What are some of your ways to upgrade your living space that fits your budget, style and comfort level?
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We live in a smaller house, so space is at a premium for us. I like to look for deals at Marshalls or T.J. Maxx, but we only buy if it can serve more than one function. The desk chair I recently bought is upholstered so it looks nice enough to live in our den, which serves as both our TV room and my office. I balked at the price at first ($130), but it’s nice enough that I figure it’s worth investing in this piece instead of a $60 task chair that I hate and can’t function as additional seating.
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Keeping an eye on local listings on Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist can score some great deals on quality furniture, but it takes some patience.
I’ve also found some good deals on Wayfair.
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I often mention to people you can have high quality furniture at a fraction of the price of new cheaply made furniture that will likely not last very long. Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor and Craigslist, can be good options.
On new furniture, after some time, you’ll notice the exact same pieces of furniture but with different names, and drastically different pricing between Amazon, Wayfair etc.
Pro tip: As you search for things you would like, Facebook Marketplace can recognize those items (depending on how you have the sharing of your information set up) and will actually display similar or the same used items in your results.
I’ll give some examples of deals I’ve scored just in the past year.
Crate & Barrel walnut desk $1,700 new, I bought for $300 off Marketplace.
Crate & Barrel white oak dining table $1,800 new, I found for $140 (one of my best deals ever).
Mid century modern lamp that sells for $250, I found for $20.
It just takes a little more time and persistence but in the end you’ll have furniture for a lifetime that you won’t ever have to replace!
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Used is the way to go.
For the same reason why you wouldn’t want to buy a bunch of new furniture (because you have to sell it for a lot less when you want to get rid of it), it’s the same reason why you’d like to buy used: you’ll always save a ton of money, and often times the furniture won’t even be damaged or worn out in any way.
It’s the equivalent of buying a luxury car after someone’s owned it for a few years and you buy it for 40% off even though there’s only 1000 miles on the car and it’s still basically brand new - and you know it probably won’t depreciate that much more and will hold value, which means when you’re tired of your used furniture, you can sell it again at around the same price (and if you’re patient, probably more).
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Great discussion! I thought it was funny that I got a furniture store ad on the right hand side of this post. Not the most affordable though ?
I personally think that furniture is one of those things that is sometimes worth spending money on, but it also tends to be really overpriced.
I have some furniture I bought used and even some I got for free by a dumpster but my wife and I did just recently buy a new couch from a furniture store (it was on clearance though)
We wanted a gray sectional that would go with our colors in our upstairs living room and although we had been looking for a while, we just weren’t seeing what we were looking for so we decided to just go ahead an purchase it new.
Since we bought it on clearance, and it came with a free 5 year warranty, I really think it was worth it to pay the $960 it cost as it is something we use every day and will get good use out of for years to come.
When it comes to organizing things around the house, sometimes it is nice to get new furniture that suits the specific need you have and while you can sometimes find these items used, it is much easier to find new and I feel like is worth spending a little extra on as it will look nice and also help you to organize.
That being said, I don’t think I could ever spend the price of many of the couches we saw while shopping. You have to pay way too much extra for some of the little upgrades like cup holders and other gadgets that some of them have.
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Check moving sales. Many people do not want to pay to move their furniture long distance so they sell entire households and buy new where they relocate. Like the onlline local marketplaces, it can take patience. I bought a gorgeous leather sectional and ottoman/coffee table, exacatly as I envisioned for $600. The owner purchased it new at a swanky furniture store and it was in excellent condition…It’s going on its 5th year with us and still looks new. If you know some local real estate agents they are aware of sellers motivated to get rid of furniture at good to great prices.
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I almost always buy used. I tend to purchase from second-hand furniture stores, but have also done Craigslist and FB groups. The only new furniture I have ever purchased was from a store that was going out of business and I went in on their last day and found the perfect loveseat and dining set for a steal.
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@mintjulep posted:
Check moving sales. Many people do not want to pay to move their furniture long distance so they sell entire households and buy new where they relocate.
Great tip! I know this was true for me. I moved across several states a few years ago and had to downsize from a house to an apartment. I was happy to have people come and haul away furniture and other items that I couldn’t bring with me, plus I waked away with a few dollars in my pocket. Win-win for all involved.
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Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
I’ve only been through this in the last year and a half! Look for moving sales in your neighbourhood. People who are relocating are more driven to sell for a decent price than those who are not. And sometimes it’s nice items they don’t want to leave behind but must for logistical reasons.
I’ve had some success with Facebook Marketplace, but a lot of the items are pricey. (It’s fantastic that you purchased that dining set for $5000 in 1992. That doesn’t mean you’re going to sell it for $4500 in 2019!)
Around Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Presidents Day, furniture stores frequently have fantastic bargains. Many furniture stores also have an outlet location with lower-cost options. Just keep in mind that shipping/delivery might easily add hundreds of dollars to the ultimate bill.
Keep in mind that several furniture stores utilize the same few offshore producers. As a result, you might discover the identical set on Wayfair as you would at Ashley Furniture, but with a different name and price tag. This is how I got a great deal on my dresser set!
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