How to Buy Second Hand Furniture

They say a piece of furniture acquires a personality as it ages, just like wine. Mostly, it tells of how the owner lives, how meticulous she or he is about his belongings, and how much he actually LIVES.

So, if you’re buying a piece of secondhand furniture, you want to make sure the “personality” of the piece matches yours.

How to Buy Second Hand Furniture – Two Tips

There are three things you should take into consideration when buying secondhand furniture: purpose, price, durability…

1. Do You Need the Piece?

Some pieces are extremely beautiful. You look at one and ask yourself why the heck the previous owner wants to get rid of it. But the thing is… do you need it? Pack rats like us always buy nice things on a whim, and the piece just calls to you when you see it. However, if you realistically can’t find a purpose for it, you’d better pass. Even if the price is a steal.

2. Can Your Budget Handle It?

You’d think all secondhand things are cheap, right? Not really. The best ones (mint condition, great design) are still pricey even when they’re “previously owned”. Before you go for that BEST piece, ask yourself if the price is too close to the brand-new version. Also, think of the money you have and decide if you can still split it up so you can buy a piece that works and another thing (like a good massage, three lunches, a week’s worth of cup noodles etc.).

3. Will it last?

You have to face reality. The piece of furniture you’re buying has seen better days, and no amount of varnish or buffing can cover that fact. It has to last longer than you expect it to. And, so you have to test it out.

In the location (garage sale etc), find a spot that’s level and has a surface much like that you have at home and ask if you can stand the furniture on that spot. if it’s something that’s relatively easy to transfer (like tv stands), great!

Remember, you don’t want to buy bad furniture, much less a secondhand one that you can’t return to the store and ask a replacement for.