Furnishing your new home

Furnishing a new home can feel like a huge and overwhelming task but it doesn’t need to cost the earth!

The best things in life are free!

Don’t think twice about accepting a few hand-me-downs when you have just moved into your new home. If friends, family members or colleagues are offering furniture, curtains, or crockery for free, then say yes – and save all the money you can.
Check out local Facebook groups – as well as sites such as Freecycle or Freegle. You can always list items on these sites again once you no longer need them.
If you have furniture that’s seen better days, look online for ideas on how to upcycle it.

Find out where your local reuse charities are and donate or buy locally. Visit our Dontate Locally page for more information.
Reuse charities sell reused household goods such as furniture, electricals, bric-a-brac and some new items including mattresses.
They aim to reduce the amount of waste going to disposal and some assist in alleviating poverty by providing household goods at a low cost to people in need.

All Devon household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) excluding Totnes and Torbay have a shop where you can purchase good quality items at a fraction of the cost of the new version.
Opening times and locations of the Devon Reuse Shops can be found on our Reuse Shops page
Have a look at the Devon Reuse Shops’ Facebook group to see unusual items that arrive at the shops as well as interesting articles and information relating to reuse.