Furnishing a New Construction Home — How to Get the Timeline Right
New construction has a fixed close date and an empty house. Here's how to plan furniture procurement so your home is livable from day one.
Most new construction buyers make the same mistake: they wait until the home closes to think about furniture. By then, quality pieces are 12–20 weeks out. The result is either living in an empty house for months, or compromising on furniture to get something from stock. Neither is necessary — with the right timeline, you can close on your home and move in with everything already on its way.
The procurement timeline for new construction
- 20–24 weeks before close: brief the living room and master bedroom — these are the longest lead items
- 16–18 weeks before close: brief dining room, additional bedrooms
- 12–14 weeks before close: brief kitchen accessories, home office
- 8–10 weeks before close: rugs, lighting, window coverings
- Close date: delivery scheduling begins, warehouse holding if needed
- 2–3 weeks post-close: white-glove delivery and placement
What to measure before the home closes
Most builders provide floor plans with dimensions, but these don't include ceiling height variations, column placements, or closet depth. Before briefing furniture, you need: room dimensions to the nearest centimetre, ceiling heights, door and window locations, and photos of the raw space. For custom pieces, a site visit is sometimes needed — we can coordinate that with your builder before close.
Hardwood floors and the furniture delivery sequence
Hardwood floors need to acclimate to the space before furniture is placed — typically 3–5 days for pre-finished hardwood, up to 14 days for site-finished. If your builder is doing site-finished floors, furniture delivery needs to happen after the finish has fully cured (usually 72 hours after final coat). Your procurement Specialist will sequence deliveries around the floor schedule.
Holding furniture before the close date
If pieces arrive before you close, they need to go somewhere. Options: builder warehouse holding (sometimes available for a fee), furniture warehouse holding through the delivery company (typically $8–$18 per piece per week), or a local white-glove moving company that will hold and deliver. DAF coordinates this — you shouldn't have to manage storage logistics.
Custom elements that need to come first
Some furniture needs to be specified and ordered before construction is complete. Built-in cabinetry and shelving that's being added post-builder: order at rough-in stage, deliver at final trim. Window coverings with motorisation: rough-in the wiring during construction. Large sectionals that won't fit through standard door openings: identify these early so they can be brought in before drywall or doors are hung (rare but it happens in high-ceilinged or unusual-plan homes).
Budget planning for a full home
A common rule of thumb: budget 10–15% of your home's purchase price for furniture and furnishings. For a $1.2M home, that's $120,000–$180,000 — spread over multiple rooms and categories over 12–24 months. Most clients don't furnish everything at once. The typical sequence: primary living and sleeping spaces first, secondary rooms over time. DAF can help you prioritise the budget across rooms based on where you'll actually spend time.
DAF coordinates furniture procurement around your construction close date. Brief the rooms that matter most first.
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