The secret no one’s told you about how to get the best second hand furniture
House
3
min read
27 Sep 2019
Have you ever walked into someone’s home and wanted to then run home to bulldoze everything you own?
As you plop yourself down on their Italian sewn silk settee, your own furniture looms heavy on your mind. The washed out Formica countertops, that wilting sofa with the tea stains you can’t remove. You gaze sadly at Sandra’s ornate marble table in the foyer. (‘Oh, this?’ She quips. ‘We acquired it on a last minute excursion to Capri, it came from the Amalfi royal family. It’s priceless, absolutely priceless.’)
Well – pick your jaw up off the floor because we’re here to tell you Sandra’s doing it wrong. You don’t need to spend thousands to have a home which looks like you spend thousands.
There are a lot of people out there, just like Sandra, with endless amount money to spend on décor for their homes. And some of these people like to decorate their homes. A lot. What do they do with the newish lavish furniture that has graced their sitting rooms for maybe year or less? Where does it go?
Want to know the secret to kitting out your house with beautiful and knock-down furniture? Two words.
Done. Deal.
No, you don’t say them aloud and furniture appears in a poof of smoke – (although that would be delightful) – we’re talking about the app for selling for second hand cars and puppies and the like. Or puppies in second hand cars.
The app that also sells second hand furniture.
You might be aware of this, but have you ever really delved into Done Deal’s furniture and garden section? If you haven’t, it’s because it is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.
Yes, it’s tedious at times and you might have to trawl through dilapidated pieces to find something worthwhile. But we promise, your work will pay off as more often than not there are diamonds nestled in the rough. Diamonds in the shape of furniture priced at half (or a lot more) than the original. We’ve gone through the app to pick a piece for the kitchen, bedroom and livings room and compared it to the average original price.
Even if some aren’t to your taste, it shows the range and discount you can get on some quality pieces. Plus, most prices can be negotiable, especially if you collect the pieces yourself.
Second Hand Solid wood table and 6 chairs: €130
This solid wood table is claimed to be in near perfect condition
with one or two scratches. Looking online for the average price of something similar, we were getting in the range of €700-€1,000. Not bad.
Second Hand Marble Table and 6 
chairs: €350
It might not be to your taste, but it’s a solid marble table with free chairs for €350. When we looked at the average price in the market, they came in from €900-€1,200.
Second Hand Sliding Wardrobe: €200
These people were replacing their bedroom storage quickly and need to get rid of their floor to ceiling sliding doors. They even mention in the ad that the price is negotiable – and similar pieces could set you back a lot more.
Second Hand Sofa: €500
This elegant looking sofa from EZ Living (cream with duck egg blue and dark stripe) with free cushions, has apparently never even been used and was €1,600 new. We think this is definitely a bargain!
Second Hand Sofa: €300
This sofa came with 7 photos of every corner and inch, it was spotless. The ad description read perfect condition, no marks or stains – almost new. And it certainly looked it. The original price was quoted at being €300 also.
Second Hand Sandstone
fireplace: €200
Shopping around, these can come in from €350-€700 depending. Could be a bargain!
And last but not least…never know what you’re going to find on Done Deal. Here’s a solid church pew for €300. Fair enough it’s not for everyone, but imagine Sandra’s face as you invite her for a coffee? ‘Oh, we sourced it from a king in Rome, it used to belong the Medici family of Italy. Would you like sugar with that?’
If you’re decking out your house with some great home improvement ideas and want to buy some second hand furniture, why not look at look at a low cost home improvement loan from the credit union to help cover some of the cost?
Submit an Online Loan Enquiry