Furnishing apartment the cheapest way

7 comments

1. It’s worth it to keep an eye out for Facebook groups such as “Mottainai Japan” or “Tokyo Sayonara Sale”.

2. Try one of the big electronics dealers (for gas and electric things). They’ll often give substantial discounts if your ask and you’re buying several things at once. For chairs and the like, look at Nittori.

   However, if you’re in Tokyo, try the Salvation Army Bazaar or Book-Off Bazaar or Book-Off Plus for some furniture. I don’t know that I ever bought anything new before I married. Even now, with a detached house, in the home office I’m typing in the only furnishings bought new are a folding table (Muji) and a digital piano and its bench.

3. Start with the bare necessities. You need something to sleep on and a microwave to heat up some dinner. Virtually everything else will be secondary. You’ll come here and find Daiso for a fork, a bowl, and some chopsticks. You’ll find Nitori or Ikea for cheap-ish furniture. And you’ll definitely want to explore your second hand stores in the area, look for Hard-Off or Second Street, for a lot of the stuff you only need for 2 years. They may even have refrigerators and washers. So don’t spend big up front.

4. Honestly, don’t bother with cheap large appliances from Amazon. You’ll spend more in the end having them repaired and replaced. Small stuff, go for it.

   Ask a friend or rent something to move stuff with, and go to a second hand store. Stuff there can be cheap, come with a few months warranty, and will serve you fine as they have for others before. But it’s questionable if you can pay with an overseas credit card–top tip for Japan, just stop trying to use it here as it probably won’t be accepted in most places.

5. Many appliances can be found in great condition second hand, which is probably worth it if you’re only staying for 2 years.

   Checking Facebook mottainai groups as already suggested is a good start. You can also check second hand stores like Hard Off or local second hand shops in your area.

   For furniture like mattresses etc, you can check Nitori or Ikea. Amazon is fine, usually they have the same stuff.

6. Just don’t buy a secondhand mattress.

   Everything else can be found for cheap at recycle stores, but you usually can’t use card

7. My best recommendation (and to avoid repeating shop-related ideas everyone else has already contributed):

   Make a (free) account on floorplanner(dot)com and then create your room’s rough layout before actually buying anything. This allows you to:

   1. Move furniture etc. around the room for layout purposes
   2. mix and match different colors to see what might look good (remember you cannot really alter your walls, ceiling or floor)

   I guess it just helps you to plan your space properly (in terms of item size and color, style etc.) beforehand (assuming you know where you’re staying) so that you don’t end up buying stuff that either doesn’t fit, makes your room feel claustrophobic (worst culprits are buying massive beds that are a pain to walk around, or tables that are too high relative to your ceiling and make the room feel small), or doesn’t really match the rest of your room and its items.

   Also if you have a driving license, you can rent a car for the day and then go pick up some appliances (and maybe even a bed frame if you can take it apart) super cheap from people trying to get rid of them (mottainai, tokyo sayonara on facebook etc.). This is how the recycle shops make their money.

   Another option (if your Japanese is OK) is ジモティ. Basically a craigslist type website where you can often get stuff for free or almost free. Same advice applies in terms of getting a car.

   You might have to pay 5,000-10,000 yen for the car rental but if that allows you to save like 60,000 or something on appliances then happy days.