All the paperwork’s been done – you’ve got a completion date. Now’s the time to start dreaming about how your first home is going to look. Here’s some ideas and tips on designing, decorating and furnishing your new Persimmon home.
That’s where we can help. With our Finishing Touches service, Persimmon can help you personalise a range of features in your home. From kitchen cabinets and worktops, to garden fixtures and fittings, we’ll work together to give your home those extra special touches. Choose everything from built-in wardrobe styles to tap fixings and plug sockets, which will be added as part of the construction process.
No doubt your head will be full of ideas about colours, furnishings and styles before you move in. However, it’s important not to rush into doing anything too quickly. Take the time to settle into your new home.
We would always advise our customers to wait for up to a year before painting or wallpapering walls of your Persimmon home. That’s to give the plaster and other wet materials used in construction enough time to dry out after the build.
This is called the ‘settling’ period and is totally normal. To help with this process it’s a good idea to open the windows for a while each day, and to keep the central heating at a consistent low temperature. This helps prevent condensation forming inside the house.
You’ve saved up for a deposit, and applied for a mortgage. We know money can be tight, but it’s still possible to achieve a fantastic look in your first home on a budget. Not everything you buy has to be new – charity shops, antique shops or vintage markets are great for second-hand items. Ask family and friends if they have any odd bits of old furniture. Bedside cabinets or chest of drawers are classic examples of pieces that can easily be upcycled and given a fresh new look. The same goes for things like old mirrors, lamps or dining chairs. You’ll get such a buzz from being creative like this in your new home.
The beauty of a Persimmon home is that it is a blank canvas for your design ideas to run wild. Walls and ceilings will come painted in neutral colours, so feel free to experiment with soft furnishings, splashes of colour and different textures. Offset a hard wooden floor with a thick pile rug, or opt for a primary sofa colour to contrast with white walls. Wall panelling is a popular way to add character and period style to a room. You can find plenty of inspiration from our own interior designers, but you can mix and match styles to suit the look you want.
For first time buyers, home furnishings generally fall into two categories: the ‘must-have’ pieces of furniture that you need to live practically, and those smaller items or accessories that give a home its style and character. The latter are soft furnishings like rugs, throws, curtains and bedding, artwork, mirrors and lighting.
If you’ve been renting, the chances are you already have some of the essentials – a bed, sofa and perhaps a dining table and chairs. They may not be your dream pieces, but they’ll do a job while you settle into your new home. If you’re starting from scratch, prioritise buying these items first.
If you’re lucky enough to have a budget for new furniture and soft furnishings, this is the fun bit.
Using the measurements of your new Persimmon home, you can start shopping for big ticket items like beds and living room furniture. Make shortlists of your favourite pieces, take photos in store, start a Pinterest or mood board online. Then when you know your completion date, it’s time to press the ‘buy now’ button!
With many retailers you can often delay the delivery of large items like beds and sofas until after the day you move in. Equally, some items might also have lead times, so make sure you’re not waiting around too long for them. There’s only so long you can sit on bean bags in your new home!
It’s really important to set a budget, so that you know what you can spend, and prioritise. You probably won’t be able to buy everything you want at once, so focus on what you need first. Try to concentrate on high traffic spaces, like the living room and master bedroom, and set a budget for these.
If you have a colour scheme in mind for individual rooms, let that guide how you shop for ‘anchor’ pieces like beds, dining furniture and sofas. These are the items that will define your home for years to come, so take your time over choosing them.
Make sure, of course, you have somewhere to sleep, sit and eat!
Buying a bed, sofa and dining room furniture are the essentials for any home. Beds and sofas are likely to be the most expensive furnishings you’ll buy, but it’s important to balance quality with price. There are significant health benefits to investing in a bed with a high-quality mattress, and a durable, long lasting, comfortable sofa.
For that first coat of paint onto the walls after the ‘settling’ period, mix up a pot of emulsion that’s 70% paint, and 30% water. This is called a mist coat, and will soak into the new plaster, acting as a barrier between the plaster and your first proper coat of paint.
Save paint, and time, by painting one wall in a room an accented bold colour. It could be the wall in a gable end, a chimney breast, or behind a bed. It makes a real design statement (and saves you painting the whole room).
It might be tempting to fill your new home up very quickly with furniture, accessories and things you think you need. But it’s also good to live minimally for a while after you move in. You’ll acquire items naturally and gradually over time, and everything will find its place.
The living room and master bedroom are the spaces you’ll use the most, so are good rooms to start decorating first. If you’re happily expecting a baby, then the nursery will often take precedence!
Don’t forget a kettle, for that first cuppa in your new home. It’s worth remembering a tool kit, too, for those little DIY jobs in the first few days after moving in.
Cover anything you need to protect first. Mark off electrical switches and sockets. Paint the ceiling, then the walls, then get any new carpets or flooring laid. Finally move in any new large items like beds or sofas.
From decorating advice, to understanding more about mortgages and deposits, we’re here to make the journey to buying and living in your first home that bit easier.
Find out more in our First-Time Buyers Hub:
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