Buying Secondhand Furniture Without Regretting It

A great deal of secondhand furniture is a genuine bargain, particularly older pieces built when solid timber was ordinary. The problem is that a listing photograph is taken from the flattering angle, and by the time you discover otherwise you have paid and you are standing in somebody's living room.

Just-In-Time Moving collects furniture across West Valley City and Salt Lake County, so we have seen a good deal of what people regret buying.

Ask three questions before you drive anywhere

Exact dimensions. Height, width and depth, measured rather than estimated. Then check them against your doorways and the piece's destination.

Is there anything wrong with it? Asked directly. Most sellers answer honestly and it saves both of you a wasted trip.

Photographs of the back, underneath and the joints. This one question filters out most of the bad purchases, because those are the angles nobody photographs voluntarily.

What to check when you get there

Rock it. Any wobble in a table, chair or case piece means loose joints. Repairable on solid timber; usually terminal on particleboard.

Look underneath. Solid wood, plywood or particleboard tells you what you are actually buying. Water staining at the base tells you where it has been standing.

Smell it. Smoke and damp do not come out of upholstery and it is the most common regret with sofas. Trust your nose over the price.

Open every drawer and door fully. They should run and close properly.

Press on the seat and along the arms. Feeling the frame through the padding means the padding is finished.

Check for pests in upholstery, particularly seams and underneath. This is the one problem that follows you home and becomes an expensive one.

Sort out the collection before you commit

The commonest secondhand mistake is buying something and only then working out how to move it. That is how a bargain acquires a second cost.

Ask whether the seller will help load, whether there are stairs at their end, and whether it comes apart. Ask if it was assembled in the room it is in, which frequently means it must be dismantled to leave.

Then arrange the collection before you pay. We will quote from photographs and the two addresses.

Call (435) 862-3080 or email office@movingjustintime.com.