Finishing university can feel like the end of one chapter and the beginning of a completely new one.

The assignments are finished, graduation is behind you, you've landed that first proper job and, perhaps for the first time, you're getting ready to move into a place of your own.

Then comes the exciting part: making it feel like home.

Whether you're renting your first apartment, sharing a house with a partner or getting the keys to your first home, furnishing a completely new space can feel daunting, particularly when you're starting out and don't have an unlimited budget.

The good news is that you don't need to buy everything at once.

Start with the furniture you'll use every day, choose pieces that work for your space and budget, and build your home around them over time.

Here are the first-home essentials we'd prioritise.

Start with Somewhere Comfortable to Sit

After years of student accommodation, mismatched furniture and whatever sofa happened to come with the house, buying your first proper sofa can feel like a surprisingly big milestone.

It's also likely to be one of the most-used pieces of furniture in your new home.

Before buying, measure your living room carefully and consider how you'll actually use the space. A large sectional might look fantastic online, but a well-proportioned two-seater could be a much better choice for a first apartment or smaller living room.

Don't forget to measure doors, hallways and staircases too. Getting the dimensions of the room right is only half the job — your new sofa still needs to get through the front door!

For a first home, we'd look for something comfortable, versatile and easy to style.

The Roxy Grey Sofa Range, for example, is exactly the kind of furniture that works well when you're starting out. Its contemporary grey upholstery gives you a neutral foundation that can work with different colours and interior styles as your tastes — and perhaps your home — change over the coming years.

Add a rug, coffee table, lamp and a few favourite photographs or prints and even the simplest living room can quickly start feeling like yours.

Invest in a Good Bed and Mattress

If there's one area where we'd recommend buying the best you can comfortably afford, it's your bed.

You spend roughly a third of your life sleeping, so a supportive mattress and comfortable bed shouldn't be at the bottom of your first-home shopping list.

Think about the size of the bedroom before automatically opting for the largest bed possible. Leaving enough room to comfortably move around the bed and access wardrobes and drawers can make a smaller bedroom feel considerably more spacious.

If storage is limited, consider a storage bed.

Having additional storage hidden beneath the mattress can be incredibly useful in an apartment or smaller first home, providing somewhere for spare bedding, towels, seasonal clothes and other things you don't need every day.

Once you've chosen the bed, take some time choosing the right mattress too. Comfort and support are very personal, so what works perfectly for one person won't necessarily be right for another.

A good night's sleep becomes even more important when that 9am university lecture has been replaced by the 9am working day!

Give Yourself Somewhere to Eat

When you're furnishing your first home on a budget, a dining table might initially seem less important than a sofa or bed.

But think about how much you could actually use it.

It's somewhere for breakfast before work, dinner in the evening, having friends over at the weekend and, for anyone working from home occasionally, potentially somewhere to open the laptop too.

If you're short on space, look at compact dining sets or tables that can adapt to different situations.

An extending dining table can give you a smaller footprint for everyday life with the option of creating additional space when family or friends visit.

For very small apartments, foldaway or space-saving dining furniture can be an even better solution.

You don't necessarily need a formal dining room to create somewhere you'll enjoy sitting down for dinner.

Don't Forget About Storage

Storage might not be the most exciting thing to shop for when you've just got the keys, but you'll appreciate it very quickly.

Before filling every room with furniture, look at what storage the property already provides.

Does the bedroom have built-in wardrobes? Is there somewhere for coats and shoes? Where are towels and bedding going to live? What about all those things that somehow followed you home from university?

Once you know what's missing, you can choose the right furniture rather than buying storage you don't actually need.

Chests of drawers, wardrobes, sideboards, TV units and storage beds can all provide valuable additional space.

In smaller homes, look particularly closely at furniture that combines storage with another purpose.

A TV unit with cupboards, a bed with storage underneath or a sideboard that provides both concealed storage and a useful surface can help you get much more from the space available.

You Don't Need to Furnish Every Room Immediately

This is probably one of the most important pieces of advice when furnishing your first home.

Don't feel under pressure to finish it immediately.

Social media can make it look as though everyone moves into a perfectly styled home where every room was completed before the removal van arrived.

Real homes rarely work like that.

Prioritise what you actually need.

A sensible first shopping list might look something like this:

1. Bed and mattress
2. Sofa
3. Dining table and chairs
4. Essential bedroom storage
5. Living room storage
6. Coffee table 
7. Additional chairs, cabinets and decorative pieces

Live in the property for a while before filling every available space.

You might discover that the corner you thought needed an armchair actually needs a desk, or that you'd rather have a larger sideboard than an additional cabinet.

A home that develops gradually can often feel much more personal than one furnished completely in a weekend.

Choose Furniture That Can Move with You

Your first place may not be your forever home.

That doesn't mean you should fill it with furniture you don't particularly like because you assume everything will eventually be replaced.

Instead, look for versatile pieces that could work somewhere else in the future.

Likewise, timeless wooden furniture can adapt surprisingly well as your interior style develops.

You might be furnishing a one-bedroom apartment today and a three-bedroom house several years from now.

Buying thoughtfully gives your favourite pieces the opportunity to come with you.

Make It Feel Like Your Home

Furniture provides the foundations, but it's the things you add around it that make a new property feel personal.

You don't need to spend a fortune here either.

Photographs, artwork, books, plants, cushions, throws and objects you've collected over the years will immediately give your new home some personality.

If you're starting with relatively neutral furniture, these smaller accessories are also an easy way to introduce colour without committing to a particular look throughout the room.

Most importantly, don't worry about copying somebody else's home.

The best interiors aren't necessarily the ones following every current trend. They're the ones that work for the people living in them.

Spend Where It Matters and Save Where You Can

When you're receiving your first proper salary, it can be tempting to buy everything you've wanted all at once.

Set a realistic furniture budget before you start.

Prioritise the pieces where comfort, quality and everyday use matter most and consider spending less initially on accessories and pieces you won't use as frequently.

It can also be worth thinking about cost per use.

A sofa that's used every evening for several years or a mattress you sleep on every night can represent far better value over time than something inexpensive that quickly needs replacing.

Affordable doesn't have to mean disposable.

Your First Place. Make It Yours.

Moving into your first home after university is one of those milestones you're likely to remember.

It probably won't be the biggest house you'll ever live in. You might not have every piece of furniture you want from day one, and there may be an empty corner or two for a while.

That's part of the fun.

Start with the essentials, choose furniture you genuinely like and add to your home as your needs and budget develop.

Because your first home doesn't need to be your forever home to feel like home.

At Larry O'Keeffe Furniture, you'll find furniture for every stage of creating your first home.

Browse the collection online or visit us in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary or Mitchelstown, Co. Cork.