One shocking thing about adult life is how expensive furniture is. The first time I saw a price tag on a couch I nearly fainted. A well-made and comfortable couch can easily cost upwards of $2,000!
If you’re on a budget (and you should be, because budgets are awesome), then a $2,000 couch might not be on your “to-buy” list.
Luckily, there is a lot of free furniture available to you! Like clothing, we have made a ton of furniture and many people throw out furniture on a regular basis. This means more items that don’t break down in our landfills, which is bad for the planet.
A budget-friendly and environmentally-friendly move is to try and snag that furniture before it goes to the landfill. So let’s talk about where to get free furniture!
The Allure of Free Furniture
Of course, some people will think that free used furniture is “gross.” I really want to ask you to push beyond that mindset, because I think it’s unhelpful and more than a little divisive. If we’re afraid to use someone else’s stuff, I think that leads to more isolation and more consumerism.
Plus, there’s so much stuff out there! It’s a little silly to think that we need to always keep making more stuff when we live on a planet with finite resources.
If you’ve recently moved to working from home, of course there is someone out there who has a desk that you can use, because hundreds of thousands of people already work from home. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to furnishing our homes.
And of course, getting things for free saves us money! If you’re trying to save for a wedding, or a new house, or just to build up your emergency fund, you want to watch where all your money goes.
$100 on a coffee table, $400 on a kitchen table and chairs, and $800 on a couch adds up quickly. Even getting just one of those items for free is a huge money saver.
Where to Get Free Furniture
Here are six places you can get totally free furniture.
1. Craigslist
It’s the OG for a reason! Hop on Craigslist and navigate to the “free” section. You can use the search bar to look for exactly what you’re on the hunt for, like a loveseat or a bed frame.
People list all sorts of things on Craigslist for free, so you may also just want to poke around. You truly never know what you’re going to find.
2. Ask Locally
Start with people you know and simply ask if they have any furniture they want to get rid of. You may catch someone downsizing who has a desk they want to get rid of, or you may find out that your uncle secretly hoards couches in his basem*nt.
Most people in America have too much stuff in general. We are a nation of overshoppers. It always amazes me how much abundance is available to me when I simply ask people I know if I can borrow or have something.
3. Join and Search Facebook Groups
I know Facebook is the devil, but man, are the groups on that site absolute GOLD for finding anything that you want. It’s definitely where to get free furniture!
Groups vary according to region, but here are some groups you can start with:
- Buy Nothing
- Freecycle
You can also simply search on Facebook using keywords like “Free stuff + city name” or “free furniture + city name.”
I would also search SWAP and TRADE groups in your area, as you may be able to trade something like your kitchen table for a new mattress and bed frame.
4. NextDoor
Speaking of asking people you know, using the app NextDoor is another way to get free furniture. Maybe your neighbor just down the road has the end table you so desperately seek!
NextDoor is a free-to-use app that connects you to the people in your immediate area. The app allows you to create a post, so you can directly ask your neighbors if they have any free furniture they’d like to get rid of.
5. LoveJunk
LoveJunk is a junk removal company that connects people with nonprofits, companies, or other people who want their junk. But right at the top of their website are the words FREE ITEMS.
Here, the website allows people to list things that are totally free. You create a free account and then you can message the person who listed it, or browse by area.
6. College Campuses
At the end of the year, college students have to leave their dorms, and many of them can’t or don’t want to take all of their dorm furniture.
They leave things like mini-fridges or couches for the trash to pick up, which makes it free for you!
If you just visit a college campus and head to the dorm area, you are likely to see piles of usable furniture available. Most colleges in the US have their school year end in early May, so that’s the only time you can try this,
How to Give Old Furniture a New Look
When you’re getting furniture for free, some of its cutest days may be behind it. That doesn’t mean the piece can’t shine again!
Reupholstering is your friend. You can DIY a reupholster job or find a local company to do it for you. This is a fantastic way to give new life to a piece of furniture.
Yes, it will cost you some money, but when you get the item for free in the first place, spending some money on refreshing it is a solid investment.
Bonus: Where to Get Heavily Discounted Furniture
You may want to spend some money on your home furnishings. So where are the killer deals when it comes to quality furniture?
Ask for the floor model
Furniture stores display a piece of their furniture for people to touch and try out. This is called the floor model, and you can usually buy it at a steep discount.
Since it’s been out and touched, companies can’t sell it as brand new. It may also have slight marks, like if a display kitchen table leg was kicked and it left a small scuff. Because of this, you can get a discount, often in the 50-70% range.
Visit a ReStore
Habitat For Humanity is a non-profit based in the US that helps build homes for people in need. One part of their operation is they collect furniture donations from people, fix them up, and sell them.
They call this their ReStore, and it can be a goldmine for discounted furniture. You may also be able to find building materials here, such as wood or cement blocks.
Visit Estate Sales
Estate sales are fabulous places to find high-quality furniture on the cheap. After someone passes away, their family chooses to hold an estate sale, where they open the doors to a home and everything in the house is for sale.
Estate sales are great for finding one-of-a-kind items in any category because you’re shopping someone’s personal taste. You can find clothing, art, and yes, furniture, on a big discount.
Where have you successfully found free furniture?
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