Ok. My brother has been on the LA county housing list since 2007 and he might be getting a voucher for a section 8 housing apartment in Lancaster, California. Yay! He currently ‘rents’ a room (half a room really, as he shares with another person) in Glendora. He will find out tomorrow if he gets the apartment and when he can move in. Of course, he doesn’t have transportation, or friends with transportation or even another sister that will make effort to help so I am the stuckee. Yes, I know I’m being a co-dependent, but this is something my mother would have wanted me to do for him- get him out of the pig sty he is living in (A 1500 s.f., BD, 1 BA house with 8 people in it).
With that in mind, I know he will need furnishings for the new place. He has a bed/bedding but that is about it. I’m going through my mom’s stuff and packing up things he can use- towels, sheets, dishes, silverware, etc but I know he will need a sofa and table, etc. My plan was to hit up the local Goodwill (since I will be paying for this and I’m not made of money) but in case they don’t have anything we can use, I need ideas.
Being the AR/OCD person that I am, I have already started a spreadsheet that shows things like grocery store, doctor’s, hospital, AA meeting locations, senior center, etc. so I can add Goodwill and other thrift stores. I know that there is a Walmart nearby, but I’d like to purchase things that are not expensive but will last longer than a month.
One warning about used upholstered furniture from Goodwill or anywhere else–don’t do it. Bedbugs are an epidemic, and that is a classic way to bring them into one’s home.
Check out Craigslist. It’s can be time consuming because you have to make arrangements with individual sellers. And you’ll need a way to move large items. But good deals on decent quality items can be found. I scored a nice Crate and Barrel sofa in great condition on Craiglist for my S’s first apartment. Also check out garage sales, especially moving and downsizing sales.
IKEA is another good source for apartment furnishings. Some items are better than others. Do a little research first.
@MommaJ - thanks for the warning. I hadn’t thought about bedbugs. So do you think it is safe to get upholstered furniture from Craigslist? Is there an easy way to check for bedbugs? (other than looking for them)
Personally, I’d refrain from getting mattresses and upholstered things second hand unless you know the seller and know bed bugs aren’t an issue. Even if the risk is tiny, its not worth it IMO. I also get less sketched out from second hand hard surfaces than from soft surfaces.
We just helped S with his apt, and D is also on her own this year. (A little pricier than you want to go, but here are some ideas.) Some low-end used furniture places and even consignment places have “bargain basements”. We got a nice coffee table $25 and an end table for $19 in one.
Craigslist is also good, although more running around. You should be able to get a kitchen table and chairs for under $100, a dresser and nightstand for $75. D found a number of things on her campus “free and for sale” facebook page.
We also bought upholstered things used, but it’s risky. Don’t hesitate to upend a chair for a look. (Google bedbug infestations for an idea what you are looking for. Some people are not aware that they even have them.) Futons seem to be cheap and common in college areas. D has 2, for some reason, and S got one for his couch.
Good luck!
ETA: If you have not been to the place your Brother is living now, and it’s some kind of flophouse, he may very well have bedbugs already, so check his mattress and box springs before you move them someplace else!
Also join Facebook yard sale pages in the area where you brother will be living. If there is an upscale town in his general area, join that one. Many people move, relocate, redecorate and put stuff on there either super cheap or for free.
I would google resale or consignment furniture stores in your area (not just Goodwill).
On the nicer side, my D bought an entire set of bedroom furniture - queen bed headboard/footboard/frame, triple dresser, mirror, highboy and two nightstands - for $800. It’s pretty nice looking, and when she ultimately upgrades it can easily be guest room furniture. This was at an upscale consignment store in a nice suburb.
On the cheaper end, my S needed furniture that he would use for a year and then just leave (as it wouldn’t be worth the cost of a truck to transport anywhere) and he got a serviceable desk and chair, dresser, and a few coffee / end tables for a grand total of $100 at a flea market / downscale resale shop in the small city he was living in.
This is a long shot, but you might want to see if there any community organizations, perhaps churches, that run a food pantry. We have one that allows clients to shop for groceries and used clothing. It used to stock used furniture, but the logistics became too great (not enough space, people to pick up the furniture, etc) and they have since shifted to baby layette and back-to-school supplies, but that type of organization might know of any community resources.
Definitely check craigslist
There is a Free section where you can find some furniture
Even on the for sale furniture section you can put in a max price of 50 bucks and use ikea furniture in search bar and you will find lots of stuff
Just did this to move my son to his first apartment in NYC
Around here the upholstered furniture at Salvation Army has been cleaned. I think they treat it to eradicate any possible bedbugs. You could ask the places local to your brother. If they do take care of possible infestations, I would trust them a lot more than a craigslist posting.
BTW, I don’t think it sounds “codependent” to help him out. It sounds like the decent thing to do.
Agree to check local community resources. Our area has a household items recycling organization and others may, too. Remember that less is more in small places and adding stuff that is missed once he is settled may well make more sense than getting things just in case. It also may help reduce the stress for him.
Bedbugs can live in cracks or crevices in bed frames, too.
Sign up for Freecycle and list the stuff you want that is not bed related or upholstered. Kitchen items, table, chairs, bookcase, lamps. If you are willing to drive around to pick stuff up, you can find good stuff. I like Freecycle better than Craigslist. I have found most users are pretty altruistic on Freecycle.
I donate frequently to habitat restore. Nice things. If you just don’t have time then online target delivery for a bed and frame. Ikea delivers in a certain area around it.
