Furnishing a house with furniture and goods requires a lot of funds. For those of you who have limited funds, you can still complete your home furnishings by buying used furniture. Buying used furniture will not only help you save money, but it will also be better for the environment. Moreover, if you are lucky, you can find used furniture that still strong, sturdy, and looks good if arranged properly. If you want to furnish an entire house on a limited budget, start looking at used furniture stores online, or go straight to quality used furniture stores. But before deciding which one to buy, here are tips for choosing used furniture.
Do Your Research
Do some research on interior styles and decide which one you go for. Whether you want a Scandinavian style home, minimalist, retro, industrial, art-deco, Hamptons or glam style. After knowing what style you want, research the type of furniture that can support that look.
Make a list
After that make a list based on which you should buy first. Also determine the materials and colors that match the theme. Rank each item in order of priority and then estimate a rough budget for each part of the house. This will prevent you from wasting your budget.
Start with the big stuff
Once you have a list of each part of the room in order of importance, choose the larger items to buy first, such as sofas, beds and refrigerators. This step will make it easier for you to determine its location in the room and also the accompanying furniture.
Buy multifunctional furniture
If you have limited space, then multi-functional items are the answer. Items like sofa beds can be used for living room sofas and can easily be converted into beds for guests at night. Or you can also choose a guest table whose interior can also be used as storage.
Compare prices
You can check prices at online stores with thrift or antique stores around your house. Don’t be afraid to enter the auction, because you can usually get some high-quality furniture and bid the price at the auction house.
Open minded
Keep in mind that even if you already have a theme and a list of the furniture you’re looking for, you may be able to find a piece of furniture that can be changed to suit your chosen style and theme. You can also make changes to the furniture by sanding and repainting.
Use your imagination
To meet your home’s need for display shelves, you don’t have to look for shelves, instead, you can use an old wooden ladder with deep steps that can be used to place plant pots and displays. You can also turn an old desk into a closet by mounting an antique mirror on the wall above it, or a heavy chest can double as a bench seat. Spend some time browsing the internet for ideas on how antique furniture and knick-knacks can be reused in new homes.
Check the Quality
Check more carefully for items that use high-quality materials such as leather, linen, wool, and cotton. Check for strong seams or tug of seams and turn the furniture over. Good quality furniture will look as good from the bottom as it does from above, so avoid buying furniture that has upholstery that may have come off, screws that have been rough cut or areas that are not painted.
–sh
