Costs involved with setting up your first home after you purchase the home

Maz2016

Hi all. I’m on the process of looking for a new home. Went to view a 3 bed duplex recently and although it’s at the higher end of my budget I quite like it. I am worried about the costs when I actually move in.
I don’t have anything at the
Moment in terms of furniture, bedding, appliances, crockery, appliances - nothing. Can someone give me a guide price? I know I’ll also have to set up broadband, electricity, I’ll have management fees etc. I’m finding it slightly overwhelming to be honest

Creamy Goodness

Between 10k-40k. Depending on appliances/bed/soft furnishings chosen.

Doesn’t all have to be done at once, bare minimum and then add as you go.

Get oven/hob/fridge/freezer/dish washer - that’s the kitchen done.

Get sofa/tv - that’s the living room done.

Get bed for master and bed linen and that the master done.

Everything else can really wait.

*edit* don’t forget you’ll need mortgage protection and him insurance as regular bills.

Maz2016

Thanks for that. It is good advice to get the basics first and add as and when you can

Experience_day

Maz2016 wrote: »

Thanks for that. It is good advice to get the basics first and add as and when you can

Would say don't be afraid to buy second hand. Save substantial money.

accensi0n

Get some light bulbs as well, I always find that's a bright idea.

Charles Babbage

Maz2016 wrote: »

Thanks for that. It is good advice to get the basics first and add as and when you can

Traditionally one scrounges a chair or table from the family, if they are nearby, and then appropriate replacements can be sourced in time. People are always throwing stuff out.



If you are buying a second hand house there may be some items in it.

Wildly Boaring

Fridge freezer washing machine 1000

Bed and mattress 500

Couch 500

Blinds 500

Flooring 3000

Table and chairs - ours were free - say 500

Edit 500 for oven


After that as much or as little as you want.
You may not need flooring???

davo2001

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

Fridge freezer washing machine 1000

Bed and mattress 500

Couch 500

Blinds 500

Flooring 3000

Table and chairs - ours were free - say 500


After that as much or as little as you want.
You may not need flooring???

Spend more than €500 on your bed and mattress, a good bed and especially a good mattress are worth there weight in gold long term.

James Bond Junior

Don't underestimate the goodwill of relatives trying to get rid of ****e they don't want. I got a couch and was offered a dew beds when I bought my place. I bought a "thing" a paycheck when I was saving for a my house. A kettle here, a toaster there and so on. You don't feel it and it made a big difference.

jrosen

Whatever you think it may be, assume it will be higher. The costs can spiral.
However you can be sensible. There are some items worth spending on. For some people its floors for others its blinds.

Flooring -
Blinds
Oven, Hob, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, kettle toaster, fridge freezer
Couch, bed & mattress
You will need all these asap.

After that you can buy as you go.

Maz2016

James Bond Junior wrote: »

Don't underestimate the goodwill of relatives trying to get rid of ****e they don't want. I got a couch and was offered a dew beds when I bought my place. I bought a "thing" a paycheck when I was saving for a my house. A kettle here, a toaster there and so on. You don't feel it and it made a big difference.

Thanks for the advice. Are you saying buy before I move? I thought about that but wasn’t sure

Wildly Boaring

davo2001 wrote: »

Spend more than €500 on your bed and mattress, a good bed and especially a good mattress are worth there weight in gold long term.

But in reality you'll pick up a bed for nothing and 500 will get you a decent mattress.

These type of threads often come up
OP got an answer of 10k to 40k above!!
I'm showing the op they can calm down initially.

In the real world we all put up with poor furniture for the first couple of years.

We've still got a £100 TV we bought in 2012 off mates of ours.

con747

Maz2016 wrote: »

Thanks for that. It is good advice to get the basics first and add as and when you can

Have a look at some online second hand stores that deliver furniture, a second hand bed frame but a new mattress saves a lot and can be put in a guest bedroom later. DoneDeal, Adverts.ie and shops like this https://bargainshop.ie/ help if you can't afford new. You can also get good "student" type deals on basic kitchen stuff online. https://guineys.ie/ or similar can be useful starting out. Then you have Amazon and Ebay if you can't get good deals locally. Amazon is my preferred choice due to excellent customer service.

Wildly Boaring

James Bond Junior wrote: »

Don't underestimate the goodwill of relatives trying to get rid of ****e they don't want. I got a couch and was offered a dew beds when I bought my place. I bought a "thing" a paycheck when I was saving for a my house. A kettle here, a toaster there and so on. You don't feel it and it made a big difference.

Agreed.
As above our table and chairs were free.

Our 2nd bed and mattress were given to us by my parents. Matress was basically new.
We had a futon in the third room that I got off a lad at work.
Our eldest had a terrible wardrobe we got off a neighbour.

You gladly accept these things and pass on again when you can afford to upgrade.

Still waters

We find the local Facebook pages handy, I've only ever bought one suite of furniture for the living room, any suite ever since has been off Clare free to a good home, usually younger professionals getting rid of perfectly good stuff, the last set we got just after xmas and it's leather, a couple of small scuffs here and there but otherwise plenty good, if you're not fussy you'll get stuff that will do the same job as the new gear

You'll get loads of stuff for free or cheap on donedeal and adverts.

Some of it's sh/te, but some of it is good, too. When my brother bought his first house, he was of the opinion that it's his new house and it was only getting the best of everything. He bought all his electronics from a local shop, and furniture from a different local shop. Everything was financed. He spent a fortune. To his credit though, he never regretted it, and in fairness, it's about 15 years later and most of the stuff is still going strong (washing machine, bed, TV etc. all still grand, for example).

Though he did change the suite of furniture, and TV and a few other bits recently by choice.

Personally, I always hated the idea of adding debt to debt, but it's always an option if your mortgage will be inexpensive to you.

Personally, I reckon you'd need about 10k to get a nice finish inside a house. A grand will get you a decent bed/mattress. About a grand gets you a good sofa. I bought in Power City before and I got a fridge freezer, hob, oven, microwave and extractor fan (all integrated) for 1100 if i recall correctly. Kitchen will presumably be there already in the house for you. You'd get a decent TV for 500 euro.

You can spend a lot, of course, but if you're keeping your budget at the forefront of your mind, you can get away with a small budget if you keep an eye on what you're buying. Your budget will obviously need to go up if you're putting in new kitchen, floors, skirting, doors etc. but those wouldn't be a priority unless the ones already there are really in tatters.

Creamy Goodness

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

OP got an answer of 10k to 40k above!!
I'm showing the op they can calm down initially.

In the real world we all put up with poor furniture for the first couple of years.

I live in the real world :rolleyes: and had a spreadsheet for when I bought my house less than two years which I did reference when giving the estimate.

I ended up somewhere nearer to €20k for flooring a 4 bed, kitchen appliances, blinds, alarm, bed and mattress, sofa and two arm chairs, cutlery, dinnerware, etc.

We did go for expensive flooring but my thought is that if I skimp here I’ll be pulling it up in 10 years and it’ll be a nightmare.

I made do with a hand me down kitchen table, tv and other bits and bobs. Since then I’ve kitted out the living room with a 5.1.2 speaker setup and an OLED tv. Which would add roughly €5k to the initial value. I’ve also given back the kitchen table and bought my own + 6 chairs. I’ve also placed two new beds in the spare rooms, turned the box room into an office and bought lockers/lamps/pictures/throws etc. Bought a lawnmower/garden tools/garden storage since. It all adds up and because the OP didn’t say they wanted to either do it all in one or build as they go or what kind of tastes they have I was more lenient with the estimate.

I told the OP to get the bare minimum I don’t know how unreal world that could be?

ChewBerecca

I wouldn't recommend skimping on the core pieces. Invest what you can on your mattress and sofa. You'll be spending most of your time on one or the other.

The below was what we spent in the last 7 months or so. But we had some savings and had been buying bits in stages (beds and mattresses can take 8 weeks to be delivered, that's potentially two paydays to recover). We've yet to paint the place because of lockdown but thankfully the house is fairly neutral.

Our bedframe was about 400, mattress we went orthopedic (bad back) and spent well over 1k. Never been more comfortable on a bed in my life.

2 sofas were close to 3k. You can get cheaper but I've back problems so was very selective, most sofas aggravate it.

Dining set around 1k during a Harvey Norman staff event, my parents bought it as a gift.

Coffee table was 300 but we were picky.

Appliances will vary depending on your buy, we had to buy washing machine, fridge, dryer and then we had to replace the dishwasher in the last few months.

Blinds/curtains, if you need them just get cheap alternatives until you can get a sense of your colour schemes or how bright or drafty the rooms are. No point slashing out until you know what colour your walls will be or if you need blackout for light or thicker material for warmth.

The best advice I was given was to take our time. I wanted to go all guns blazing and redo everything immediately. Now we've been here a few months, have the key pieces, we have a better sense of the lighting and heat in each area of the house during winter and summer and what we need to focus our attention on.

afatbollix

Heres what we did,

We made a list room by room of what we would need.

Kitchen,
Glasses
cups plates
pots
pans

Bedroom
bed
Duvet

etc etc

Then we went and found what we liked online and broke it up to what we needed ASAP and stuff we could wait on.

Friends and family did help, We got a bed from friends, table and other bits. People are always looking to get rid of stuff which will tide you over until you can afford to get what you want.

If theres one thing I could give myself advice on is save up for the important stuff. Bed and couch, If you are not on one you are on the other.

That way you will only buy it once and that is a saving in the long run.

James Bond Junior

I bought a couch on finance from DFS. Handy and I paid it off early when I had a bit of breathing space but ****e quality so be careful.

Don't forget about renting a room too. I did it for the first year but got such a decent tenant who ended up staying 3 years. She would still be there only I moved abroad and rented the house out.

Maz2016

James Bond Junior wrote: »

I bought a couch on finance from DFS. Handy and I paid it off early when I had a bit of breathing space but ****e quality so be careful.

Don't forget about renting a room too. I did it for the first year but got such a decent tenant who ended up staying 3 years. She would still be there only I moved abroad and rented the house out.

That’s exactly what I’m planning to do. The location is next to a hospital and 15 minutes drive to a university Was thinking if I got a good tenant , paid the mortgage off as quick as possible. I could use the tenants money towards renovations etc

Maz2016

Thanks for the advice guys, genuinely delighted with the replies. Has definitely given food for thought

un5byh7sqpd2x0

Top tip: buy the show house if you can!

Creamy Goodness

Leland Yellow Asteroid wrote: »

Top tip: buy the show house if you can!

Not sure I'd agree with that, yes you get the house kitted out but you usually pay more for the pleasure, the flooring is usually poor (especially when it comes to laminate flooring they use < 10mm which is usually creaky and more importantly it's not to your own personal taste. Showhouses look great but try and actually live in one and you'll soon find you wish you didn't have to dump so many impractical things.

Guess it really depends what kind of painter are you, do you prefer a blank canvas or do you want paint-by-numbers canvas? Nothing wrong with either approach but if some posters think I'm out of this world for suggesting €40k well the showhouse in my estate went for €50k over the houses of the same type as they sold it with the contents.

un5byh7sqpd2x0

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

Not sure I'd agree with that, yes you get the house kitted out but you usually pay more for the pleasure, the flooring is usually poor (especially when it comes to laminate flooring they use < 10mm which is usually creaky and more importantly it's not to your own personal taste. Showhouses look great but try and actually live in one and you'll soon find you wish you didn't have to dump so many impractical things. You also have the pleasure of having furniture/floorings that have been trampled on and already have wear and tear from 100's coming in to view, sure they'll clean it but that's only superficial, could be springs destroyed in the bed from little Johnny jumping up and down whilst viewing it with his parents etc.

Guess it really depends what kind of painter are you, do you prefer a blank canvas or do you want paint-by-numbers canvas? Nothing wrong with either approach but if some posters think I'm out of this world for suggesting €40k well the showhouse in my estate went for €50k over the houses of the same type as they sold it with the contents.

I live in a former show house. No laminate flooring anywhere. I certainly didn’t pay anything near 50k more than the house next door.

awec

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

Fridge freezer washing machine 1000

Bed and mattress 500

Couch 500

Blinds 500

Flooring 3000

Table and chairs - ours were free - say 500

Edit 500 for oven


After that as much or as little as you want.
You may not need flooring???

Blinds will cost a lot more than 500 and flooring will cost a lot more than 3000 unless your house is tiny.

jlm29

Don’t underestimate the costs of all the things you won’t be buying second hand but can’t do without.
Crockery
Cutlery
Kitchen utensils
Small appliances (kettle, toaster, hoover etc etc)
Mop and bucket,
Duvets
Pillows
Sheets
Curtains & blinds

The_Fitz

Might be worth it sourcing appliances and furniture in the north.

The in laws were looking at a sofa in DFS, travelled up north and bought the same one in DFS there. Saved maybe 250e overall (not to be sniffed at). The shop assistant said it's the same vans used all over so no real difference.

Obviously, you then have the issue if you need to return anything you will have to drive.

seabelle

I think the most important thing is not be daunted and to shop around. I got curtains on sale in Dunnes for around a fiver when we moved in they were grand until I worked out what I wanted for the windows, I now have some made to measure blinds from blinds2go that I'm really happy with.

Amazon basics crockery is very good for the money and one of the patterns is usually on discount. You can usually get utensils for very little from aldi or lidl or even dunnes just to get you started.

The Emma mattress is very highly rated and often has discounts of 40-45%.

Tk Maxx and Homesense have a lot of homeware discounted you can get high thread count sheets for the same price as more basic ones in another shop.

People are very generous, even little housewarming gifts of crockery etc could go a long way in stocking your new kitchen.

You can start with the minimum and add things as needed.

DesperateDan

Don't forget about fuel / plumbing and other infrastructure.

Water, probably mains but if not you might need some serious money on well and purifying equipment, and septic tanks.

Are all the gutters in good condition and roofing etc. with good drainage everywhere.

Is it mains gas or do you need potentially new or serviced oil burners, tanks, pallets of home heating fuel, etc. Is the fuse board in good condition and certified? Many electricians will not touch a property first without it.

Is there good pressure in all the taps, is the heating and all radiators working. Do you need to zone any of the heating, does it need to work with a smart thermostat?

Finally security, cameras and alarms can be crazy money, but a good idea at least to scare people off if you might own the place for a while before moving in.

SozBbz

Is the duplex second hand or a new build?

If second hand, you may be able to get a lot of items left behind, ie kitchen appliances, blinds etc - be clear in what you're asking for while negotiating the sale.

If its new, you will probably have to set aside some funds for all of the above.

I know a lot of friends who went all out when they bought their houses, interior designers, custom items, the works! But this is not necessary.

When I bought my first property I did spend a bomb (new kitchen, flooring, painting and soundproofing plus all the furnature - cost a LOT) but I focused on the areas that I'd be using from day one, my bedroom and the living room for example and didnt worry about furnishing the spare rooms for some time. Also the previous owner left behind an old oak table and chairs and I ended up using them for about a year. They didnt go with my decor but they did a job, and I eventually donanted them to charity once I found a new set I was happy to buy which took ages. My mam was looking to get rid of a double bed from her house so I got that from her for the cost of hiring a white van man to deliver it, and ultimately we turned the 3rd bedroom into a home office so I was glad I didnt rush out to buy a bed for that room.

In hindsight, I definitly ended up with some items that I didnt love, probably because I was making decisions so quickly and without being able to see items together, so don't be afraid to take your time and don't let anyone rush you.

I definitely learned when I moved into my 2nd home. I took my bed and dining set, but bought new sofa as the living room is very different. We've done this one more slowly and took some furniture from the old place where it was still suitable. I still need lots of things for this place in we're in roughly 6 months. I've nothing in the hallway for example because I've not seen anything suitable and its not causing any problems so I'm happy to wait.

You have to prioritise - don't worry about spare rooms or side tables etc. Get yourself a good bed and a good sofa. Scrounge from family and friends in the short term or buy second hand if you can't afford to buy the pieces you really want just yet. Cheap sofas or beds are a false economy so do buy good quality items, and make do with hand me downs or 2nd hand until you can afford to do so.

Don't feel the pressure to do more than you can afford. Make sure you have enough to buy good quality essential items but don't worry about the finishing touches.

Mrs OBumble

jlm29 wrote: »

Don’t underestimate the costs of all the things you won’t be buying second hand but can’t do without.
Crockery
Cutlery
Kitchen utensils
Small appliances (kettle, toaster, hoover etc etc)
Mop and bucket,
Duvets
Pillows
Sheets
Curtains & blinds

+1 to this, these thing add up a lot.

OP its all about what you value. I'd put a couch on the late-on list, but need a good office chair now. Others would swap these.

1hnr79jr65

Check out ikea for things like cutlery, plates, cups, tea towels, pots, pans, utensils and so on. Also linen, duvet, pillows, towels and other assorted nick knacks you will need. They do home delivery if you dont or cant get to there.

SozBbz

Sour Lemonz wrote: »

Check out ikea for things like cutlery, plates, cups, tea towels, pots, pans, utensils and so on. Also linen, duvet, pillows, towels and other assorted nick knacks you will need. They do home delivery if you dont or cant get to there.

Just to add to this, while I think its a good idea to buy some things ahead of time so it doesnt all come as a shock, I'd limit it to items that are purely functional and won't matter what property you end up with.

I did this before I was even sale agreed on my first home and certain things were great to have all boxed up and ready to go, but others just ended up being a waste.

I bought the following and these were really useful to have on day 1;

- pots and pans (arnotts on sale)
- basic glassware (ikea)
- cutlery (arnotts on sale)
- set of good chopping knives (bought good german brand online during a sale)

I also bought some cushions and other soft furnishings that turned out to be a complete waste as I ended up going with a totally different decor scheme due to the sofas I ultimately bought.

I thought I was great because I felt so far ahead but by the time I moved in, quite a lot of stuff had been in storage for maybe more than a year and the more decorative elements just weren't a good buy in advance - I'd advise against buying bits like that until you're only weeks away from moving in. Maybe set hte money aside, but still to really practical basics if you want ot actually build up a stash of stuff.

coughdrops

Charity shops are brilliant for curtains - I've struck gold before where someone had obviously redone their sitting room and donated all their old stuff. I got great curtains for 2 windows and several cushions for about €30. They lasted us years until we'd moved out of that house, and donated them again.

krissovo

It might sound crazy but I found by hiring a interior designer I saved a small fortune in the overall costs of kitting out the home and it looked awesome after it was finished. Our's got deals on almost everything and easily paid her fee twice over with the savings.

My daughter when moving into her first flat a couple of years ago used a junior designer and did it on a very tight budget.

Bandana boy

I would guess it was a good 4 years after we bought our first house before I replaced all the (very welcome at the time ) furniture that friends and family were trying to get rid off.

Things like beds and sofas you want to spend good money on when you do buy , there is a false economy buying cheap ,but you will survive fine on hand me downs at the start.

also living in the space will give you a better idea of what you actually want than trying to guess in advance so tap up all your relatives for second hand stuff , places like jumble town and adverts for free to take away .

Charles Babbage

Things like TVs only ever get cheaper. Someone might want rid of one who is getting a bigger one. Don't finance something that gets cheaper ever year.
Aldi etc can have toasters, kettles etc, get one before you move if there is a deal.

Not only relatives, but work colleagues and friends will throw in something they don't need or maybe their Granny died. Someone who bought a house two or three years ago will now be moving on from their starter stuff.

Vetch

jlm29 wrote: »

Don’t underestimate the costs of all the things you won’t be buying second hand but can’t do without.
Crockery
Cutlery
Kitchen utensils
Small appliances (kettle, toaster, hoover etc etc)
Mop and bucket,
Duvets
Pillows
Sheets
Curtains & blinds

I started buying practical things like some of these in sales while still house-hunting. It meant ending up with better-quality items and saving money.

My second-hand house had lots of blinds fitted. I'm not sure of the price difference but I re-used the rollers that were there and got them covered with new fabric rather than buying entirely new.

HiGlo

I agree re buying kitchenware and some bits and pieces bit by bit in advance.... When there's no pressure on you to have the stuff immediately you have the time to find the best value for what you want. If you leave a lot of the kitchenware to the last min then the pressure is on and you'll end up just buying whatevers convenient.

I had kinda been collecting bottom drawer bits for years so had some dishes etc already bought before I'd even bought a place! haha... But over time as I was going through the buying process I picked up stuff on offer here and there. A lot of my pots & pans (House of Fraser)/knives (Brown Thomas) etc was stuff I loved and waited for a sale to come around.

I was lucky that I already owned a TV & Microwave before I moved in. The apartment was second hand and the previous owners left a few bits in the place - luckily the curtains was one of them so I was able to just use them and wait till I found what I liked with no pressure. They also left the dining set which while I don't LOVE it actually does fine and it's saved me a lot of money having to buy a new one. They also left the appliances which was a godsend! Washing machine and dishwasher were there from day 1. Ultimately had to replace the washing machine but it bought me a little time. You might be lucky to acquire a few pieces if you're buying second hand, but I guess you can't count on it. Perhaps ask during the process if there will be any items included in the sale.

I also agree that the biggest percentage of your money should be spent on your sofa and your bed - but that's just me. Only you know what your priorities are. Def check out places like TK Maxx and House of Fraser is still available in the UK/Online so you could check out their sales and order to parcel motel or something. I've gotten a lot of towels and bed linen in HoF sales. Even having a quick look there now I see towels reduced from £24 to £4! I'd also recommend checking out Asda for homewares. I work up in Belfast from time to time so have been able to pop into their store but they have great prices on things. Unfortunately they don't deliver homewares to ROI but Parcel Motel or similar would sort that. You'll have to adjust to UK site to view their products.

Others have given a guide on prices which is helpful but at the end of the day it comes down to your spending beliefs. You could spend €200 on a dining set or €2,000 and that's down to your tastes and needs.

Enjoy it though.... While it can bring it's own stresses it's also a fun thing to do....

SozBbz

HiGlo wrote: »

I was lucky that I already owned a TV & Microwave before I moved in. The apartment was second hand and the previous owners left a few bits in the place - luckily the curtains was one of them so I was able to just use them and wait till I found what I liked with no pressure. They also left the dining set which while I don't LOVE it actually does fine and it's saved me a lot of money having to buy a new one. They also left the appliances which was a godsend! Washing machine and dishwasher were there from day 1. Ultimately had to replace the washing machine but it bought me a little time. You might be lucky to acquire a few pieces if you're buying second hand, but I guess you can't count on it. Perhaps ask during the process if there will be any items included in the sale.

Just to add, stuff like this can be negotiated so its not just a surprise when you get the keys and see what (if anything) the old owners have left.

I know as a FTB you can get a bit of a fog coming over you whereby you just want to get the sale complete and not worry about the smaller details but for what its worth, I don't think most vendors mind leaving stuff, to some it would actually be preferable for them not to have to remove things, so if you want furniture to tide you over or all the appliances left in situ, just ask. This is especially true if the house is an ex rental, chances are the vendor would be only delighted to leave stuff behind.

Regardless, its good to be clear on whats going to be in place before you proceed with the sale, could you imagine turning up to move in and not even knowing there was no washing machine?! Disaster! Just ask, try to get stuff included if you want it, but its imperative to know what you're getting.

Always query;

1- kitchen appliances (especially if the kitchen is not a fitted kitchen)
2- any furnature that you might want (theres no expectation they'll leave these, totally depends on the type of seller)
3. curtains/blinds

HiGlo

Yeah, this is very true.... I had asked and if I remember correctly I knew they were leaving the appliances but didn't know about the curtains and dining set.... They also left a small glass shelf unit (which is now my bar/drinks station ) and a bedside locker (which is now part of my office set up and has my printer sitting on it! )

Was raging though cause it actually turned out that the washing machine was working fine, the guys who had done work on the kitchen plumbed it back in wrong so when I turned it on the water just gathered in the drum and it didn't drain. It appeared to be maybe 5 or 6 yrs old and I had some money at the time so I just replaced it. When the guys were installing the new one it was only discovered then what the issue was but sure it was too late, they were there with my brand new washing machine already paid for.

Tazium

Moving into a new build with white-goods already supplied. My wife and I are working through our list of requirements. What we've already got, we've not included again like crockery, cookware, and beds. Budgeting is a personal decision, as is the priority order. Best of luck.

Washing Machine
Carpet
Wooden Floors
Shed
Garden Furniture
Dining Table
Lighting
Blinds
Linens
Towels
Office Desk & Chair
Sofas
TV
Washing Line
Snagging
Alarm
Services - Electricity, Broadband, TV.

1hnr79jr65

also to add to the list, a fire blanket, powder fire extinguisher, first aid kit, combi smoke/carbon monoxide alarms, really important to have these as they may save ur or someone else life or serious injury.

Maz2016

Sour Lemonz wrote: »

also to add to the list, a fire blanket, powder fire extinguisher, first aid kit, combi smoke/carbon monoxide alarms, really important to have these as they may save ur or someone else life or serious injury.

Thanks all for the excellent ideas. Really helped a lot. Good advice here too, wouldn’t have thought of it but now it’s on the list

DoozerT6

Extension cords and double adaptors! You may need these if there aren't enough power points (for your needs) in a room.

Toilet paper - on the day you move in!!

Iron and ironing board

Lightbulbs!

Hoover/sweeping brush/some type of mop/dustpan and brush.

Take people up on their offers to buy you a housewarming gift of some sort - you can get your crockery and cutlery sets that way, pots etc, small kitchen appliances, towels/bedding, that sort of thing. I would give them a general (not too expensive) price range though so as not to take advantage of their goodwill. No €600 coffee machines!! Keep an eye on sales to direct people towards those for gift purchases.

Quite honestly, you'll find out pretty quickly what you need or cannot do without.

1hnr79jr65

bleach for toilets, couple pairs marigold rubber gloves, disposable cleaning cloths and sponges, toilet brush for each toilet u have, bath/shower cleaner.

Cloths/brush for washing dishes, hand soap, oven cleaner, surface antibac cleaning spray.

A personal recommendation would be sonic pest control devices, 2 should suffice in either end of house to keep unwanted guests (rats/mice) away from your home and general property area.

in terms of cooking utensils, you dont need a huge knife block set to do what you need in the kitchen, a good investment if you can afford is a good quality chef knife (you can do 90% of your cooking requirements with this), a small paring knife for veg/fruit, bread knife and a sharpening steel. A lot of folks invest in 10-32pc knife block sets and half, if not more goes unused, those 4 essentials, cared for correctly will last you a lifetime and do most what you need at home.

Stainless steel pots and pan will last you long time, if buying non stick pan, invest in one that is pfoa free (harmful chemical) such as tefal, but stainless better for heat distribution and long lasting if you take care of it, metal handle pan you can also use in oven.

If you going to look for something like a deep fryer, i would suggest looking into something like a multi cooker that can pressure cook, deep fry, rice cook and so on. Good investment in 1 tool that does a lot and you will use more regularly, rather than spending on a lot of equipment that may get used sparsely. (good space saver)

5l bottle of distilled vinegar, weird one to throw in but mixed with salt and water it kills weeds, mixed with water cleans tough stains, good on chips

Thats all i can think of now, but i would suggest putting all the items suggested by everyone into an excel document (put the brand you going for into 1 column, size/quantity in next and then cost in last column) do a sum formula to identify your costs, then decide which is most important to you immediately and you can knock stuff off the list as you go.

Claw Hammer

Don't forget garden tools like lawnmower, rake, spade etc. By far the best thing to do is go to household auctions and get everything on the cheap and then replace items when you are comfortable doing so.

SozBbz

Claw Hammer wrote: »

Don't forget garden tools like lawnmower, rake, spade etc. By far the best thing to do is go to household auctions and get everything on the cheap and then replace items when you are comfortable doing so.

OP is looking at a duplex so unlikely they'll need any garden implements.

antimatterx

I recommend the podcase 'The Home Stretch' to people. It's a 6 part series on buying your first house in Ireland.

Maz2016

Great thanks. Currently listening to the first episode on tune in