How to Furnish Your Home, on the Cheap

If you're heading to university or just bought or rented your first home, you know you have to furnish it. Furniture can be expensive and honestly, who has the money to spend on a gorgeous, albeit expensive sofa when all you want to do is not sit on the floor?

There are ways to furnish your home on the cheap. It just takes a little time, a little legwork, your nose and maybe a bottle of Febreeze.Hand-Me-Downs

As I write this, I'm sitting on a loveseat given to me by my mother. She didn't need it, it's in good shape and I needed somewhere to sit. It's covered in a ditzy floral but a slipcover easily hides the print.

Hand-me-downs do mean that you don't really have a choice about colour or even quality. Just make sure that your parents, friends or relatives aren't using you as a dumping ground for their old furniture. If you don't like it, you can say no.

Craigslist or Kijiji

Need a couch? They have it. Lights? Also available. Craigslist and Kijiji are online marketplaces that carry almost every type of furnishing you need for your new digs. Just adhere to a few guidelines such as asking for photos, going to see the item if possible and checking it for smells, hair and critters like bedbugs.

On the plus side, because sellers want to get rid of their pieces, there is room to negotiate and get a lower price.

Consignment Stores

This is the most expensive option but you are guaranteed to get clean, bug-free and stain-free pieces. You might even score a genuinely vintage piece but don't count on it. Just like Craigslist or Kijiji, there is also room to for negotiation.

Dumpster Diving

When I lived in Japan, you would see people roaming the curb the night before garbage day. That's because you could find perfectly working electronics, furniture and even clothing. Some people will put 'Free' signs on their items, inviting people to take them if needed.

If you're going to dumpster or curb dive, stick to affluent neighbourhoods and bring a vehicle to haul away your prize.

Garage Sales

Garage sales are great for smaller items like cutlery, glasses and even lamps. Just get there early (wait until the sale starts), look through the items and make your purchases. A friend of mine once bought a vacuum cleaner at a sale. It wasn't the newest model but it did the job.

Markets

In Toronto's St. Lawrence Market, and in nearby St. Jacobs and Aberfoyle, there are furniture markets that are regularly trolled by some of Canada's top designers, like HGTV's Sarah Richardson. You do have to get up early or you'll find the best pieces are gone.