You?ve just started renting your first home and have barely put together the deposit, or maybe you have bought a new home. After scraping together a far larger down payment than you imagined and paying the solicitor?s fees including the enormous VAT bill, there is little money left for furniture. But as you don?t want to sit and sleep on the floor for the next two years, you need to use a little imagination to get furniture on the cheap.
Look out for freebies
Seek out what you can get for free. The first way is friends and relatives who may have unwanted chairs, tables, or even the odd armchair. Every little helps and don?t worry about all of the items matching. This is a task you can organise later. Walk around your new neighbourhood and find out if people are throwing away any old pieces of furniture. It?s not unusual to see chairs, tables and even sofas standing on the pavement looking for an owner.
Don?t forget to look in skips, though make sure you ask permission from the householder first. Check out websites like freecycle.org and gumtree.com every day where people are trying to offload goods. Ignore any discolouring or tears in the upholstery you come across. You may find that you will be able to recover and repaint chairs and sofas very cheaply.
Second hand shops
Take a good look around charity stores and second hand shops. You will be able to pick up some solid wood furniture like bedroom furniture sets at bargain prices. It?s important to ignore the colour of the article or any old fashioned varnishing. This is easily removed and sandpaper is quite cheap to buy. In fact, sanding down old wooden furniture can be fun as you discover the beauty of the wood underneath. It could also keep you fit. The important matter is that the wood is in good condition.
Don?t imagine that a shop selling ?antiques? is beyond your budget. There is probably something in an old storeroom at the back that the owner wants to get rid of. Keep an eye out for auctions locally as well as online sites like eBay. Auctions are usually advertised in local newspapers and online and can be a good source of quality second hand furniture at low prices.
Bargain stores
Walk around the less fashionable part of the high street and see what the supermarkets and bargain stores have to offer. Supermarkets especially are selling furniture these days at bargain prices. Try the DIY
stores and garden centres where you may be able to pick up some cheaper garden furniture that is still good for use indoors. There are also an increasing number of small furniture outlets selling cheap imports. It can feel like walking into a warehouse or a rabbit warren, so you will have to take your time
to spy a bargain amid piles of tables and cupboards. Always remember that it?s a good idea to try to negotiate a discount.
Department Stores
Once you?ve examined all of the cheaper options, take a look?around the furniture departments of the mid-market department stores like John?Lewis or Debenhams for any out of season offers. They may be trying to offload?some slightly damaged goods that you may be able to repair. It?s also?acceptable these days to haggle in department stores. In fact, some of them?positively invite it.?
This article was contributed by Lloyd, a freelance writer and blogger, who is currently writing for Archers Sleep Centre.?
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