Furnishing a one-bedroom Sydney apartment from scratch runs about $1,900 on a budget fit-out, $4,800 mid-range, and $12,000 or more at the premium end. That's before delivery, and before a single lamp or plate. Buying second-hand instead brings the mid-range figure down to roughly $1,000 to $2,300, but item by item across a dozen sellers.
What budget, mid-range and premium actually cost
Priced on the core pieces a one-bedroom needs: bed, mattress, sofa, dining table and chairs, TV, bedside table, storage, kitchen basics, lighting, a rug and window coverings.
| Item | Budget (Kmart/IKEA) | Mid-range (IKEA + Temple & Webster) | Premium (Castlery/West Elm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen bed frame | $99 | $399 | $1,099 |
| Queen mattress | $299 | $599 | $1,500+ |
| Sofa (2-seater) | $349 | $1,099 | $1,599+ |
| Dining table + 4 chairs | $299 | $899 | $2,500+ |
| TV, 43" | $399 | $599 | $1,200+ |
| Bedside table | $39 | $179 | $399 |
| Chest or wardrobe | $199 | $599 | $1,400 |
| Kitchen basics | $80 | $200 | $500+ |
| Lamp / lighting | $25 | $99 | $299+ |
| Rug (160×230) | $49 | $299 | $899+ |
| Curtains / blinds | $60 | $200 | $600 |
| Total | ~$1,896 | ~$4,769 | ~$11,995 |
The gap between tiers is mostly the big pieces: sofa, dining set, mattress. Lighting, rugs and kitchen basics barely move the total wherever you shop.
The second-hand route
Buying used gets you a mid-range kit for about $1,030 to $2,300, a quarter to half of retail. That's the real saving. The catch is the process: a different seller in a different suburb for almost every item, messages that go quiet, no car for the bulky stuff, a bed one week and a couch the next. Our guide to furnishing your first Sydney apartment walks through that route piece by piece.
Where a bundle fits
A furniture bundle is a whole apartment's worth of furniture from one seller who's moving out, sold as one lot. One buyer, one price, one pickup, matched to your move date. Instead of stitching together a dozen separate second-hand deals across a dozen suburbs, you furnish the whole place in a single transaction.
Sold as a set, a bundle can come in up to 20% below what the same pieces would cost bought one by one, a saving of hundreds of dollars. You get the second-hand saving without the second-hand grind: no chasing sellers, no messages that go quiet, no half your list falling through the week before you move.
Getting it home
Moving a bundle is usually a short local trip. Our guide to van hire and removalists in Sydney covers the options.
Furnishing a place in the eastern suburbs? Browse bundles near you.