Large Family Logistics - Furnishing a House Quickly on a Small Budget

When we arrived in Auckland, we only had what we'd brought with us.  That was 22 suitcases, 4 car seats, and 2 strollers.  A big challenge was finding furniture for all 11 of us, and fast.

 

 

 

Before                                                                    After

A valuable resource was www.trademe.co.nz for new and used furnishings.  New Zealand has a lot of people moving in and out, so there is no shortage of good quality used things available and they want it gone yesterday.  We were very fortunate that friends paired us up with families who were moving out and trying to get rid of their stuff.  We also had thoughtful church members just show up on our doorstep with things.  This made life a lot easier for us.  We've had a lot of fun giving face lifts to items and making them our own.  But my favorite thing about the new-to-us furniture is that each item has a story to tell.

This particular children's desk was given to us by a neighbor that was moving out soon after we moved in.  This was a match made in heaven, because it fits neatly next to a bunk bed in the 1/2 room.  Perfect for Simon and Gavin to do their homework on and store their favorite things. 

Another find was this wicker table and chairs.  Originally it was a natural brown with a few broken reeds, but a trip to Bunnings for paint and replacement dowels did the job.  The iron curio was given to us from a friend.  The pillows are actually handbags from Spotlight that I filled with an old pillow I cut in half :)  Now we have an outdoor breakfast nook.