Decorating a home is fun and it is extremely satisfying to see how your home comes together that reflects your personality. This of course can also be very expensive. Furniture is a major investment and can accumulate a big amount rather quickly. For those who are budget conscious can opt for second-hand furniture to make their decor dreams come true.
Searching for bargains or hidden gems can be a lot of fun. Besides saving money, choosing second-hand furniture is an environmentally friendly way to furnish a home. It is a good idea to find out more about buying second-hand furniture before you begin shopping.
Where to Shop For Second-Hand Pieces
Second-hand stores, flea markets, garage sales are places where you can find used furniture. In addition, you can also find them online on sites like Ebay, Facebook group and Craiglist. Another good source to find second-hand furniture is from the auction and it is good to keep a lookout on local listings for special sales. Sometimes hotels or furniture rental companies redecorate or upgrade, they replace older furniture, fixtures and equipment with new ones. They may have an auction or sell them to liquidators so people can buy the furniture.
If you would like to play a part in reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills every day, buying second-hand furniture helps.
Set Budget
If you plan on bidding on sites like eBay, you have to know your budget. Allow for any fixes you may have to do on the furniture, how much you can spend on the item itself and delivery in your budget.
Measurements
It is an extremely important step that you take measurements where necessary. Measure your front door and the room to avoid any potential disasters like the sofa being too big to fit in the room or too big to fit in the door.
Inspect
When you have found something that you like, remember to read the descriptions, check the owner’s other listings and ratings, ask questions to find out what exactly the reason for selling the furniture. It is extremely important to carefully inspect any used items before you purchase them.
Negotiate
Examine each piece carefully before deciding whether a piece is worth the money. Search and compare recently sold items to get a sense of what is a reasonable price. Submit the best offer if you have spotted something you like. If the price is fair, take it or even up the price a bit, if there is competition.
Read More: Tips for Maintaining your Furniture
Shipping The Furniture
Once you have made your purchase, it is time to look into how to ship the furniture back to your home. If you are unable to collect it yourself and the seller is unable to arrange for the shipping, you would have to hire a moving company to receive the best possible care for your furniture. There are many online shipping services that specialize in furniture shipping. Very often it can be overwhelming and time-consuming when trying to scour the internet and phone books to find the right shipping company. You can visit Shiply, an online shipping platform that can save you tons of time. You can get quotes to move your furniture instantly, make comparisons, and work out which is best for you all in one place.
