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Decorating on a budget certainly has a way of putting a damper on your decor dreams. That amazing furniture set at a home boutique probably costs more than half a year of rent! But don’t despair—your apartment can still look like a page in a dream home magazine. All you need to do is pick out good pieces. Here are our tips for buying the best possible used furniture.
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Tips for Buying old FURNITURE ONLINE
Decorating on a budget certainly has a way of putting a damper on your decor dreams. That amazing furniture set at a home boutique probably costs more than half a year of rent! But don’t despair—your apartment can still look like a page in a dream home magazine. All you need to do is pick out good pieces.
TIPS FOR BUYING THE BEST POSSIBLE USED FURNITURE
CHECK FOR TAGS & LABELS The whole point of buying furniture secondhand is saving money on something that would otherwise be out of your budget. For that reason, you should avoid dumping money into something that isn’t worth it. Look for tags and labels on a piece you like to see where it originally came from. As much as we love Ikea, you may want to save your dollars for a better used piece (Ikea furniture isn’t known for having long life). If you see a brand on the tag or label you don’t recognize, pull out your smartphone and research! You might have found yourself a treasure—one can hope anyway.
SCRUTINIZE EACH PIECE Even without a label, you can gauge the quality of used furniture. Start by inspecting the materials. Solid wood is better than composite or particle board, as it’s sturdier. You should also take a look at how the piece is built. Dovetailed joints are a sign of good quality while nails are indication of flimsy construction (do not confuse upholstery nails with construction nails). Additionally, make sure the thing has no bed bugs! First, straight up ask the seller if they’ve ever had a bed bug infestation. Then, inspect!
TEST IT OUT So you’ve found a piece you like, determined it’s free of bed bugs and good quality. Now you should test it. Sit on the sofa or chair to see if it’s comfortable. Just because the piece looks pretty doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy using it—and what’s the point of dropping money on an item you’ll never use?
CONSIDER UPGRADES So you’ve found a piece you like, determined it’s free of bed bugs and good quality. Now you should test it. Sit on the sofa or chair to see if it’s comfortable. Just because the piece looks pretty doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy using it—and what’s the point of dropping money on an item you’ll never use?
DON’T TRY TO JUSTIFY IT If you don’t know where you’ll put the furniture, whether it really suits your tastes or if you’re up for a do-it-yourself project, you should pass. If you don’t love the furniture now, you probably won’t love it later. The beauty of buying secondhand is that thrift stores and sites like Craigslist feature new items (well, not really) all the time. Hold off for now and find something amazing later.
LOOK IN ALTERNATIVE PLACES Online classifieds, consignment shops and thrift stores are all standard hunting grounds for used furniture, but you can look elsewhere. Some hotels give away or sell used furniture when they remodel. Make calls to hotels near you to see if any have available furniture or will in the near future. When you think of furniture stores, you think of new items. However, some sell gently used pieces. Stores that rent furniture to businesses, events or individuals eventually sell the items at a reduced cost.