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How to Furnish your Home on a Budget!

By
Mortgage and Lending with FHA, VA, Jumbo, Downpayment Assistance, Conv. NMLS #276329

Within the past almost two years, the furniture industry has come to a slow crawl and it’s not due to a lack of furniture buyers. Many customers have placed orders only to be told it could take 6 months to a year to receive their orders. While other companies may have furniture items in stock, you could still end up not only waiting a long time for your item to be shipped, but pay a ton in shipping costs.  Instead, you may be able to look in your area and find exactly what you need. 

Second hand stores

If you have places like Goodwill or Habitat Restore, you may be able to find the pieces that you need for your home. This is a great place if you don’t mind putting in a little elbow grease to restore a piece back to its former glory or if you want to change the look all together. The only downside is the inventory changes daily and may require frequent trips to find the furniture pieces that you need. 

Second hand stores are a great alternative to buying new furniture.

Facebook Marketplace, NextDoor, Craigslist

Check out local listings to see if anyone has anything you need. I personally have had a ton of luck and most of our furniture pieces have come from one of these sites. I’ve also had a lot of success selling furniture items on one of these sites. I recommend meeting at a central location and if you can’t because of the size of the piece of furniture, make sure to bring a friend especially if the item you’re buying is large. I would also recommend waiting until you see the piece of furniture before you hand over your money. If the seller requires a deposit to hold, that’s one thing, but never pay for the piece of furniture in full before you pick it up. Lately I’ve heard horror stories of people paying ahead of time and the seller taking the money and disappearing. 

OfferUp

Is an online site that has not only local listings, but other listings who may be willing to ship to you. The best part is the site helps to handle the transaction from beginning to end to safeguard that buyer and seller. 

Tips for buying second hand items online

Ask questions

If you need a piece of furniture to fit in a specific spot in your home, ask for measurements if they’re not already provided and also make sure you’ve measured your own space accurately. 

Find out if there is any damage, rips, if the item is coming from a smoking home if that is an issue, or if they have any pets (especially if you have pet allergies). 

Bring help

It’s important to bring help, not only for safety, but to also help get the furniture into your vehicle.

Bringing help is not just for safety, but also if you’ll need help getting the item in your vehicle. Not all sellers are willing or able to help you lift and carry. 

Getting your furniture piece home

Make sure your vehicle can handle the furniture piece you’re buying. We purchased a sofa off of Facebook marketplace and rented a U-Haul to bring the piece home because we knew it wouldn’t fit in any of our vehicles. Even with the rental, the total cost was way less than buying the furniture new. 

Is the piece of furniture ok

Inspect the piece before you bring it home. Look for any damage that may have not been disclosed, open and close drawers, and if you need to, do a sniff test. Also, if you’re buying a rug, roll it out completely to make sure there aren’t any hidden stains. 

While buying brand new furniture is great, especially if you have something specific in mind, it may not be the best option if you’re desperate to furnish your home. There are great second hand options available that not only cost a fraction of the price of buying new, but also help someone else clear out space in their home. Purchasing second hand furniture is also helpful to the environment, keeping perfectly good furniture out of landfills. And if you love DIY, you may also be able to breathe new life into a new piece of furniture by refinishing it or giving it a different look all together. 

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Lisa Perry, Senior Loan Officer

"Your Northern VA Mortgage Specialist"

540-273-2733

NMLS ID #86548 / 276329

Email:  LPerry@fhmtg.com

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Comments (2)

Norma J. Elkins
Elite Realty Group - Morristown, TN
Realtor - Elkins Home Selling Team

Excellent info for new home owners for sure.  Thanks for sharing and have a fabulous day!

Aug 10, 2022 10:25 AM
Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
REALTOR®, Broker

Great information, thanks for sharing.  I hope you have a great day.

Aug 11, 2022 02:13 AM
Lisa Perry - NMLS # 276329

Thanks for stopping by!

Aug 12, 2022 07:19 AM