Where do you get your furniture?

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
2

20Down_IHB

New member
Question out there from a newbie:



My fiance and I are looking for furniture for a 1 bedroom apartment we will be renting after we get married. Does anyone know of any good furniture places out there to find stuff? We will have some money saved over after the wedding, but we want to start saving for a down payment (not buying for another couple of years, at least) so we want to be "cost-effective". I searched for a thread, but couldn't find one...



Been reading the blog for a while now and am impressed with the knowledge, hoping to tap into it. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
 
<p>Invest in a new good bed. </p>

<p>Everything else buy used, at garage sales, usually early 7 am in Irvine nice neighborhoods. You can have lots of fun stripping, repainting or staining furniture.</p>

<p>Ikea stuff is flimsy looking but with crown moulding, miter saw and a nail gun, you can make it look nice and substantial. </p>

<p>I like Costco, Plummers, and liquidation sale furniture. There are also plenty of furniture stores in Westminster that sell new for cheap. Just look for a mom and pop store crammed with furniture. You have to bargain with them and pay cash. </p>

<p> </p>
 
My wife and I Ikea-d a lot of our furniture when we got married relatively recently. Yep it's flimsy, but it's cheap and will get us through until we eventually by a place and can start slowly buying real furniture. We won't have to deal with moving it back and forth through various apartments, either.





Also check out Levitz. Since they're going out of business they have had some sales. Beware of beat-up floor models, though.
 
<p>It took me a while, but all my home furnature is antique mission style furnature. </p>

<p>I found alot of it at auctions from libraries, ebay, etc. etc. etc. If you're looking for something to get you along, I'd go to Ikea, maybe Cost Plus World Market or wait for a nice sale at any one of the big stores.</p>
 
Ikea is fine as long as you don't have to move it. It only survives transportation in its boxed state.





I second the idea of buying used and refinishing it. You might even make a small profit selling it when you move out (depends on the bargain).





A good mattress is a must and I found it to be like buying a car - you gotta haggle on the price and nothing is firm. Best if you go to some "mattress" district where they are competing against each other. Have them throw in the delivery for free.
 
<p>My 2 cents:</p>

<p>Sofa: You probably want at least one convertible (pull out sofa-bed) for overnight guests. Both Ikea and Jennifer Convertibles are good places to shop for those.</p>

<p>Side tables/coffee tables/dining/beds: Avoid Ikea (as someone has correctly identified before) - since they are made with particle board, they tend to be flimsy. You may be attracted to them because they are lighter and cheaper, but they are definitely not environment friendly because you will be tempted to throw away if damaged. Spend a few extra bucks and buy a solid wood without any veneers (which is basically a plastic covering glued onto the wood). Good solid wood will last a lifetime and can be "remodeled" with fresh varnish/wood stain whenever you get tired of the old look.</p>

<p>An oft overlooked store is Costco Online for really good and inexpensive furniture for all rooms and all sizes. You can request free swatches of fabrics online, and when you order, they will deliver to your curbside. In many cases, shipping and handling is included in the price.</p>

<p>One more place for good deals is Overstock.com...</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>
 
People moving out often seem to leave small cheap furniture near the dumpsters at my apartment complex. Usually sitting next to the dumpster instead of inside it, in case anyone wants it. Free.
 
Best place to go for mattresses is southwest sleep centers in costa mesa. 50 percent off beauty rest mattresses all the time. Thats where I just got mine.
 
<p>I got several pretty cool pieces of furniture at Thrift stores in Lake Forest (brand new leather couch for $200, table for $40, and a shelving unit for $50). You just have to visit these stores regularly to come across really good bargains. Big Lots stores started to sell furniture, I got there an awesome rocking chair with ottoman for $70, they have new mattresses too, but I haven't tried them. </p>
 
Speaking of mattresses ... Consumerist has the following





<a href="http://consumerist.com/346784/how-to-buy-a-new-mattress">http://consumerist.com/346784/how-to-buy-a-new-mattress</a>





and seems that 45-50% off "list price" is about the norm. Only suckers pay full-price on it.
 
While this might be "beneath" some of the folks here, I will confess that when I first bought my condo, I was playing attorney by day, and Pottery-Barn stock associate by night - just for a couple months during a seasonal period. I bought just about all of my furniture there! And as an employee, I got a 40% discount... which really added up after buying a dining room set, a leather couch, love seat & ottoman, TV cabinet, Coffee Table, and assorted lamps, mirrors, and bedroom furniture. Obviously, my savings (about $4000) far exceeded my actual 7/hr pay check for 12 hours a week! And, it was a fun place to work. After I get my "move-up" home, I just might do it again.
 
<p>I just moved out from a large apartment complex. I was surprised to find that the nice items which I put next to the dumpster weren't taken by residents or the trash people.</p>

<p>The staff came by. If they liked the file cabinet, light, etc., they took it in their cart to storage. It seems that they have a significant side business selling the stuff. I have no idea if they owners know about, or even encourage it.</p>

<p>We made some of our favorite furniture. I have also ordered a mattress from overstock.com. It was about half of the best price we had found at stores, and about 80% off retail. </p>

<p>I also have a kind of nonfurniture recommendation. Most people have too much stuff. A few good-looking items beats a lot of junk. With some paint and better lighting, you can make an apartment look way better. </p>
 
wow - thanks a lot! got a lot of useful leads here...



GrewUpInIrvine - my future brother and sister-in-law actually considered that when they moved to their new home in Woodbury, when they asked an associate about it, he told them that he would buy it for them (using his discount) and they could just pick it up. He got a couple hundred for his efforts and they got Pottery Barn furniture at a steap discount... something to consider... We thought about it, but it's a little more than we want to spend. Maybe after we buy a home where we will be for a while.



And yes, we are investing in a good mattress...



Thanks again for the advice!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top