My son and his GF are moving into a new apt, and need to buy a sofa, kitchen/dining set, and probably a couple of other things.
I know there’s IKEA, and they have a sale going on right now.
Any other suggestions? They don’t have a car, and I’m not in to driving them around to too many different places, and we don’t live that close to them.
I would be shopping for high quality, real wood, etc., but I know they don’t want to spend a lot.
Wayfair, Anko, Amazon… Not sure if there is one in your neighborhood, a store called Dania is very popular with the younger crowd here in my neck of the woods.
High quality and real wood is somewhere between expensive and very expensive.
Had similar requirements when son was outfitting off campus apartment. Had best luck with Craigslist followed by Housing works thrift shop.
My D loves West Elm furniture. They run good sales, and it should just about be sale time.
My kids have thrifted some furniture and just accumulated a little over time that way.
In my area, some stores that aren’t super expensive but better built than IKEA (and more styles) are places like Jordan’s and Boston Interiors.
Thanks for the suggestions. I know they aren’t going to pay for real wood, etc. - they just want it to look “good enough” and be “comfortable enough.”
I know some things are fine to order on-line, but for something like a sofa, I would want to try it out before purchasing.
I have a relative who is great with thrift shopping, but they need some things ASAP, and without a car, they can’t check out many things from Craigslist.
Agree…Wayfair and Amazon have a lot. Overstock too.
My kids also have gotten some great deals at resale shops and on Craigslist. Like a Pottery Barn buffet cabinet for $100. Like a great wood platform bed frame for $50. Yes, they will need to arrange for delivery, but if the price is right, renting a van for a few hours could make it worth it.
They should check some of the furniture stores as this is clearance time and they might find a sofa there.
The sofa I’m sitting on right now came from Big Lots…and it was $210 and is the most comfortable couch in this house. So check there too.
Room and Board has some reasonably priced real wood furniture.
If you have Dania, their furniture is quite a step above IKEA. We bought this Oregon-made maple bed for our own guest room at Dania:
For wooden furniture Facebook marketplace has great buys. Better quality than the put it together yourself stuff. I’ve gotten Baker and Henredon tables for less than $100.
Just texted son to check facebook marketplace. I have looked at Craigslist near him, and didn’t see anything that looked worth pursuing. They are on the east coast, near DC, so Dania won’t work for them. (But I love that bed @BunsenBurner).
They’re already looking at Wayfair and Overstock.
Great values can be had and good quality at estate sale type consignment galleries.
Check if there is a Home Goods near them. They have great sofas, dining tables and especially chairs. And other fun stuff for the home like mirrors and art. I bought a well made great couch there for about $399 for a studio rental
Another vote for Wayfair and we’ve also had good luck at Home Goods.
We bought a couch on overstock and it was a great price.
Search for sample sales
Fixing some scratches is super easy if needed.
Search for estate sales
Lots of times there is an auction but you can get great quality stuff for cheap and you can look at it first and most will deliver. FYI
West Elm, Room and Board
Thanks everyone. I’ve heard Homegoods can be great - but you’ve got to be ready to jump. There’s one near me, and I will be frequenting it for the next couple of weeks.
I’m trying to remind them they don’t need to get much to start. They have a bed and a desk, and the closets are such that they really don’t need dressers.
So, they need something to eat/sit on, and a sofa would be great but isn’t critical in the immediate future.
IKEA is having a sale, so I will take them there this week. They went to Macy’s today as a starting place.
In my area there is an Uber-like app called, I think, Bungii or something similar. If you find something you can’t carry you summon someone with a pick-up truck just like you’d summon a ride on Uber and they will deliver it.
At Macy’s and the like see if they can buy floor samples. Sometimes the new stuff is coming in and a way to save money… FYI
Do any “real” furniture stores near your kids have local outlet stores or clearance/scratch and dent outlets attached or nearby? We have a Crate and Barrel outlet nearby and I bought all of my kids’ furniture at the Land of Nod portion super cheap.
Anything upholstered like couches or mattresses should be bought new, not at a thrift store, yard sale, or Craigslist due to bed bug issues.
We needed a new mattress set, short couch for an extra room, and dining room table when we moved 2000 miles 2 years ago. A local, non chain store was the best and had free local delivery over a certain dollar amount.