You?ve done it. You?ve stuck to your five-year plan and bought the home you?ve always wanted. Now you?re thinking that you just have to worry about upkeep, your mortgage, and not pissing off your neighbors. While yes, those are perfectly relevant worries, you will also have to decorate.
If you?re not keen on putting together your own furniture, i.e. Ikea?s affordable but time-consuming brand of DIY, and perhaps you?re not quite ready to spend a small fortune on the waspy chic that is Williams Sonoma or Pottery Barn, relax, there are other options.
While thrift shopping for second hand clothes and accessories has become trendy in recent years among fashionistas and bargain hunters alike, it is a less frequent occurrence for shoppers to buy furniture second hand.
But, just like finding a diamond in the rough at the thrift store, you can find incredible deals on second hand furniture. You just need to know where to look.
Craigslist
Craigslist isn?t just the seedy website they?ve made Lifetime movies about. It also boasts some of the most fantastic deals on the internet, with relatively easy ways of eliminating junk and scams. Not to mention that the Free Craigslist thread hosts all types of items that the seller is willing to part with for nothing just to get it off their hands.
Some tips for avoiding potentially bad deals: always select posts that include images. More often than not, ads that seem too good to be true with little to no photographic evidence usually are.
If you happen to live in a well-sized metropolis, the options on Craigslist are endless. Because there is a high volume of inhabitants in cities, and it may be more of a chore to move all your furniture from one fifth floor walk-up to another, sellers are usually a bit more desperate to get rid of their furniture instead of trying to match price. Be on the lookout for postings that specifically list prices being negotiable.
Estate sales and garage sales
If you?ve ever been to a garage sale, you know that not only are they easy to find in your neighborhood with a plethora of signs leading directly to it, but it?s the best place for negotiation and steals.
Furniture and even vintage items can be collected at large estate sales that aim to rid the seller of a massive number of items that aren?t of use to them. More importantly, if the house is being sold through a service like so cal home buyers, you might find even better deals because they are in a hurry to sell.
Some of these estates, being private residences, have furniture that isn?t made or sold anymore, which can give your decor a novelty vibe without the carefully curated vintage or antique price.
Although buying furniture second hand can take more time and effort than walking into any furniture store and picking out the first nice couch you see, your decor will have a unique quality all your own – and for a fraction of the price.