Furniture & Household

IKEA has stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra. Kmart and Target offer affordable basics (bedding, kitchen items, small furniture). Amart Furniture and Fantastic Furniture have mid-range options. For mattresses, Koala, Sleeping Duck, and IKEA offer good value.

Facebook Marketplace is the most popular platform for second-hand furniture. Gumtree is also widely used. Many items are listed as "free — must collect." University share houses often sell full room setups at semester end. Hard rubbish days (council clean-up) are a legitimate source of free furniture — check your council's schedule.

Your first shopping list should include: mattress/bed frame, bedding, towels, basic kitchen kit (pots, pans, utensils, plates), cleaning supplies, and a clothes drying rack (most Australian homes don't have dryers). Power adapters if needed — Australia uses Type I plugs (three-pin angled). Voltage is 230V/50Hz.