Where to Buy Cheap Furniture for Your Apartment

Whether you are moving to your first apartment or your tenth, every home needs some furniture. As cost of renting is going up, some of us may have to rethink our budgets. One thing you can always save on without compromising on quality is furniture. Below are seven places where you can find cheap furniture. While Craigslist and Ikea may seem like the obvious choices, you may be surprised by some of the other options out there.

1. Craigslist

One of the oldest online marketplace for local sellers and buyers, Craigslist has been helping Americans find affordable and cheap furniture for the past 23 years. Whether you want to buy a rare antique end table or a basic futon for your first apartment, Craigslist has it all! The key is to learn how to weed out untrustworthy sellers and potential scammers. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. However, Craigslist can be great for finding second had furniture, and sometimes people even post their items for free.

2. IKEA

A one-stop shop for all things home, this Swedish retailer provides a great assortment of affordable household items, and is a top location for cheap furniture. It’s especially helpful for people looking to furnish their first apartment with multifunctional furniture with built-in storage. If you want to learn more, check out our article on IKEA hacks for small spaces.

3. Target

If you are looking for stylish, budget-friendly furniture, Target is your best bet. For the past couple of years they’ve been expanding their collaborations with designers for their in-house brands. As a result, you can purchase nice mid-century modern or bohemian-style furniture without breaking the bank.

4. Pottery Barn Outlets

If you love the quality and design of Pottery Barn furniture but are not ready to shell out $4,000 on a loveseat then shopping at a Pottery Barn Outlet is a great solution. Unlike other retail outlets, they don’t sell “made for outlet” merchandise. Their inventory is mainly comprised of new unsold furniture (or overstock), undamaged online returns, store display pieces, and items with some sort of insignificant damage. If you are looking for high quality, cheap furniture, then Pottery Barn Outlets may be your dream come true.

All overstock merchandise is tagged with white tags, the rest with red tags. You can find nice bedroom sets, living room furniture, and rugs priced at 10% to 80% off of the original price. Some locations also sell decor and lighting pieces. The secret is to ask the store manager which days of the week they usually receive their merchandise, and come early on those days to score the best deals. The longer the item stays on the floor, the lower the outlet reduces the price. However, the most valuable pieces are sold quickly, so act fast.

5. Habitat for Humanity ReStores

A lot of people know about Goodwill stores, but many are unaware that Habitat for Humanity also has retail locations called ReStores. While Goodwill mainly specializes in clothing, Habitat sells all things home. Building materials, doors, windows, plumbing, furniture, flooring, appliances, cutlery, decor - you can find it all in ReStores. If you are looking to furnish your home on $1,000 or less, Habitat is the place to go! The assortment will vary store to store since the stock fully depends on donations. Most ReStores are managed independently and can only pick up donations from the areas they serve. If you are interested in furnishing your apartment with high-end items on the cheap, the trick is to find a ReStore that serves affluent zip codes around you. You can find everything from Williams Sonoma outdoor furniture, to luxurious handmade designer items, to rare collectibles. And the best part about it? All proceeds from every sale go to support Habitat’s mission to build homes for low-income families. It’s perfect if you want to find quality, affordable furniture while helping a good cause.

6. OfferUp

Imagine if Craigslist were an app where sellers were verified real people, and you could buy a couch with a click of a button. That’s OfferUp, the largest mobile marketplace for local sellers and buyers. The app offers optional TruYou verification that allows users to verify their identity with their driver’s license. Users can also leave reviews after each transaction.  We suggest only contacting only verified users with good reviews. The app also has a built-in messenger, so you can communicate with sellers without disclosing your contact information. So what can you find on OfferUp? Basically, everything from dining room sets to coffee tables, to home decor. Some items are free, others you’ll have to pay for. It is a haven for cheap furniture shoppers.

7. Overstock.com

If you prefer buying furniture online to visiting brick and mortar stores, Overstock is another great option for cheap furniture. The company was initially founded to sell surplus or returned merchandise, hence the name. And the best part about it is the free shipping on orders over $45 to the lower 48 states. But if you found something great under this price, don’t worry, their regular shipping is only $4.95 to most destinations within the contiguous United States.

Have favorite spots to purchase affordable furniture?  Let us know of them by tagging @ApartmentList on Twitter or Instagram.