New home owner and lost

mr_fruitbowl

Hey Folks,

After putting a deposit down on my first house I want to start thinking of how to design it. As it's a new build and still being developed all I have at this moment are floor plans.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can start thinking about this? I've downloaded the Ikea app and like it but I'm wondering are there any sites, apps, guides, on how I can plan the rooms out to see if certain items go together?

Also it seems floors are the first thing to get as soon as I receive the keys, but what else typically follows? Beds, couches? Or is it different for everyone?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

LenWoods

Congratulations on your purchase,
I recommend screwing down the floors upstairs prior to fitting the flooring to prevent creaking, may not creak now but it will in a few months of use.

IKEA pax wardrobes are great for design and storage options,
Next is also great for light fittings.

Prioritize things to suit you though; the price of electrical items is set to tumble in the coming months as the recession sets in and the UK leave the EU, so I wouldn't buy a television until February next year to get the best value for money.

I've used the cheapest IKEA floor mats as temperary floor covering they were 9euro each I fitted them together like a roll of carpet and were easy disposed of in the wheelie bin; one every two weeks, might be an option if you're holding out for something more pricey for the floor,

The range is also a good store to browse online

We had alot of fun with a camping stove, toaster and kettle when we first moved in to our home; you appreciate it more and enjoy each others company,

Have you considered how your managing the television in the living room, will you have a satellite dish
Where is that cable going to travel and remain tidy,
If possible get a pvc drain pipe run straight down from your attic to your living room, the same white square pipe that takes rain water from your roof, get a straight one of those built in to the wall out of sight and have it going from the living room to the attic,
You can then have your satellite cable, network cables, telephone, everything run down from the attic or up from the living room to the attic to provide other rooms etc. Without putting cables outside the house.

mr_fruitbowl

Wow amazing advice thanks! Had not even thought about screwing the floors, does that tend to be an issue with most places?

Thanks for recommendation on The Range, looks very good.

In your opinions how does it hold up to Avoca, Ikea, + any other recommendations?

Thanks

LenWoods

mr_fruitbowl wrote: »

Wow amazing advice thanks! Had not even thought about screwing the floors, does that tend to be an issue with most places?

Thanks for recommendation on The Range, looks very good.

In your opinions how does it hold up to Avoca, Ikea, + any other recommendations?

Thanks

Any chipboard upstairs floor which I've ever walked on begins to creak after a while; I screwed down mine by following the lines of nails with some M4x40 self tapping screws and driving in a screw every 4"inches or so,

Calculate around 100 - 150 screws for the largest room upstairs get yourself some velcro strap on; knee pads the next time the pop up in Aldi or Lidl



I picked up a set of DeWalt Philips heads in my local Woodie's DIY and got that adapter for the drill free with the Philips heads, the outter shell doesn't rotate; allows you to hold the DeWalt logo shell while you drill, helps guide the screw; low speed setting on drill;



bought the drill in Argos for around€40 comes in very handy for shelves and pictures, I never use nails anywhere,
I only use Wall plugs, gripit fixings or self tapping screws as featured in my home improvement thread here: https://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/80864-living-room-project/

here's one of the bedroom floors screwed down and gaps filled around the edges prior to the new floor being fitted, its worth investing in good quality underlay the foil stuff is great for the upstairs floors, makes a noise and thermal difference. laminate floor for upstairs with high quality underlay as its a low traffic area requiring low noise.





The Range is alot like TK Max for your home interior or garden, they have a few stores around, Avoca would be more hand crafted legitimate where the range would be a high quality imitation, they do have some nice items pop up every now and then,
We bought two mirrors for our hallway from them, looks good above the solid oak hall table/mantle made for us by the wood factory.ie
the downstairs ceiling light is from NEXT and the milano designer radiator from bestheating.ie

ax530

good luck some groups on facebook with Interior ideas or Houzz has lots of photos to look at for ideas. If you spot a room with similar layout for windows doors can build up your plan based on that.

Some people are very good at it, I helped a friend move recently expecting boxes of 'stuff' she had box listed per room it was the accessories frames, vase, candles ect and details on where to put them. within a few hours she had her house staged like a show room amazing roll on few months they all still in exactly same place. She had it all visualized had spent months months looking\deciding on furniture ect.

I've been 8 years in my house still not decided where furniture ect should be so I'm always moving things about, some clutter building up, have 'stuff' in boxes which has not yet found a home in this house but maybe if I get shelving it will have a place in future. Or when toys are gone will be loads of space to fill

LenWoods

ax530 wrote: »

I've been 8 years in my house still not decided where furniture ect should be so I'm always moving things about, some clutter building up, have 'stuff' in boxes which has not yet found a home in this house but maybe if I get shelving it will have a place in future. Or when toys are gone will be loads of space to fill

were thirteen years in our house and still working on making it a home in every room, takes time to source exactly the right items, but its a great feeling when it all comes together as you once had envisioned.

Vetch

I'm jealous, OP - I'd love to have a whole house to decorate. There are house interiors magazines available free through public library websites if you're a member. Good for photos and there's often source info telling you where furniture etc was bought. Otherwise, instagram and Pinterest are other sources of photos. Furniture shop websites or just visiting the shops is good if you're not sure what style of furniture you like. Once you choose the main piece of furniture for a room, the rest follows more easily.

I wouldn't go mad buying loads of decorative stuff and unnecessary furniture before moving in as you'll have a better idea of what fits both space and style-wise once you're in. I saw on another thread lately that there are delays with furniture at the moment due to Covid.

Cyrus

LenWoods wrote: »

Congratulations on your purchase,
I recommend screwing down the floors upstairs prior to fitting the flooring to prevent creaking, may not creak now but it will in a few months of use.

this is the best advice you will get and i wish someone had told me!

do it or get someone to do it before you put carpets down.

you mind me asking how long it took to do each room?

LenWoods

Cyrus wrote: »

this is the best advice you will get and i wish someone had told me!

do it or get someone to do it before you put carpets down.

you mind me asking how long it took to do each room?

Thanks,
And I assume you mean to screw down the floor in each room it took a maximum of three hours for the biggest room and that's because I'm not as physically fit as I thought I was lol I done alot of sweating had stomach acid reflux from all the kneeling down and i stopped for a coffee when my legs began to quiver like jelly,:eek:
I don't usually perform such activities on a daily basis.

It's not a difficult job though, just follow the line of nails which will already be in the floor,
Low speed setting on the drill,
Pick up a drill in Argos as said there in a previous post, do it all for under €100