How To Set Up Your New Home In Australia On A Budget

When it comes to setting up your new home in Australia, you’re going to have to buy some stuff.

If you’ve shipped everything under the sun, you’ll still have to wait for it to arrive and will be without some of your essentials for a period of weeks or even months.

If you haven’t shipped much (or anything!) you’re going to be starting over from scratch to set up your new home in Australia.

When most people migrate to Australia, they’re on a tight budget until they’ve settled in and started earning dollars (rands don’t go too far here unfortunately!).

So I’ve put together a list of where to look when it comes to furnishing and setting up your new home in Australia.

How To Set Up Your New Home In Australia On A Budget

First, do your research. Make lists of everything you are bringing with you (either in your suitcases or in your container) and identify any gaps for things you won’t have when you arrive.

Work out what you want to buy new, and what you’re prepared to buy second hand.

Appliances can be expensive new, so consider buying second hand to start with and upgrade to new appliances when you’re more settled and are earning dollars.

And if you’re still wondering what to ship and what to leave behind, this blog will help you!

Second-Hand Sites

Gumtree

Gumtree is one of the biggest online marketplaces in Australia. You can pretty much find anything you want on Gumtree.

Facebook Marketplace

If it’s local bargains you want, head to Facebook Marketplace.

You can search for people selling things nearby and you can specify a radius too, just like on Gumtree. There are heaps of bargains on Facebook as it’s one of the easiest ways to sell online now with no fees.

eBay

eBay is still worth checking out as well but for bigger items it may be more limited in the selection available.

Buying New

IKEA

With stores in almost every state (and collection points in Tasmania and the NT), IKEA is more an experience than a shop.

If you haven’t been to IKEA before, prepare yourself.

You’ll arrive with a list, and leave with maybe a few things from the list and about 67 things not on your list, but that you absolutely need to buy!

Go early to beat the crowds and get a cheap brekkie, or head there over lunch time and try their famous (and super cheap) Swedish meatballs. The restaurant is as important to check out as the rest of the store!

Also, don’t take the shortcuts – you’ll miss out on heaps of good stuff.

Kmart, Target & Big W

The 3 big department stores in Australia are Kmart, Target and Big W.

Generally, I find Kmart the cheapest (but their stuff never lasts too long), Target the most expensive and Big W somewhere in the middle.

You can buy most things here from clothes, home furnishings, bedding, pet accessories, electronics, outdoor sports equipment, toys, baby goods, and even food and cleaning products.

Other department stores include Myer and David Jones, but these are not cheap so I’m not including them here as this blog is about setting up your new home on a budget!

A-Mart Furniture

For affordable furniture, check out Amart Furniture. They have stores across Australia and have well-priced furniture for every room of the home.

We bought a bedroom suite there in our first year and it’s still going strong 5 years on, so it’s decent enough quality, but fairly generic designs.

Perfect for getting you started on setting up your new home on a budget.

Fantastic Furniture

They claim to be Australia’s best value furniture and bedding store and sell everything from bedroom furniture to living, dining, office and storage items too.

Fantastic Furniture also has package deals where you can buy a whole host of items to furnish a whole room. Their living packages start from $999 and include sofas, a coffee table, an entertainment unit, dining table and chairs and a lamp table.

Bunnings 

When it comes to the outdoors, there’s no better place to go than Bunnings.

They’ve got everything for the DIY-obsessed person in your family, but also sell a good range of outdoor furniture, plants and BBQs. And everyone needs a BBQ when they move to Australia!

Spotlight 

If you love to create your own soft furnishings like curtains or cushion covers, Spotlight is a sewer’s paradise.

They have a huge range of materials to choose from as well as home accessories like bedding, pillows, blinds, towels, rugs, artwork, and other home décor and essentials.

With a few trips to these stores, you’ll be able to furnish and set up your new home in Australia in no time at all!

If you’ve already made the move, what were your go-to stores when you were starting from scratch again? Let me know in the comments below.