By the end of 2023, my new house was finally delivered 🎉. Adhering to the principle of saving wherever possible, I rejected full-house customization and decided to take it step by step. After 4 months, my home has undergone some small changes, and my wallet has also thinned out.
First, after receiving the house, I spent nearly 100,000 RMB. The main expenditure structure (from high to low) is as follows:
- House delivery fees, mandatory deed tax, property management fees, miscellaneous fees: 40,000+
- Appliances, including refrigerator, washer-dryer set, coffee machine (purely personal preference), small appliances: 20,000+
- Furniture, bed frame and mattress, custom metal wardrobe (carpentry, cabinet door customization, internal metal shelves), dining table and chairs: 20,000+
- Home textiles and miscellaneous, curtains, screens, home tool kit: 5,000+
In the future, I expect to spend nearly 30,000 more on: sideboard, desk, bookshelf, nightstand, etc.
Actually, rejecting full-house customization didn't save much money, but I observed that my friends' homes all looked the same with full-house customization, and the materials used weren't particularly environmentally friendly. There was also the annoyance of being bombarded with sales calls. Saving money was secondary; it was more of a protest against the full-house customization market!
Custom Metal Wardrobe#
Since I needed to move in by March, I chose a metal wardrobe. It has wooden doors, but the interior is actually metal shelving. The most famous one is IKEA's BOAXEL. I plan to order this shelving for the interior, but I haven't placed the order yet.
For the external cabinet doors, I chose the folding doors from Japan's Lixil, mainly because the environmental rating is relatively high, better than domestic brands. I also wanted to enjoy the feeling of wide-open cabinet doors. These can be fully opened, unlike sliding doors that can only open halfway each time. However, I've been waiting for the custom cabinet doors for 4 months, and they still haven't been delivered, which makes me quite uncomfortable. Moving in without a wardrobe is a bit inconvenient, and after the cabinet doors are installed, the whole house will need to be repainted, which will cause some odor for a while.
Appliance Selection#
I fell into a pit; I chose based on my preferences and particularly like the Panasonic brand. However, Panasonic's service isn't great. During installation, I had to help lift the dryer, which was beyond my capability. If two people are needed to lift it, why not provide two installers? There were also additional charges that I couldn't accept. After buying the refrigerator and washer-dryer set, I might not like Panasonic anymore. It's expensive, but the service is poor; I can't accept that.
Panasonic's washer-dryer set I chose the White Moonlight PP because it has a hair removal drying feature, which is useful since I have a cat. Personally, I feel the cost-performance ratio isn't high; for a price of 9,000, the noise during washing and drying is quite loud. The refrigerator has a design and feel that I like; it seems okay, but not excellent.
Other Items#
Curtains-----
They really exceeded my budget expectations. The curtains and sheer curtains for a three-bedroom apartment, along with auxiliary materials, totaled 2,900. After installation, I realized that sheer curtains weren't necessary and could reduce some expenses.
Screens-----
I inquired with local Taobao merchants in Hangzhou, and the prices for screens were quite high. A pocket screen under 1 square meter costs about 370 RMB, including installation. After searching for a while, I found a local manufacturer selling them for about 220 RMB each, but without installation. If I want installation, it would cost 400 RMB for everything. I researched how to install screens and found that the difficulty isn't high; it's even simpler for men. However, as a woman, the difficulty increases a bit, but it's not impossible. I bought 2 to try installing. I summarized the method as follows:
- First, use no-nail glue to stick it to the window frame for initial simple fixing.
- Then, use an electric drill with nails for secondary fixing.
After a few days of exploration, I managed to install the screens. I plan to use the same method to install the rest.
I'm tired of writing... let's leave it at that for now. Renovation is really exhausting 💤, I've simplified everything.