Buying used furniture isn’t hard – it’s for sale everywhere, and one need only to spend the money to buy an item. However, there’s a bit more to it than that if you’re not just looking for any old sofa to sit in your living room, but are instead hoping to outfit or decorate your home with high quality second hand furniture. In this article, we’ll look at 5 tips for buying used furniture that’s still in great shape, yet won’t break the bank either!
1. Don’t be scared to ask questions.
You shouldn’t be scared to ask the seller questions about why they’re selling the item, where it came from, and how it’s been stored (and for how long) up until now. In fact, consider it a friendly game of “21 questions”! The more you know about the item in question, the easier it is to both assess it’s value and leverage your buying power as a possible buyer.
2. Before making an offer, see it in person.
It might be tempting to seal the deal and tell a person you’ve found selling something online that you will buy their antique armoire closet for $500 in order to make sure that it’s yours. But this strategy can easily backfire. It’s nearly always better to wait to see the item in person before committing to a price.
3. Know how to inspect the item you’re looking at buying.
If you’re looking to purchase a used car, you need to know how to assess its condition. The same is true for used furniture, be it a Pandora wardrobe closet or a fine dining table and chair set from Sweden. The point is that the more familiar you are with what you’re looking at, the better chance you’ll have of striking a good deal.
4. Use the internet liberally.
Buying used furniture and doing it online pretty much go hand in hand these days. With the absolutely popularity of sites like Craigslist for buying and selling goods and services, directly between a buyer and a seller, the internet is a godsend for finding bargains. Just be sure not to get duped. Definitely don’t ever wire anyone money or agree to pay online first – anyone asking for such payment terms is a con artist, and they are all over Craigslist, so just use your common sense and you’ll be okay.
5. Use the internet but don’t forget about actual antique shops and other stores.
As mentioned, going online and looking for used furniture is easy and quick. However, don’t forget about the real world of shops and stores! Nearly every town has a few antique dealers or used goods shops. Check these places out for their furniture and see what’s in stock. Some specialty antique shops may be able to find something for you too even if they don’t have it – for the right price of course. The point is to keep your options open though, and don’t forget about the option of actually going into stores and looking directly at the furniture without using the internet as your intermediary!