How Much Does It Cost To Furnish A 3 Bedroom House?
Congratulations! You just bought a house! But you’re determined not to let it look like your college apartment with mismatched furniture you scrounged from family members’ houses. You’re ready to go all Joanna Gaines and turn your house into a home. But how much will that cost?
The average cost to furnish a 3-bedroom house is $16,000. Homeowners spend an average of $4,200 on living room furniture in a 3-bedroom home, $3,000 to furnish a dining room and $9,000 to furnish all 3 bedrooms. You can also hire a designer, and they charge an average of $125 per square foot for custom designs.
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Cost Breakdown by Room
The main rooms you’re looking at furnishing are the living room, dining room, and three bedrooms. Cheaper is better for your wallet initially, but you may be sacrificing comfort and durability. Choosing moderately-priced furniture will ensure you’re not buying something new in a year. Therefore, each room’s cost breakdown is priced at moderate levels.
Take a look at the cost to furnish a 2,000 square foot house.
Living Room
The living room is probably where you’ll spend most of your time. You’ll want it to be comfortable and functional as well as stylish. Not only will you have to budget for bigger pieces like a sofa, you have to consider lamps, area rugs, and other styling items.
The total cost to furnish the living room is $4,200. Below is the itemized cost breakdown.
| Furniture | Price per Item | Total Cost |
| Chair (2) | $300 | $600 |
| Sofa | $1000 | $1000 |
| Lamps (2) | $200 | $400 |
| Coffee Table | $300 | $300 |
| Side Tables (2) | $100 | $200 |
| Drapery | $200 | $200 |
| Rug (9×12) | $300 | $300 |
| Chandelier/Hanging Light | $300 | $300 |
| Throw Pillows (4) | $100 | $400 |
| Mirror | $300 | $300 |
| Other Styling Items | $200 | $200 |
| Total | $4,200 |
Other styling items can be things like wall hangings, throw blankets, and decorative knickknacks.
Dining Room
In the past several decades, dining rooms weren’t used for everyday meals. They were left for holidays and dinner parties when people wanted to make an impression. That being said, dining rooms are typically grander in style, which makes the furniture pricier.
The total cost to furnish a dining room is $3000.
| Furniture | Price per Item | Total Cost |
| Dining Table | $500 | $500 |
| Dining Chairs (6) | $200 | $1,200 |
| Chandelier/Hanging Light | $150 | $150 |
| Mirror | $100 | $100 |
| Artwork | $100 | $100 |
| Buffet | $500 | $500 |
| Lamps (2) | $150 | $300 |
| Accessories | $150 | $150 |
| Total | $3,000 |
Accessories can be items like linens and place settings.
3 Bedrooms
A typical mid-sized house has three bedrooms. If you have more or less, you can adjust the price accordingly. Either way, the furnishing should look the same: a bed, a dresser, plus pieces that show your personal style.
The cost to furnish ONE bedroom is $2,950. All three bedrooms total $9,000.
| Furniture | Price per Item | Total Cost |
| Bed | $500 | $500 |
| Bedding, Sheets, Pillows | $200 | $200 |
| Rug (8×10) | $300 | $300 |
| Ceiling Fan/Hanging Light | $150 | $150 |
| Full Size Mirror | $300 | $300 |
| Table Lamps (2) | $75 | $150 |
| Dresser | $600 | $600 |
| Nightstand (2) | $300 | $600 |
| Accessories | $150 | $150 |
| Total x1 | $2,950 | |
| Total x3 | $9,000 |
Accessories can be items like wall hangings, additional throw pillows, or draperies.
Final Cost
Using the breakdowns above, the total cost to furnish a living room, dining room, and three bedrooms is $16,200.
How to Pick Your Furniture
When deciding on furniture, you always want to start with the biggest piece in each room. Then, you work around that. For the living room, the biggest piece would be the sofa. In the bedroom, it’s the bed. It the dining room, it’s the table.
By securing the biggest pieces first, you will have an easier time planning the layout of the room. You can purchase the other furnishings based on the size and style of the biggest piece.
Furnishing Your House with a Designer
The cost to furnish your house rises dramatically when using a designer. There’s the designer’s fee, which can be a flat rate charged up front or an hourly rate billed as the project progresses. In the latter case, you’ll have a ballpark estimate, but it’s best to prepare for more.
Then, there’s the cost of furniture and styling accessories. The designer buys the furniture for retail or wholesale pricing and sells it to the homeowner at cost, which is close to or less than the retail price. The homeowner is also responsible for paying all shipping, taxes, and delivery/freight.
Cost Breakdown Using a Designer
A designer uses the cost per square foot when pricing out each room. A mid-level custom design ranges from $100-$150 per square foot.
Let’s take the average square footage of each room and multiply it by the price per square foot. This gives you the total cost you can expect to pay to furnish each room. (Note: only the cost of furnishings is included in the chart below. There are no additional fees like tax or shipping included.)
| Room | Average sq ft | Total Cost per Room |
| Living Room | 300 | $30,000-$45,000 |
| Dining Room | 224 | $22,400-$33,600 |
| Master Bedroom | 200-350 | $20,000-$52,500 |
| Second Bedroom | 125 | $12,500-$18-750 |
| Third Bedroom | 125 | $12,500-$18-750 |
| Total for Entire House | $97,400-168,600 |
It should be noted that the average master bedroom size across all homes is 200 square feet. In newer homes, however, the average is closer to 350. This shows you the low and high end in each equation.
Benefits of Using a Designer
While it seems like an expensive investment, using an interior designer has many benefits. You might not have an eye for design, and that’s okay! But even if you fancy yourself an amateur decorator, there are plenty of reasons to hire a professional.
Personalized Style
If you want your house to look like Joanna Gaines designed it, then you have to hire a professional. Designers have access to vendors that aren’t open to the public. They can find unique pieces that are specific to your personal style.
Time Saver
Hiring a professional designer saves you the hassle of doing it all yourself. You can take your kids to soccer or go on that beach trip, and the design process won’t grind to a halt.
The designer checks the furnishings for quality and returns any damaged items so you don’t have to! Basically, they handle all the dirty work while you get to enjoy imagining the finished product.
Quality Products
Because of the exclusive vendor access designers have, they can get you high-quality furnishings at prices that are comparable to stores.
Furnishing a House on a Budget
Maybe you don’t have the budget for a professional. Or maybe you don’t mind so much if things are mismatched. Either way, there are several ways to furnish your home on a budget.
Thrift Stores
You can check out your local thrift stores. They’ll have eclectic pieces at much more reasonable prices because they’re secondhand.
Yard Sales
I once found a dresser set at a yard sale for $75! Oftentimes, people having yard sales will give you a bargain because they just want to get rid of stuff.
Seasonal Sales
Furniture stores are notorious for having sales on every major (and minor) holiday. Keep an eye out for sales at your favorite stores so you can score a major deal.
Related Questions
Which room should I furnish first?
You always want to start with the most important rooms. The living room and the bedroom are where you’ll likely spend most of your time. Start in those two rooms and move on from there.
What’s the 60 30 10 decorating rule?
This is an awesome not-so-top-secret design rule that anyone can employ. When choosing a color palette for a room, use the 60 30 10 rule, and people will think a professional designed it! 60% of the room should be a dominant color. 30% should be a secondary color or texture. 10% should be an accent color.
Should you buy furniture before or after you move in?
Usually, it’s best to buy furniture after you move in. For one thing, you’ll have a place to put it! But it’s not necessarily a bad idea to purchase a few items beforehand if you know you’ll need them.For example, let’s say you’re moving from your parents’ house to your own house. You don’t want to take the twin bed that was in our room. So, you purchase a queen-size bed before you move so you have somewhere to sleep when you get there.
Do You Need an Interior Decorator?
Get free, zero-commitment quotes from pro contractors near you.
Final Thoughts
A lot goes into making a house into a home. And it starts with how you decorate it. Adding your personal style makes it feel lived in. It makes it feel like yours. But as with many things in life, it comes with a price tag.
To recap, the total cost to furnish a 3 bedroom home is as follows:
- If you’re decorating yourself and using moderately-priced furnishings, expect to pay roughly $16,000.
- A designer determines the cost of the room by square footage. If you use a designer, expect to pay $30,000-$45,000 per room.
Whether you decide to decorate yourself or hire a designer to get it just right, styling your home is an exciting endeavor. Good luck, Godspeed, and happy decorating!
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