How to Get Free Furniture

If you’ve been shopping around for furniture lately, you know how expensive it can be. You could end up spending thousands of dollars just on furnishing one room. For those on a budget or with no available funds at all, don't give up. Getting furniture for free is possible.

Instructions

1. Sign up for Freecycle.org (see Resources). You view the site and find the area or town that applies to where you live. You then join a Yahoo! group devoted to that location. After your membership is approved, view other messages that members post of items that they are giving away for free. A friend got a gorgeous table just because the couple he got it from was moving and didn’t have time to sell it.

2. View the "Free" section on Craigslist. When you go onto the site, find the Craiglist that is located in your area. You can view the “Free” section that is located on the front page, and there is no signing up or registering to view the postings. There are several listings stated as “Curb Alert,” which means that the person has already tossed it on the curb and it’s first come, first served. If the item is not listed as a curb alert, email the person as quick as possible to set up a time and location to pick up the item. If someone has already contacted the owner, ask the owner to contact you should that person not show up. Don’t just give up. I’ve given away quite a few items to people who did this when the first person never showed up.

3. Check curbs on garbage night. Some people change furniture as often as every few months just because they got bored of it. Instead of selling it, they just put it out on the curb. If it doesn’t get picked up, it gets tossed into the landfill. However, make sure that you ring the person’s doorbell and ask first if you can take it. Never just run to the curb and grab it.

4. Email family and friends and ask them to keep an eye out for you for what you’re looking for. I got my gorgeous, brand-new desk this way. Someone was tossing it out because they were moving, and a family friend associated with them remembered I was in the market for one. Instead of charging me, the person gave it for free.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t worry if you see a torn cushion on a chair or a piece of wooden furniture that has a faded stain. You can always do these small repairs yourself. However, make sure that you are capable of doing the repairs before lugging the entire piece home. I picked up an awful-looking rocking chair and stained it, and now it looks almost brand new.

• Triple-check every piece of furniture for excessive damage and broken pieces. If the drawer is missing or completely cracked or if the wood is completely warped, it's not worth picking up at all.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Freecycle.org for free furniture