Woven box
Luke and I picked this up at an estate sale back when we lived in our first apartment. This was our first time at an estate sale, so it was a bit overwhelming when we walked around and everything was for sale, and I mean everything. We saw this wooden box, and thought it was really unique and had an interesting shape. We also picked up a white ceramic umbrella holder for a total of $15. It was hard to find a place for the woven box in our apartment, but the box fits perfectly in our bedroom in the new place. Right now, a bunch of random bits, but I want to figure out a more useful purpose for it. If you have any suggestions definitely leave them down below in the comments.
Small clothing rack
This was my first ever Facebook marketplace find. I was looking for a small rack to put outfits on when I was actually leaving the house. After looking on all the usual websites like Amazon and Ikea I thought I would look on Facebook marketplace. I had heard about people getting good stuff on there and figured I could try my luck. The rack was $20, and looking back it feels like that was a lot to spend, but it’s completely perfect for the space. I love it because it’s metal and super sturdy. Right now I have my jackets on it, but because it’s so small I can easily switch out what’s being hung.
Hope Chest
This is the only thing on this list that was actually free, but it’s definitely the one that I love the most. I could see myself passing on to my future kids. This beautiful and classic chest was given to me by my Aunt and Uncle after Luke and I moved into our first apartment together.
They had also just moved, were in the midst of updating their home, and getting rid of stuff so it was a perfect storm. My dad actually took the chest back to my parents’ house first so that he could refinish it for me and give the chest new life. After he finished it, the chest was added to our bedroom. It’s a perfect fit in thee space, but I would consider using it as our coffee table for the future.
Dining Room Set
This was another Facebook marketplace find and something that I was really happy to find discounted. I never realized how expensive furniture was until we moved into our home. Before moving, we had been lucky enough to receive a ton of hand me downs and the rest of the furniture was stuff we had from college. So I had no concept of how much new furniture costs.
Once we moved, I wanted pieces that actually reflected our personal style, and accentuated the beauty of our home. With this in mind, I looked online for different types of furniture and was in shock at how expensive everything was.
Long story short, I started searching for these sorts of big ticket items on marketplace. I was able to find this and go pick it up with the help of Luke and a U-Haul. The chairs need to be reupholstered, but for now they will do. The reason I jumped on this set was the beautiful neutral colored wood, and the kind of French country vibe that the curves of the chairs and the table have. It gives the dining room a bit of softness which I really love. Did I mention that for the table and six chairs I paid $250? I am very proud of this steal.
West Elm TV Stand
Our old TV stand was very open and looked pretty untidy even when everything was organized. I wanted one with doors so I could hide all the wires, video games, and any other media. After searching for something new I figured I could find something similar secondhand. I began searching marketplace daily to see if I could find something that was our style.
After, a few weeks of searching this TV stand popped up in my results. It was in such good condition that I was apprehensive as to why someone would actually get rid of it. I asked a few questions before deciding to pick it up. It was just as beautiful in person and it’s perfect in our space. The cherry on top is that this piece originally cost around $1200 new (similar), but we bought it secondhand for just $175.
Things to Look For When Purchasing Secondhand Items
Be Cautious of Fabric Items
Fabric Items like couches and mattresses could bring bugs and other unwelcome guests into your home
Make Sure The Secondhand Pieces are Sturdy
Check that all the joints and inner-workings like drawers are functioning properly. This might be costly to fix later on and make it a pain to use.
Focus on Characteristics You Can’t Change
Drawer pulls, and even the finish of a piece can be updated, but the shape and material should be your focus.
Make Sure It Fits
There is nothing worse than finding a piece and then realizing it doesn’t actually fit into the space.
Ask Any Question You Can Think Of
Buying furniture is a big decision, so asking about the quality, any imperfections, and anything else you might need to know before you buy secondhand is important.
Hope you guys enjoyed a little home content, if you want to see more like this definitely let me know in the comments below. If you still want more home related goodies, check out my tips on organizing and decluttering your home!