When DH and I got married, we each had fully furnished, long-time houses. Just weeks after we eloped, we learned his mom had ALZ and made the decision to move her in with us. Neither of our beloved houses would suit her needs. We sold each house and bought one to accomodate our new requirements. We found a deal on a new-ish, custom-built fancy-ass house on a short sale, just three blocks from DH's work (FTW!). It's a giant (to us), open floor plan, and very little of our existing, paid-for furniture worked in it, alas.
Our solution was to hold a giant Estate Sale. We then used that cash to buy cool stuff for the new house, like a 1-piece, eleven foot long dining table, custom made from reclaimed wood. Thing is, I found it at a Consignment Store. (It was custom made for Someone Else, just like the house.) DH has a homemade trailer hitch extension for his truck, so we paid no delivery fees either. We furnished the whole house via a large Consignment Store and Craigslist, except for a few linens from Home Goods. Alas, the awesome Consignment Store is gone now, but it was a treasure trove when we needed it. We ended up spending less to furnish the new house than we raised at the Estate Sale, for the win.
Truth is, I had more fun kitting out our new digs on a relative shoestring than if I was buying brand-new. Sure, there are a couple of compromises, but someday the perfect, used "X" will come along.
I want to add that it's different when it's your first house. But there is plenty of time during escrow and after closing to search Estate Sales, CL, and put the word out to friends and co-workers. There is such excess in our country that furnishing a house on a budget is easier now than it ever has been.