From guest columnist Kaelin Waters kaelinwaters@gmail.com

When it comes to furnishing your home, it can be easy to over-spend or tempting to cut corners to save cash. American’s spend an average of $15,215 on furnishing a three-bedroom home. While it’s fine to try and reduce the cost of creating a comfortable home, there are certain household items you shouldn’t skimp on.

Sofas and Couches

Disposable furniture is bad for the environment and your budget in the long run. Great looking couches at low prices can be enticing, but they are rarely as comfortable as they look. Similarly, second-hand couches can have broken supports, stains and even bed bugs. Ensure you have a comfortable place to relax that won’t hurt your back after a long day at work and invest in a quality couch.

Mattresses

A quality mattress is key to creating the haven of relaxation and comfort that should be your bedroom. While the bedframe can wait, you’ll need a mattress right away and a good one if you care about your health and mental wellbeing.

Quality sleep is integral to your physical and mental health. A poor-quality, cheap mattress won’t give you the rest you need to make the most of your day and enjoy your time off at home. Choosing the right mattress should include consideration of more than just price. A quality mattress should support you while you sleep – relieving pressure on muscles and joints, promoting airflow to keep you cool while you slumber and allow you to move freely without disturbing your partner.

In the Kitchen

How we prepare our food is almost as important as what we choose to eat. Pitted, burnt or flaking non-stick applications to pots and pans are bad for your health. Aluminium, nickel coated and copper cook wear have been associated with a number of health risks resulting from the metal compounds dissolving into food when used for cooking. Worn, pitted and scratched posts and pans are the worst culprits and should be replaced with high quality pans – you’ll have fewer cooking disasters and safeguard your health.

Knives are also worth spending a little more on. Low quality knives are more prone to damage as they often lack the tang that attaches to the handle and have thinner blades that can break when trying to cut through harder foods like pumpkins. Quality knives remain sharper for longer and are far less dangerous when it comes to working it the kitchen.

Keeping Things Clean

The cost of household appliances can vary wildly, and while price sometimes makes minimal difference to quality, there are certain appliances that you’ll be pleased you spent a little more on.

Vacuum cleaners don’t only keep our carpets and floors clean, they also have the ability to affect air quality in our homes, trapping allergens and microbes and stopping them from being released into the air indoors. It’s worth spending a little more on a quality vacuum cleaner to be sure it can do this job properly.

Spending a little more on the dishwasher is likely to get you one that does its job reliably well and even gives you more space to stack dishes after a family meal. What’s more, the higher priced dishwashers are also quieter.