Moving to a new country or city can be challenging enough, but many people also arrive in their new situation with only a few suitcases. This means they need to start rebuilding their lives here in terms of furnishings, etc. Recognizing how expensive that can be, we wanted to create a short guide to help newcomers and those moving out for the first time learn some of the most affordable ways to get set up. Combined with the location and affordability of your Mainstreet apartment, these tips will leave more money in your pocket while still enabling you to enjoy your new home.
Whether you’re moving into University Tower in Edmonton, Mainstreet Place in Calgary, Mainstreet Residence in Saskatoon, Queen City Apartments in Regina, or one of our many other properties in many cities across Western Canada, we’ve selected stores that should be easily found not far from your new home. Each of the businesses on this list offers different kinds of furniture and basics. While we’ve chosen some chains that offer a great selection in each of our cities, we’d also love to know what your favorite local spot to find savings is so we can include it in an upcoming feature.
You may notice that we haven’t included any secondhand sources of furniture here. This isn’t an oversight, it’s because secondhand items are one of the primary ways for pests like bedbugs to be brought into a building, so we strongly advise against sourcing your furniture this way.
In this blog, we’ll focus on getting started with furniture and houseware basics, but in subsequent posts we’ll share our secrets for grocery shopping, buying clothing, and more!
- Walmart
Great for: desks, shelves, cabinets, and small appliances.
A name often known even in places where they don’t have stores, Walmart is a leading discount retailer and department store chain found across North America and in many places throughout the world. With a variety of furniture options, you should be able to get your essentials here in a single stop.
Pro tip: Check out their flyer and time your purchases with their sales to save the most money.
- IKEA
Great for: everything, literally everything
Another brand well-known across the world, IKEA offers affordable furniture that you can assemble yourself at home. This Swedish company is famous not just for being the most popular, budget-friendly, and stylish way for people to furnish their apartments, but also for the cool store layout. With showrooms across the warehouse you walk through to see how your furniture will look in an actual room, it’s always fun visiting IKEA even just to browse! Don't miss the great cafeteria with IKEA’s Swedish delicacies, and the unique nature of a store that you walk all the way through before putting (almost) anything in your cart! Protip: There are an incredible number of furniture “hacks” found online that allow people to take IKEA’s designs and turn them into even cooler and unique pieces!
Extra Protip: Mainstreet customers in Saskatoon and Regina can easily enjoy IKEA too, with new “pickup points” opened in the city which make it easier than ever to get your favorite IKEA pieces to your home!
- Real Canadian Superstore
Great for: small appliances, houseware, balcony /patio furniture, and decorations (seasonally)
These large, warehouse-style stores are found across Canada, and over the last decade have expanded their offerings to include a wide range of stylish houseware products. From silverware to pillows and duvet sets, from patio furniture to blenders, this is a great stop for rock-bottom pricing on home essentials. We recognize they don’t specialize in furniture, but their offerings are so diverse that we’ll be including them on a couple of these lists.
Pro tip: Check out their patio and balcony furniture selection to make your Mainstreet balcony look great!
- Discount Furniture Stores
Great for: Mattress deals, twin bed and mattress sales, etc.
They sometimes have a different name, they sometimes have a different style, but almost every city in Canada has this sort of retailer that specializes in bringing you stylish furniture at the lowest possible price. This can be a great place to pick up a twin bed and mattress set at a rock-bottom price, for instance, or a dining room set for a family just starting out. Usually, these businesses have a name including a combination of the terms liquidator, furniture, warehouse, discount, supply, etc., these pieces aren’t built to last forever but should be a great start until it’s time to upgrade!
Protip: Be sure to verify the refund and return policy and get it in writing before purchasing.
- Wayfair
Great for: Online shopping, huge selection, all styles and tastes, delivery to your door
We couldn’t compile this list without including one of the biggest online furniture suppliers around. Wayfair is a major online retailer that offers a wide variety of furniture for many budget ranges, but specializes in affordable chic. This online giant ships the furniture directly to your door, meaning you don’t need to rent a truck!
Protip: Confirm when you will actually receive your product by if quantities are low or the item is out of stock, some people complain of having waited months for a single piece because they didn’t check first!
These are just five suggestions for starting points when you’re in the market to furnish your new home affordably, but we know there are many other great ones! Let us know what we missed!