When moving into your first apartment, you’re probably looking for affordable versions of everything. As long as you can sit on it and it doesn’t shatter under you, it counts as a couch, right? While choosing economical options is beneficial in many cases, there are certain apartment furnishings you should splurge on for the best living environment.
Couch
Buying a cheap sofa is a great way to ensure that you’ll need to buy another couch in a few months. With people flopping down onto it at all hours of the day, a couch not built to last won’t, well, last. Try shopping for sofas in person to get a sense of the build quality and comfort level. It’s the centerpiece of every living room, so make sure yours is functional.
Dining Table
You don’t need to buy a brand-new dining room table to get one of high quality, but high quality is what you should look for. Spills and dings are inevitable, so you’ll want a table that can take a bit of a beating. Consider looking on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for sturdy secondhand dining room tables—the best tables can withstand 20 years of wear, so don’t worry about buying used.
Office Chair
Long nights spent working on term papers in an uncomfortable chair can lead to all-but-guaranteed back pain later in life. Ergonomic office chairs can cost a pretty penny, but the stiffness and soreness you avoid are more than worth the tradeoff. You can check out online listings for secondhand office chairs but remember that they don’t last as long as a dining room table, so be careful and try before you buy.
Bed and Mattress
You’ll spend about 40 percent of your life in a bed, so it makes sense to pick a good one. While you can pick up a bed secondhand, don’t do the same with a mattress. Your best bet is to try out beds and mattresses before you buy, especially since they’re significant expenses. Make sure you find the bed of your dreams before swiping a credit card.
Now that you know the apartment furnishings you should splurge on, make the most of your small living space and avoid pain later in life.
