We moved into a 3-bedroom duplex and furnished it almost entirely from Facebook Marketplace and thrift shops

The author says purchasing secondhand was cheaper and made her house feel like a home.

Courtesy of Melissa Noble My family of five recently moved into a new three-bedroom duplex.

We needed to decorate, and decided to buy almost entirely secondhand.

It was cheaper, helped us avoid indecision, and made the house feel like home.

In August, my family of five moved into a new home on the Gold Coast, Australia.

We'd been living in my parents' house since January, following an interstate move from country Victoria.

When we left Victoria, we put all our belongings in storage because we weren't sure how long we'd be staying on the Gold Coast.

So, when it came time to move into our new digs, we literally only had a handful of items.

We did a quick online search, asking how much we would likely have to spend to furnish a three-bedroom duplex in that area of the world.

The AI-generated estimate was anywhere from $8,000 to $16,000 AUD (about $5,580 to $11,150 USD).

We're a family of five on a tight budget, and that kind of outlay seemed pretty steep.

And so, we decided to furnish it with secondhand items .

We purchased almost everything on Facebook Marketplace or in op shops, aside from our bedding and some kitchen staples like a cutlery set.

Buying secondhand proved to be a fun experience with all kinds of perks.