How to Choose Furniture and Appliances for Your New Home and Plan Delivery—A Complete Guide to Avoiding Layout Mistakes
Choosing furniture and appliances before moving and planning your layout are key to a comfortable new life. We explain tips for accurate measurements and how to confirm delivery routes to prevent common mistakes.
Moving to a new home is also a chance to acquire new furniture and appliances. However, problems caused by insufficient preparation—such as "the sofa I bought won't fit through the door," "the refrigerator won't fit through the delivery route and can't be installed," and "with the bed in place, there's no space to move around"—are common. With proper planning of furniture selection and delivery logistics, most of these failures can be prevented. This article explains, from the perspective of a rental real estate professional, the step-by-step process of measurements, layout planning, and delivery preparation that you must do before moving to your new home.
What to Measure During a Property Viewing and Tips for Accurate Measurement
To choose furniture and appliances in the correct size, it's essential to take measurements yourself using a tape measure when you visit the property during a property viewing. The size and dimensions listed on the floor plan are merely guidelines, and the actual space may have deviations of a few centimeters to several tens of centimeters.
Key areas to measure are as follows:
・Room dimensions (height and width, wall to wall)
・Window position and size (including curtain rod height)
・Door width and height (important for confirming delivery routes)
・Closet and storage space interior dimensions
・Refrigerator placement area width, depth, and height (including up to the ceiling)
・Washing machine placement area width, depth, and drain outlet position
・Outlet positions and quantity
Using a smartphone measurement app leaves your hands free and makes taking measurements easier. Recording your measurements in a notes app or taking photos to digitalize the data is convenient—you can quickly reference the information when choosing furniture later.
Simulate Your Furniture Layout in Advance
Based on the measurements you've taken, simulate furniture placement using graph paper or floor plan creation apps. In recent years, floor plan creation apps for smartphones have made it easy to experiment with 3D layouts, making it simpler to finalize your placement ideas before purchasing.
When planning your layout, it's important to consider not just furniture size but also "traffic flow"—the paths people will take. For a bedroom, check that there's a clear path from the bed to the door; for a living room, ensure flow from the sofa to the toilet and kitchen. As a general guideline, a minimum passage width of 60 cm is needed for people to move through, and 80 cm or more is recommended for comfortable walking.
Where to Position Your Bed
Beds take up considerable space among large furniture. Placing one in front of a window will obstruct ventilation and expose you to cold air in winter, so it's not recommended. Also avoid locations where air conditioning air blows directly on you. Positioning the bed along a wall in a corner is the basic layout that makes the most efficient use of space.
Will Your Sofa and Table Block Traffic Flow?
When placing a sofa and low table in your living room, ensure appropriate distance from your TV (a guideline is at least three times the height of the TV) while confirming that you're not blocking the traffic flow to doors and hallways.
Why Confirming Delivery Routes in Advance Is Absolutely Essential
The most common problem when delivering furniture and large appliances is "it won't fit through the delivery route." Pre-confirmation is essential for the following locations in particular:
・Entryway door width (can the furniture pass through?)
・Hallway width and corner angles
・Elevator width, depth, and height
・Staircase width and handrail position (for buildings without elevators)
Large sofas, double bed mattresses, washing machines, and refrigerators require special attention. You need to consider not just the width but also the diagonal length—when turning corners in hallways or on staircases, verify that the diagonal fits within the passage width. We recommend either choosing furniture with explicit "delivery dimension guarantee" marked before purchase, or consulting in advance with the store's delivery team if the size is close to the limit.
Priority Order and Budget Allocation for Single-Person Furniture and Appliances
When furnishing a new home from scratch, trying to purchase everything at once often leads to overspending. It's important to decide on a "priority order" and acquire items based on how necessary they are.
The top priorities are four items: a bed (or futon), refrigerator, washing machine, and microwave. With just these, you can establish a functioning household. Next, we recommend acquiring lighting fixtures, curtains, a table, and chairs in order. Sofas and TVs are a wise choice to consider later, once your life has settled down and you can make decisions based on your actual layout and budget.
・Refrigerator (100–200L, suitable for singles): ¥30,000–60,000
・Washing machine (5–7 kg): ¥30,000–60,000
・Microwave: ¥10,000–30,000
・Curtains: ¥10,000–30,000 (considering light-blocking and thermal insulation properties)
Price ranges may vary due to fluctuations in commodity prices and logistics costs, so it's reassuring to compare rates across multiple stores and e-commerce sites before making purchases.
Coordinating with Your Moving Company and Planning Moving Day
On moving day, when you're bringing furniture and appliances to your new home, it will go smoothly if you've coordinated the delivery sequence in advance with your moving company. The basic approach is to deliver large furniture first and position it, then bring in smaller items afterward. If you try to rearrange the layout after delivery, it will take additional work time and effort.
Don't forget to confirm the installation of protective coverings (floor and wall protection sheets). Moving companies typically bring their own protective materials, but it's reassuring to prepare thick cardboard or blankets on your own as well. To prevent trouble with being charged for "moving damage" repairs as part of restoration to original condition costs when you move out, be thorough about protecting surfaces during the delivery process.
