Have you ever wonder about wanting to change your furniture because it is old or because it is not looking good anymore or because you are bored of it and you need a change? Well, I have been having those thoughts lately. For example, we have an old sofa at home which I personally think it is now time to change it. The problem I have is that I don’t want to expend too much money but at the same time I want something that is in a good condition. So I was browsing around the internet trying to find a solution for this. So then I got the idea of having a second-hand sofa instead!
So as you can see, not all of us have the cash to splurge out on brand new furniture every time. But thankfully websites like eBay have given us the perfect opportunity to purchase second-hand furniture cheaply online. You can save up to 60% by buying furniture that has been pre-loved and you are also being gentle on our environment.
Below are a few handy tips to bear in mind when you are purchasing second-hand furniture from the world wide web.
Finding Second Hand Furniture
You have so many choices on where to find the perfect used furniture. Unless you have been living under a rock you have probably heard of eBay. Some alternatives to eBay are Preloved, Gumtree, and Amazon. There are also, websites where you can get second-hand furniture for free! How amazing is that?
Have you heard of Freecycle, Freegle and ReUseIt? The furniture on these sites are completely free and if you have time to spend browsing through them, you could find some amazing perused furniture full of charm and character.
Set your budget
If you are bidding on sites like eBay know your budget. In your budget allow for any fixes you may have to do the piece, how much you can spend on the item itself and delivery.
Measurements
This may seem obvious, but it is an extremely important step that you should not skip or it will end up costing you extra money. Take measurements where necessary. Measure your front door, measure the door if the living room, measure your current sofa, measure the distance from the sofa to the door. Try to avoid any potential disasters like the sofa being too big to fit in the room or too big to fit in the door! This is the last thing you will want to happen after spending time and money on the item.
Is it clean?
Check and research what condition the item is. If you are buying it online most websites will have pictures of the items. If you are not happy with the pictures provided then ask for better quality ones and full-length ones of the back, sides, and front. Other factors that will affect the condition of the item is whether its previous owners were smokers or had any pets. The smell of dogs or cats will not be easy to get out and it may come with dog hair on it.
Simple Fixes
If there is only a small scratch on the edge of a wooden sofa or chair, perhaps a bit of DIY sanding will bring it back to life and a new varnish. The same goes for wooden pieces of furniture such as drawers or wardrobes if they look a bit faded, then a new lick of paint or varnish could have them looking brand new. If the drawers are for children, then why not decorate them with colourful paints and use stencils to add some flowers or animals etc.
How will you get it home?
If you are buying online the seller may not always arrange delivery for you. If you want cheap delivery quotes, then you can try websites like Shiply. This website matches customers with couriers and they bid for your delivery in a similar auction format to eBay.
Have you bought second-hand furniture before? Were you happy with the experience? Have you used a delivery website to help you to get the best courier option for you? Leave me a comment below as I would love to read what you think.
*Disclosure: Collaborative post
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
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Great tips
Buying second hand furniture online can seem scary but it really is harmless and you can find some great deals! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! I just stumbled upon this blog and found it very informative. You have given such a important info regarding buying second hand furniture online. Thank you very much and please posting this type of blog.
Very interesting article! I am planning to buying second hand furniture online and I found this article very helpful for me. Thanks and keep sharing.