<p>I second Ikea!</p>
<p>My daughter is also moving into an empty apartment in August, and I’m not looking forward to that at all. I wanted to just rent furniture ($125 a month, with free delivery), but I was voted off the island. I HATE putting furniture together! I’m just venting. Sorry.</p>
<p>H and D did the IKEA furniture assembly 3 yrs ago in a previous apartment. In that apartment she had a roommate who had almost everything else. They did bed, desk and a shelving unit and a small dining set with chairs. He came home with blisters. When she left our state all the IKEA furniture ended up in our garage and under her bed at home. Sadly not work shipping half way across the country. My S is possibly moving into his first off campus apartment and he is driving distance away so at least the IKEA stuff at our house will find a home.
I will check out Target. She will be on her own for assembly. We are not around and she is moving where she knows no one.
The most important order of business will be a bed. I think an air bed is a start. We can use it when we visit. She will be able to search out a local mattress store to find the value mattress set with free delivery once she arrives.</p>
<p>mom60, I feel your pain. DS is in Boston with an apartment full of Ikea we bought last year. Coming back to CA end of summer. Living at home for a year before (hopefully) going to law school somewhere in CA. I’m actually paying to have the stuff moved professionally cross country. It’s cheaper than rebuying. I’m also going to be out of the country when he moves…I guess I can kiss that apartment deposit goodbye because I can’t imagine him doing a thorough cleaning…LOL.
The good news is he is finishing a year early so I’m saving more than all the move, etc. will cost.<br>
Guess we will do as you did and put Ikea stuff in garage, so much for getting a car in there again.
As far as your D, best bet seems to be Target, garage sales, craigslist. Wishing her luck.</p>
<p>When my DD told us she planned to move off campus her junior year…I had misgivings. I was thinking what furniture did she need, utensils, etc. I took a page from my Mom’s book in Life…and held back. Not easy for me. However, very good for my DD.
She amazed me by telling me she negotiated with the current tenants most of their furniture-for next to nothing. She scoured thrift stores, made lists w/her new roommates as to who would buy what. She even was able to get some furniture a week after moving into the apartment from some people moving out down the street-FREE. I came for a visit about 2 months after she moved in-and by that time she knew what she needed from us. A pretty shower curtain, and dish towels and one lamp. I am guessing she could have gotten those items on her own, but she kind of liked shopping w/her mom. :0)
This may not work for you and your family-maybe it will-and she will end up surprising you, too!</p>
<p>We here in NYC are having a bedbug problem. Not me personally, or at least not yet, but I live in fear of the critters. They can hide almost everywhere. Mattresses are No.1, of course, but also upholstered furniture, rugs, books, clothes, etc. So I’m not quite as sanguine as I normally would be about scoring second-hand furniture.</p>
<p>This year I started buying Odessagirl kitchen gadgets sometimes at Wal-Mart. She just finished up her freshman year. I just put the items in a rubbermaid container in our basement. It all started when our grocery store was giving out “Happy points” for each $10 in groceries purchased. And I have been able to obtain from the grocery store a free toaster, can opener, large stock pot, set of knives, etc. So I just put those items in the basement to save for my daughter. And now the kitchen gadgets. Nothing fancy. And nothing like plates, or items that would set out in view and she would prefer to chose on her own, of course. Just measuring cups and spoons, pizza cutter, etc. Just one item every once in awhile. It is fun for me and will help her (and us?) out in the long run.</p>
<p>LurkNessMonster-don’t even want to go anywhere near the subject of bedbugs. My D is a flea and mosquito magnet. She would be paranoid of any used furniture if I mentioned bedbugs. It is the reason we are getting her a new mattress. Though in her room at home she has a beautiful 4 post queen sized bed with a top of the line mattress that she bought for $65 complete when the hotel she was working at closed for renovations.
My D has taken some time off from school in the past and she has lived on her own and can take care of herself but as the Mom I enjoy being able to help her out. She is getting excited about moving and I think she is going to start looking for smaller decoration type of items in her present city. Things she can fit in her car.
Ebbeee- I am hoping S gets a spot in an on campus apartment for fall. I really don’t want to have him renting a house or apartment and dealing with all that comes with that. Smart boy that he is, he missed the date of staying in his present apartment. He is now on the wait list for an on campus place. He is staying up at school for part of the summer to attend summer school. He at least got summer housing.
My two kids are the exact opposite. D is overly organized and thinks everything out. S is of the “no worries” camp things will all work out in the end. D wants her apartment to look nice. Son would get by with a pillow and sleeping bag as long as he had his computer and TV to watch the Laker game.</p>
<p>Mom60- you wrote "but if we have to buy some stuff new what is the best source. "</p>
<p>This time last year, daughter moved into a high rise in Philly, and she located a center city furniture store, which looked liked a dump,but the owner could order new “inexpensive” furniture from Ashley.
Today, I used GOOGLE MAP, to locate a similar store for son who is apt hunting right now in Chicago. </p>
<p>Using GOOGLE MAP- I searched “furniture stores near Lincoln Park” - and found many listed with ratings and reviews from Yelp, ect.
And, looks like I located a store, similar to the one my d found in Philly —they sell “Ashley” furniture-which means “decent enough and cheap enough” - in my book
FYI- delivery fees can be very reasonable, because sales have been down, and last year, free delivery was thrown in!</p>