Buying Furniture as a Newcomer to Canada

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Do apartments come furnished in Canada?
• What furniture is essential for moving in?
• Where can I buy furniture in Canada?
• How can I save money on my home furniture?
• How does a furniture bank work?
• Does all furniture in Canada require assembly?
• Are there professional companies to help me assemble my furniture?
• Contact CanadaVisa and Cohen Immigration Law for Assistance
  

Overview

Furnishing your living space is an important part of feeling comfortable in your new home.

This CanadaVisa guide will help you understand the difference between furnished and unfurnished apartments and homes before providing you with a list of essential pieces of furniture that you will need when moving into your new residence in Canada.

Following this, there will be a discussion about purchasing furniture in Canada, including buying new at a retailer or online as well as purchasing second-hand discounted items through online platforms such as Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace.

This page will provide some information on using furniture banks and donation centres as a means of obtaining items you need before concluding with a look into different ways you can have purchased furniture assembled for your apartment or house.

Do apartments come furnished in Canada?

It is typical for both rental and purchased apartments in Canada to come unfurnished. This means that no furniture (tables, chairs, beds) will come included with the property and owners/renters will need to purchase these items themselves. The same is usually true for houses across this country, although prospective buyers/renters may be able to shop around to find furnished apartments and homes in their communities.

This is an important consideration for buyers and renters of properties across Canada, and you should make sure to ask about this when viewing a home or apartment that you are considering moving into.

Note: Furnished homes and apartments typically have higher purchase and rental prices

What furniture is essential for moving in?

The following is a list of key pieces of furniture that you should look to purchase when moving into a home or apartment.

• Mattress
• Bed
• Dresser/Nightstand
• Lamps
• Pillows/Bed Sheets
• Couch
• Coffee Table
• Dining Room Table
• Dining Room Chairs

Extra: The items below are other non-furniture items that are important to purchase for your apartment or home in Canada.

• Coat/Clothes Hangers
• Towels
• Shower Curtain
• Cutlery (Knife, Spoon, Fork)
• Bowls/Plates
• Trash Can
• Vacuum/Broom
• Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Detector
• Fire Extinguisher

Where can I buy furniture in Canada?

In Canada, furniture can be purchased in-store or online from retailers such as IKEA, Wal-Mart, Costco, Wayfair, Structube, The Brick, HomeSense, Crate & Barrel, and many more options. Ordering furniture online will typically mean that you must pay to have the products shipped to your home or apartment, although this may be worthwhile for the sake of convenience.

Note: It is worthwhile to take your time shopping around for furniture, as the costs for these items can be high and it is important to get the best value you can for items that you will possess for a long time

How can I save money on my home furniture?

Since buying new furniture can be expensive, many Canadians will look for discounted or free second-hand furniture through online platforms such as Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace. These are websites where other members of your community will advertise and sell items they no longer need, giving you the opportunity to furnish your home for less money than it would cost to buy all new furniture from a retailer.

How does a furniture bank work?

Yet another way to obtain furniture is by taking advantage of a local furniture bank or donation centre, two types of organizations that provide free furniture to those in need. Google is a good resource that can help you find a furniture donation centre or similar organization for your needs in your local community.

For instance, Furniture Bank Toronto “assists families and individuals, refugees and newcomers who do not have enough money to purchase furniture.”

Newcomers looking to receive items from Furniture Bank Toronto “must first have a recommendation or be referred by one of their partner agencies.” Click here to learn more about Furniture Bank Toronto and its services.

The following five organizations are a few registered partners of Furniture Bank Toronto: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Covenant House, Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, The Learning Enrichment Foundation, North York Harvest Food Bank

Does all furniture in Canada require assembly?

Unless you are living in a furnished home/apartment or you are having used furniture delivered, newly purchased furniture will likely arrive at your residence as pieces in a box. This means that you and/or your family will usually need to take the time to unbox and assemble most of the furniture you purchase.

Are there professional companies to help me assemble my furniture?

For newcomers who do not want to (or cannot) assemble their own furniture, there are a number of companies that Canadians can hire to assist with furniture assembly.

A simple Google search of “furniture assembly” along with your postal code will bring up results of different companies/individuals who will assemble your furniture for a fee. An example of this is TaskRabbit.ca, where you can input information including your address and the task you need to be completed, which, in this case, is furniture assembly. The website will provide you with a list of local service providers who can assist you with your task.

Another option for furniture assembly is the services provided by the store where the items were bought. Although these services can sometimes carry an extra fee that is more expensive than acquiring services through a website like TaskRabbit, companies like IKEA provide this option to customers as a simple way to have their purchased items assembled for them.

Contact CanadaVisa and Cohen Immigration Law for Assistance

Do you require Canadian immigration assistance?

Cohen Immigration Law is a leading Canadian immigration law firm with over 45 years of experience. Cohen Immigration Law is comprised of over 60 Canadian immigration lawyers, paralegals, and other professionals. We are dedicated to helping people achieve their Canadian immigration goals. We assist in areas including skilled worker and business immigration, family sponsorship, work permits, study permits, citizenship, and inadmissibility. CanadaVisa.com was founded in 1994 as the online presence of Cohen Immigration Law. CanadaVisa has since blossomed into the one of the world's most trusted resources on Canadian immigration. Please reach out for assistance. We're happy to help: