How to Furnish Your Home or Apartment on the Cheap
Whether you’re a new homeowner, college student living on your own, recent grad, or someone who just likes to update their home décor every once in a while, you can easily find some great deals on everything you need for your living space with a little effort. There’s no reason to pay full retail unless you absolutely love an item and know you’ll keep it for years.
The key is to buy as much as you can secondhand.
After finding that I can buy just about everything I want for just a few bucks, I’m pretty addicted to bargain hunting.
Yes, the stuff is used so I make sure to clean it all first. I have upholstery steam cleaned, I wash anything made of fabric with a bleach-infused detergent, and I wipe down everything else with sanitizing wipes to ensure no new germs enter my home.
I’ve had good luck with the following places, where I’ve picked up great tables, chairs, upholstered furniture, appliances, rugs, bed frames – you name it – for a fraction of the original sticker price:
Facebook marketplace. Even if you’ve moved on from daily interactions on Facebook, check back frequently to see what your neighbors have posted for sale in the marketplace. You can find just about anything, for pennies on the dollar.
The Freecycle Network. Several years ago, the movement to reduce the amount of cast-offs that go into landfills spawned Freecycle.org, which is a website with many local groups – like Craigslist – where residents can announce stuff they’re getting rid of and people can claim it. For free. You’re responsible for picking it up and hauling it away, of course, but there are a lot of freebies for the taking through this group.
Craigslist. Speaking of Craigslist, be sure and search your local Craigslist group to see if someone is selling what you need. I bought some great metallic Pottery Barn light fixtures, new in the box, for $40. Granted, some people are creeped out by going into strangers’ homes, so try to meet at a safer place, like in front of the police department (seriously, they have meeting places now).
Nextdoor. In the U.S., a new website created to foster neighborhood conversations has also enabled more swapping of household items. Check the classifieds section of the Nextdoor group in your neighborhood to see what local residents are trying to get rid of.
ReStore outlets. Habitat for Humanity has retail stores in cities across the U.S. that raise money for the charity while reselling used items donated by local residents, businesses, and hotels. The prices are a bargain and you can find appliances, furniture, artwork, tile – even paint.
Thrift stores. Area charity stores, like Goodwill and Salvation Army, and for-profit Savers/Value Village, also do a brisk business of smaller furniture pieces. And if you donate your own stuff to Savers, you can earn discounts off of future purchases that will further reduce your final bill.
Community sales. Our local PTA has an annual sale that generates cash for our schools while helping nice pieces of furniture and kitchen gear change hands. Check to see if your district’s parent-teacher association has a garage sale-type fundraiser. Churches also frequently have rummage sales that could be worth checking out.
Trash picking. Scoping out what your neighbors put out at the curb for trash pick up the night before can yield a treasure trove of goodies. I found a massive planter that my neighbor was discarding one evening that I love (I checked the next day and they were happy I had taken it). Likewise, scanning the sidewalk in front of college student housing in the spring, at the end of the semester, can also yield choice items.
Garage and household sales. Where garage sales are great for little things, like lamps or tablecloths, check to see if your town has household or estate sales. When people relocate or older people move into assisted living, there is frequently way more stuff than they can take with them. So they have a household sale to sell off everything left behind. These are also great places to find larger pieces of furniture. I found a terrific Baldwin piano for $140 at one years ago.
Local auctions. We had an active local auction house until a few years ago and I picked up several great pieces of furniture there for $100 or less. They also offered delivery for an additional fee, so I never had to worry about how I was going to get the stuff home.
Ebay. While eBay isn’t the most practical source for heavy items, it can be great for small pieces and appliances.
By buying secondhand items, you save a ton of money and you also help keep landfills from overflowing. It’s a win-win.