In case you hadn’t noticed, houses have a lot of stuff in them. Tables, chairs, pots, pans, appliances, computers, towels, vacuum cleaners, curtains, shelves, lamps, picture frames, the lists goes on and on. Over the years I’ve accumulated “stuff” in anticipation of one day buying a house. House shopping has told me one thing if nothing else: I’m going to need to buy some stuff. Sure, I have a bedroom suit, a TV, enough electronics to land on the moon and a toolbox, but when it comes to things like furniture, kitchen supplies and a lot of the little things that turn a house into a home, I’m going to need to make at least a few purchases.

As a single person I know that I won’t have to worry about outfitting a house with multiple beds or a huge dinner table that seats ten, and as most people will tell you, I’m not exactly a “fancy” person, but when I’m looking to outfit my future home I also don’t want to buy a bunch of cheap, laminated particle board junk. For things like tables and chairs I’m hoping I can find some quality used pieces that just need some TLC. After all, short of termites or shoddy construction, there’s no reason that solid wood furniture can’t last a lifetime or longer. Plush furniture like couches and chairs might be a little tricker as they can hold smells, mold, dog pee, bugs and a litany of unmentionable stains. Some of the other, smaller items like pots and pans, kitchen appliances and other electrics, I’m not sure where to begin looking for a decent deal.

What are some of your tips for outfitting my first place? This is all new to me, so while I have an inkling of what I’ll need to do, I’m hoping people with first-hand experience will be able to help fill in the gaps.