Whether you are trying to fill up your first apartment, or are looking to redecorate your family home, buying furniture can get expensive very quickly. These days, it can be a struggle just to pay the rent and buy the basics, let alone furnish your home. Give yourself, and your pocketbook a break with these tips:
*Second hand stores. You can find a good second hand store in most towns and cities. These places can be the mecca of older and even antique furniture at a very comfortable price tag. Sometimes you will get lucky and find a piece of furniture that is practically brand new for a low low buddy price. The reason for this is that some people like to change their furniture often and will donate the “old” furniture to a second hand store.
*Yard/garage sales. Going to yard/garage sales can be a fun weekend activity. Sometimes you can even get in on a “moving, everything must go” sale. Most furniture items at these kinds of sales are reasonably priced because the seller actually wants to sell them.
*Online. You can do searches for used or inexpensive furniture in your local area on the internet. There are website like Craigslist that have classified ads posted by people all over the world. You can search for your specific state and city. Note: Craigslist is a great classified ads site, but you do need to watch out for scams. This is not the fault of the website, frankly there are just some posters that you cannot trust.
*Curb. There are times when it pays to cruise your local streets. People will sometimes place furniture by their curb with a sign on it saying it is free to whoever will haul it away. The condition of the piece may not be the best, but you cannot really expect too much for something that is free. Check it out before you haul it to your home. Many times you will get lucky and all you have to do is clean it up a bit, other times you may have to fix a broken spring or wobbly leg.
*Word of mouth. Ask friends and family if they have, or know anyone that has, any furniture for sale or give away. Also you can check local grocery stores that have a community board. People put up fliers for sales and “free to good home” items.
*Newspaper. Check your local paper’s classified ads section for the furniture items you need/want. Sometimes you can even find an auction or estate sale that has inexpensive items. You can also check listings for flea markets in your area.
*Rent to own. This option is listed last because when you rent to own items like furniture, you might end up paying more for the item than the original sale price due to finance charges and weekly/monthly fees. This is, however, a decent option for people who want nice, new furniture but cannot afford to buy it outright. You can make low monthly payments until the item is paid off. The other advantage to doing this is that the item is new, therefore it has a warranty for as long as you are making the payments. If something goes wrong, you can have it fixed.
It does not have to be a daunting chore to find inexpensive furniture. Depending on your particular budget, you can find furniture that ranges from free to expensive in the long run, cheap in the meantime. The best thing to do is to keep your eyes and ears open for that perfect piece of furniture.
Note: when looking at used furniture, no matter how good it looks, always check it out before you buy it. Look under cushions for *stains*, look underneath for signs of sagging springs. Make sure arms and legs are not loose, check for bugs! If buying online from a private seller, ask for pictures of the mentioned areas. When purchasing a used mattress, always thoroughly check for bedbugs.