Tips for Buying Secondhand Furniture
April 25, 2023 | Family Life
When you’re decorating your home or apartment, finding the right furniture is a must to tie the room together and make the space yours. Often, this means long searches online or in stores for the perfect piece. However, anyone who’s been looking for a while will tell you: New furniture is expensive.
If you’re looking to find a cheaper alternative with all the character of modern designs, secondhand furniture is a great way to go. And when you need a good place to keep new or old furniture while planning your space, Metro Self Storage has affordable self storage units for rent that you can use for your short- or long-term storage needs.
Why Buy Secondhand?
Secondhand furniture has a few advantages over new items, but the most prominent is that it’s cheaper. A lightly used item will typically cost less than the same item sold new.
Beyond price, secondhand furniture increases the number of styles and designs to choose from. Some of the most interesting designs and styles of furniture are no longer sold on a regular basis, but you can still probably find a secondhand store with just what you’re looking for.
There’s also an irresistible charm about pre-owned furniture. Many pieces look like they’ve actually been used, so it can make a new space feel more comfortable and lived in.
Where To Buy Secondhand Furniture
Going out to find secondhand furniture can be a fun adventure in addition to a cost saver. If you follow a few tips on secondhand shopping, you can focus your search to make the process much more efficient.
There are several major companies, such as Goodwill, that operate secondhand stores around the country. Of course, local thrift and secondhand stores are another good choice that give more options. Brick-and-mortar stores have the advantage of letting you see and feel the item in person to make deciding easier.
While in-person shopping is the go-to for secondhand purchases, you can also find places online. Places like Facebook Marketplace act as a sort of digital garage sale where you can find some nice pieces. Websites like AptDeco and Chairish are more specialized with a wider selection of stock.
How To Clean Secondhand Furniture
When you buy a secondhand item, it can take a little effort to make the piece feel like your own. Giving your items a deep clean is a good way to sanitize your new furniture and make it feel almost new. There are a few ways to properly clean secondhand furniture.
The first step should be spraying down your new piece with the disinfectant of your choice. This will help eliminate most germs that would be living on it. For upholstery, a small carpet cleaner works well to soak in and remove most dust and detritus in the fabric. For plastic and metal, a good, strong cleaner works well for similar ends.
What To Use To Clean Wooden Furniture
Cleaning wooden furniture can be a complicated task. On a regular basis, dusting and polishing are enough to keep it looking nice, but a deep clean is needed on occasion to keep the finish looking its best.
The best way to clean wooden furniture without damaging the finish is to start with more mild cleaners and build to stronger ones as needed. A diluted mixture of dish soap and water is a good place to start. To clean old polish off your furniture, place two tea bags in boiling water, then wipe the surface down with a washcloth soaked in the tea.
How Long Can Bedbugs Live in Furniture?
Bedbugs can live in furniture for over a year, but you don’t need to panic if you find yourself with bedbugs in your latest purchase. There are several DIY methods to treat infested furniture. You could also find a local pest control company that offers commodity fumigation to treat the issue.
Store Your New and Old Furniture With Metro Self Storage
Purchasing secondhand furniture is a great way to save money while finding unique and interesting décor for your home. Even furniture in less-than-ideal conditions can be required and cleaned with a little effort to make it feel like new.
If you’re redecorating your home or moving to a new place, you won’t always have the space to store your new and old furniture. When you need storage for your furniture, whether it’s new, old, or new to you, Metro Self Storage can help. We operate self storage facilities all around the United States that have space where you can store your belongings during short- or long-term projects.
Find a Metro Self Storage facility near you to browse its available units. You can then rent or reserve your space online to claim your storage space.
