip. But I think there’s a lot to be said about the pure joy of preparing for a new and exciting change in your life.
For a lot of people who are moving into their first place, this is something that they’ve spent a long time preparing for. It can take years to save enough money as well as sort out other life circumstances to be able to get your own place. I know this firsthand as it’ll have been four hard years of preparing and saving for me!
It’s nice to see all of your hard work pay off when you move into your new place. But in the meantime, buying a few things for your home might motivate you to keep going!
With the housing market and the overall state of the world, things can be pretty discouraging. There’s no harm in finding the little joys in life!
Things We've Bought So Far
We’ve had SO much fun buying new products for our future home. It makes the whole process of moving into a new home together so much more fun—and stress-free!
Below are a few of my favourite items that we’ve purchased for our home so far. These items are easy to store when you’re waiting to move out, but will definitely help you out in the long run.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only share products that I truly love!
oxo good grips glass creamer
Purchase it on Amazon here.
oxo good grips Pop container set
Purchase it on Amazon here.
WulaWindy Digital Alarm Clock
Purchase it on Amazon here.
Electric Toothbrush Holder
Purchase it on Amazon here.
