You need to furnish an entire house or a multi-unit project. The costs are spiraling out of control, and coordinating different suppliers is becoming a logistical nightmare for your timeline and budget.

The cost to furnish a house depends entirely on your sourcing strategy. A project’s furnishing can range from $20,000 to over $200,000. Combining factory-direct sourcing for bulk items with strategic local purchases is the secret to dramatically lowering your all-in cost.

As the CEO of a furniture manufacturing company in Foshan, I see this question from two angles: the individual homeowner and the large-scale B2B buyer. The problem and the solution are surprisingly similar. People focus too much on the price of a single sofa or bed. The real savings, and the key to a successful project, come from planning and sourcing. You must think about the entire project as a single procurement exercise. Whether it’s for one high-end home or a 100-unit apartment building, the principles are the same. Prioritize your spending, mix your sourcing channels, and partner with a factory that can handle bulk orders efficiently. This is how you control costs without compromising on quality or style.

Is $500,000 enough to build a house?

You have a construction budget, but have you allocated enough for furnishing? Underestimating this final step can leave your beautiful new house feeling empty, unfinished, and hard to sell or lease.

Yes, $500,000 can build a house in many areas, but your furnishing budget is critical. Professionals allocate 10-20% of the total property value for furnishing to ensure a complete, high-quality, and move-in-ready result.

While I specialize in what goes inside a house, I work with developers and contractors every day. The construction budget is only part of the equation. A common mistake is spending every last dollar on the structure, leaving nothing for the items that make a house a home. This is especially true for property developers or build-to-rent investors. An empty property doesn’t attract top-tier tenants or buyers.

The 10-20% Rule for Furnishing

A good rule of thumb is to set aside 10-20% of the home’s final market value for furnishing. So for a $500,000 house, that means a furnishing budget¹ of $50,000 to $100,000. This seems high, but it covers everything from sofas and beds to cabinets, lighting, and window treatments.

Maximizing Your Furnishing Budget

For B2B buyers like Jacky, this is where sourcing matters. Buying furniture at retail would consume that entire budget quickly. By working directly with a manufacturer like Boke Furniture, you can stretch that $50,000 to achieve a look that would cost $100,000 at retail. You get higher quality materials and a cohesive design for a lower price, maximizing the value of your investment.

How much does it cost to furnish a whole house?

You need a clear number for your project’s furniture budget. But every estimate you find is vague, making it impossible to plan your finances or secure funding for your development.

A three-bedroom house can cost $30,000 to $70,000+ to furnish. The key variable is your purchasing channel. Factory-direct sourcing can cut this cost by 40-50% compared to buying from retail brands.

Let’s break down the costs realistically. The final number depends heavily on square footage, quality level, and where you buy. A B2B buyer furnishing a rental property will have different needs than someone furnishing their forever home, but the strategy is the same. You must prioritize. For my clients, I recommend a "high-low" approach.

High-Priority vs. Low-Priority Zones

Invest the most in high-use, high-impact areas² like the living room sofa and the master bedroom bed. These are your "core" pieces. For secondary bedrooms, home offices, or decorative items, you can choose more budget-friendly options. This smart allocation ensures you get quality where it matters most.

The Power of Mixed Sourcing

No single supplier is best for everything. You might find a unique lamp at a local market. But for the big-ticket items—kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, sofas, bed frames—coming directly to a factory source is the most cost-effective method³. For a developer furnishing ten identical townhouses, this approach is not just smart; it is essential. By consolidating the purchase of all case goods and upholstery, you get a massive volume discount, consistent quality, and streamlined logistics.

Is $300,000 enough to build a house?

Your project has a tight budget of around $300,000 for construction. You’re worried that after building costs, there will be nothing left to make the interior appealing to buyers or renters.

Yes, you might build a smaller house for $300,000 in certain markets. But at this budget, your furnishing strategy is more important than ever. You must use factory-direct sourcing to get a high-end look without a high-end price tag.

On a tighter budget, every dollar counts. If your total project value is $300,000, your realistic furnishing budget is around $30,000. Trying to furnish a whole house for this amount through retail stores is nearly impossible without using very low-quality items. This is where the global supply chain becomes your most powerful tool. As a developer or project manager, you cannot afford to pay retail markups.

The B2B Sourcing Advantage

For this type of project, I work with clients to create a furniture package. We design a complete solution that fits the style and durability needs of a rental property or a starter home. We focus on durable materials⁴ like sturdy laminates, solid wood frames, and performance fabrics.

Case Study: A Developer’s Choice

I recently worked with a developer building a small community of starter homes. Their construction budget was tight. Instead of putting cheap, big-box store cabinets in their kitchens, they partnered with us. We provided higher-quality, flat-pack RTA kitchen cabinets⁵ and vanities. The final cost per unit, including shipping, was lower than their local supplier’s price for inferior particleboard cabinets. They used the savings to upgrade the lighting fixtures, creating a home that looked far more expensive than its price tag suggested.

How do you renovate your whole house?

You’re planning a major renovation, not just furnishing. You are overwhelmed by the complexity of managing demolition, construction, and finishing, all while staying within a strict budget.

To renovate your whole house, first finalize your layout and budget. Then, hire a reliable contractor and source long-lead-time items like cabinets and custom furniture directly from a factory to save money and prevent delays.

A whole-house renovation is a massive project management task. As a supplier of key components, my best advice is to plan your procurement timeline carefully. The biggest delays in renovations often come from waiting for materials. Custom-ordered windows, flooring, and especially kitchen cabinets can have long lead times. If you order these items too late, your contractor will be stuck, and you will be paying for dead time.

Sourcing on a Construction Timeline

This is where professional buyers excel. They know that as soon as the architectural plans are approved, they need to place orders for items with the longest lead times⁶. For any project involving new kitchens or bathrooms, the cabinet order should be one of the first things you finalize.

Integrating Factory-Direct into Your Renovation

When you work with a factory like Boke Furniture, you can send us your architectural plans during the design phase. We can produce all the cabinets, wardrobes, and even hotel furniture while your contractor is busy with demolition and framing. The items arrive on-site exactly when they are needed for installation. This integrated approach saves time, reduces project management stress, and significantly lowers the cost of high-value items compared to buying them locally halfway through the project.

Conclusion

Furnishing a house is about smart planning, not just spending. By prioritizing your needs and using a factory-direct sourcing strategy, you can achieve a high-quality result while staying firmly within budget.