Buying furniture is a big ticket spend for most people, especially couples moving in together or people moving homes. The first time you moved home was probably when leaving for university or a new job – most of what you own could fit into a suitcase or two.
Perhaps after university this may have increased a bit, but when you moved into you first rented property or bought a new house, your furniture bill may have gone through the roof!
Here are a few tips on how to save money on furniture:
Family members and relatives
This is a good bet because there is almost certainly a surplus of furniture in the family home. This is especially true if children have fled the nest. Also older relatives may be living in large houses and not need everything, especially if they are looking to down-size.
Other people moving home
If you know anyone who is about to move home, then they will almost certainly want to de-clutter. This is a fantastic opportunity for the furniture acquirer to pick up items which might otherwise be heading for the scrap heap. Seriously, anyone you know who is about to de-clutter their home should be a target list of ‘friends’ to visit at the weekend!
Save money on furniture at Garage sales
On a similar note, people often have furniture items stored in basements and sheds, so if you see a garage sale advertised it is well worth a visit as you really could pick up a bargain. One word of advice – look for the start time and get there early, as this is when the best bargains could be there. Exactly the same applies to car boot sales – the early bird catches the worm (hopefully not wood worm!)
Second hand furniture shops
Most towns and cities have a few of these places knocking around and you must haggle, especially if you are going to buy more than one item. Also look out for any damage on a piece and again haggle. If something looks a bit worn out, think about ways you could possible restore or clean the furniture.
Your own furniture
There may be items of furniture that you were thinking of throwing away – can they be painted or sanded, cleaned or restored in any way? You may even find that you can change the use of something – there are some amazing (even unbelievable) ideas for reusing furniture on some upcycling websites. Check out some of these amazing furniture pictures on Pinterest (search for upcycled furniture)
Buy on the Internet
If you are using an auction site then prevent disappointment by setting the distance criteria early on in your search – there is no point in getting interested in the furniture of a seller 300 miles away. For established online furniture retailers looks out for end of line sales, special offers and even slightly damaged stock if you really want to go where the value is. There are also Freecycle groups where you can obtain furniture – find a free group near you here.
And finally, if you work in a business, especially an office business, you may find that they have a relatively high turnover of things like desks, tables, cabinets and chairs. It could be well worth asking the boss if he is planning an office re-vamp any time soon!
Author: Richard Bloomfield
