By Madison Thompson–
You’ve just signed the lease for your first house or apartment and you’re ready for classes to be over so you can start moving in. Then it hits you, you will have to furnish your own place. Is this what adulthood feels like, buying your own furniture?
Immediately you think about how pricey furniture can be. Is it too late opt out of adulthood?
Before you get too rash, there are a couple ways to get basic furniture at a major discount price.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore:
As a nonprofit home improvement store, the Restore accepts furniture and construction material donations, similar to the Goodwill. You can find all sorts of appliances like washers, dryers, stoves and even the occasional microwave. The furniture ranges from couches, bedside tables, countertops, lamps, chairs and tables. There are also building materials and many different colors of pre-mixed paint.
A special thing about the ReStore is that after the furniture or appliances have been there for a month, the price drops 25 percent and will continue to do so every month.
There are three different locations, all relatively close to campus. One is actually right across from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, on 2777 S. Floyd St., Louisville, KY 40209.
Craigslist:
Though the thought of the Craigslist killer may come to mind, Craigslist is actually a fantastic place to find a lot of home furnishings – and for cheap. Sometimes items are even available for free. Just make sure that you check on the location of the piece of furniture before you contact the seller and say you are interested.
If you decide to purchase the furniture or accessory, avoid going directly to the person’s house. Use the buddy system when you go for the pickup. Also, try and meet at a common location like in a busy parking lot or restaurant. Try not to give out too much personal information, just for safety’s sake.
Also, be sure to read through the description to make sure you are not being scammed. If you are asked to load money to an account before you get your furniture, don’t do it. Make sure the transaction happens in person with cash. Checks are okay, but you need to make sure that the check won’t bounce and that there are proper funds available.
If you still unsure of where to buy furniture or you are short on funds, don’t be afraid to ask family members if they have any old furniture they are willing to give away. It may not be the newest or the nicest, but with a little DIY you can make your new living space into a home.
