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There is nothing better than getting a bargain, and that’s no different with furniture. But you can easily end up taking something home that doesn’t fit, with no means of returning it. Take a look at our tips for what you should look out for when shopping for bargain furniture.

Durability

If you’re looking for cheap furniture, the first thing you’re going to want to look for is durability. A great way to spend less money on furniture is to buy something that will last. If you opt for furniture pieces that are durable, you won’t end up regretting trying to get it up the stairs.

This means that a lot of flat pack furniture is out. They got popular because they were cheap, but they are the equivalent of fast fashion: poorly made (sorry), made of cheap material, and bound to fall apart before you can get full use out of them.

Whereas, in the days before flat pack, furniture was built to last, and the price reflected it, initially. Today, those items are going for criminally low prices in online.

Distress

That’s right. You’re looking for distress.

The good thing about these durable old pieces is that they look like they’re from another time. Furniture style is generally timeless, however. Sofas are really the creative focal point of the room, and the rest holds your things. Due to this, solid furniture is quite timeless in terms of style.

And to add the cherry on top, it means they can fit well into just about any modern interior design style. However, if you really want to get across how old that piece is, you’re looking for some distress.

Even if you buy an item brand new, you can create distress in your furniture items. Armed with some steel wool and a fine sander, you can add distress to all the curvy areas to make your item look old and give it a more of a look.

Damage

However, there is a difference between distress and damage. Distress is aesthetic damage, and you can be happy with a distressed piece of furniture if you think it looks good, but if the furniture is damaged, it’s not doing its job, or at least not doing it well, and you’ll have to work around it.

Like a sofa. A sofa with the stuffing all flattened or ripping out a gash in the cushion isn’t serving its purpose as a place to sit. A stain on the cushion isn’t serving its purpose of being an appealing focal point in the room.

Furniture has enough nooks and crannies to hide all sorts of damage. If it’s been in a damp home, the drawers and back of it can fill with mould. The drawers and doors can be damaged so they don’t open properly, or you can pull the handle right off.

Don’t waste your money on damaged furniture. If you’re looking for bargain furniture, half of the bargain is that it’s worth the money.

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