20 Tips for Buying Second Hand Furniture
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Your home furniture is one of the reasons that you love your home. Furniture is the accessory that makes your rooms come together and helps you enjoy the amenities of a comfortable lifestyle. Since it is a large makeup of our home, we often canât replace furniture as often as we would like. Instead of having to save up for furniture, why not buy it second hand or reuse furniture in a different capacity? A few days ago, Freshome reported IKEA; the popular discounted furniture store had started selling second hand IKEA products to their Sweden customers. What a great environmental gesture and you can mimic this trend in furniture finding. Check out these 20 tips to help you buy second hand furniture or find new uses for old furniture.
1.) Try out furniture before you buy: Whether you purchase second hand furniture on Craigslist, or a garage/estate sale, âsampleâ the furniture before money exchanges hands. Open up drawers in cabinets, sit in chairs and lean on tables. If an item has been damaged you need to confirm that it is still in satisfactory shape for to you to start using at your home. Even if it is damaged, make sure you are confident you or someone else can fix it and pay appropriately for the condition of the piece.
3.) Trust your senses when buying second hand furniture: Furniture that has been in someone else’s home may have the odors of past owners. When buying furniture consider this in your decision. Some odors may air out, while others like pet and smoking odors may not. Donât get so enamored in the great deal that you forget this is getting ready to be part of your home and family for years to come.
3.) Second hand mattresses can harbor germs: Although tempting, second hand mattresses are not recommended to use more again. Mattresses can harbor germs, bacteria, and bugs that you canât see. If you need a mattress and canât afford to buy a brand new one, consider buying a futon mattress or air mattress until you can afford a traditional one.
4.) Reupholstering can you save you money: Second hand and old furniture may have been constructed with quality structural components and may just need a âface liftâ. Similar to renovating a older home, furniture was made with better workmanship and quality products years ago. Instead of passing over an old looking Queen Ann chair at a antique store, think of the potential and money savings to buying a brand new replica furniture piece.
5.) Pay attention to the support system of couches: Couches are not created equal in their inner construction. Be wary of mesh support or Styrofoam peanuts for the sofa cushions. They will not last a long time. Instead, opt for eight-way hand tied support construction and cushions that are filled with down feathers or wrapped foam.
6.) Laminate and veneer furniture can be beautiful: Donât pass up veneer and laminate furniture just because it isnât solid wood. Check for veneer adhering to the particle board or substrate material it is affixed to. Depending on where you will use the piece of furniture, laminate furniture can take more abuse and daily wear and tear than wood. Often times laminate can be glued back if it is coming apart, but be weary of pieces that have large sections not adhering.
7.) Hardwood furniture will last longer when taken care of: Hardwoods such as oak and maple make durable and strong furniture. When buying second hand wood furniture, especially sofas, stay away from soft woods like pine lumber. Pine is better for pieces that donât have to withstand weight and pressure over a long period of time. Look at the types of wood when you consider buying a second hand piece for durability.
8.) Metal furniture makes good seconds: Wrought iron or aluminum furniture is beautiful when itâs been refurbished. When you find second hand metal furniture think of the potential as opposed to how it looks. Remove rust and repaint with a durable powder coat of outdoor paint especially made for covering metal furniture. You will be surprised how a new coat of paint will breathe life into your new find.
9.) Childrenâs furniture may have been recalled: Be careful when buying childrenâs furniture second hand. Often times the furniture has been recalled and the owner wanted to get rid of it. Another important idea to remember is that it could have been damaged and fixed, but not properly.
10.) Donât overlook getting dumpster and trash day finds: This doesnât mean rummaging through dumpsters and coming out with garbage all over you! College dormitories, apartments and the night-before trash pickup in many neighborhoods is a good place to find second hand furniture that may still be in good condition. Often times tenants move out or worse yet, are evicted and everything goes on the curb!
11.) âAssembly requiredâ furniture may not be sturdy: Self assembled furniture is a good and economical alternative to buying expensive brand name furniture. Although, when looking for furniture at second hand locations be mindful of furniture that was self assembled. Often times the furniture doesnât still have all of its original pieces or may not have the original structural intent as when it was first assembled.
12.) Make sure to refinish old furniture for its new purpose: Want to take an old dresser and use it as a bathroom vanity? This idea is one of the latest trends and works beautifully especially for antique and older furniture. Make sure to refinish the wood or other dresser material in a waterproof finish. Re-purposing furniture is a great idea but you donât want to ruin your ânewâ found relic.
13.) Drive a vehicle large enough to haul away your furniture: One of the biggest mistakes to make is to not be prepared to take home your furniture. Many stores will hold your merchandise for a few days, while others will demand you take your furniture that day. If you know you are going to buy a couch, map out a few stores, & yard sales to go to and have a truck ready to haul off your furniture. You would hate to find something that is âperfectâ but then canât get it to your home immediately.
14.) Check furniture retailers who rent furniture first: Before searching all over town for a good place to find second hand furniture, try furniture retailers that rent furniture to corporations. These furniture pieces are usually gently used and often times these retailers hold clearance sales to get rid of their inventory. Second hand furniture doesnât have to be worn out from the previous owner. Corporation clients sometimes rent furniture for a few months and then theyâre returned back to the retailer.
15.) Second hand furniture from hotels can be perfect for your home: Although, a little more challenging to find, hotels often renovate and then sell off the old furniture to the public. Look in the newspaper, online classifieds and word of mouth to see when local hotels near you may be selling furniture after renovating. When buying hotel furniture stay away from mattresses as mentioned earlier in this article.
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