Problems With Choosing Used Furniture

By Kylie Exline on November 16, 2016

This article is brought to you by CORT Furniture Rental. We take the hassle out of furnishing your new place so you can do more important things like read this article. Learn more about why furniture rental is the best way to get a great looking apartment.

As most of us move in and out of apartments, there is a strong possibility that we have to furnish our lovely abode. You know, provide yourself a comfy-ish mattress, a decent sized couch, and maybe even a desk for all of the studying that I know you do. *Wink wink.*

Many of us decide to buy used furniture as opposed to straight out buying new because, well, we are poor college students who also have issues with commitment. I cannot be the only one here, peeps.

When you choose to find used furniture, there are certain reasons as to why you should maybe stay cautious and weary. But in any case, staying optimistic is always a good idea, as is understanding renting furniture as an option. Continue reading to discover the hidden secrets.

Used furniture is easily ruined.

Most of us probably locate our used furniture from the side of the road (no judgement), our great-aunt who has a weird fetish with colonial styled pieces, or even from old college students who are moving on to brighter and bigger things, like being ready to purchase their furniture because they have reached adulthood.

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However, there are some chances you may be taking with this, like it being used and easily ruined. Now, I am not saying there is necessarily anything wrong with used items. Various people have used cars and that seems to be working out perfectly fine for them. Knock on wood.

Since this particular furniture is used, it will not be under warranty in case something goes wrong. Plus, it just doesn’t carry that brand-new smell that accompanies it, though that can be overlooked. May I add, Febreze goes a long way. There are also most likely minor rips, holes, or stains, but this can be perceived as having character. Or if anything, reincarnation exists with furniture too, which I have to admit, sounds pretty amazing.

You don’t know where the furniture has been.

This problem exists for a lot of things, though I would say furniture is a vital one given you lay on it. And no one wants to be laying on something that may have gross, questionable stains or bed bugs. At least, I am assuming most would not hold this desire.

Though many of us go thrifting and wear used clothes, this is a tad different given we cannot completely run furniture through the wash and apply bleach. We can disinfect it with fabric cleaners and the like, but this can only go so far.

But this is the risk you are taking when purchasing used furniture. You are not printed out an entire list of where the items have been, but this is sort of cool in a way too. For instance, your lamp could have belonged to a woman who participated in the suffrage movement in the late 19th century. Or it could have belonged to a junkie who used it for other things. Regardless, we do not know and maybe that is a good thing in the end.

The furniture pieces do not represent you.

A thing with purchasing used furniture is that it may not completely represent you as a person or designer. We may be more inclined to buy an arm chair solely because it is $10 as opposed to the one we truly wanted that cost $45 instead. We sometimes have to accept our losses and move on. I know, easier said than done.

Most of us want furniture that we would actually purchase if money were not an issue. So, this means that we would rather have a style that fits us personally, and not just a random design because it was the cheaper option. If you prefer modern, do not go traditional. Pretty simple.

If you happen to find furniture that maybe does not suit you because it is a bad pattern or color, you can easily buy a cover in a color that you like, or even decorate it with pillows and blankets. At the end of the day, you have to live with it for the time being, so at least design it in a way that you can live with. Do not be afraid to actually have a liking toward your furniture.

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Although there are pros and cons of buying used furniture, you should always weigh your options. Whether you get it from a past neighbor or buy it from a local thrift shop, it is going to be used to some extent. Some problems that can potentially arise include it being easily ruined, not knowing where it has been, and the furniture not really representing you as an individual.

Go the renting route!

Though these are potential risks of some sort, you should select the renting route because the furniture is cheaper, you can easily return it in the end, and sometimes you do not want to hold onto a piece of furniture forever. So, stick to your gut and select furniture that your heart desires.

Looking for an easy way to furnish your off-campus apartment? Renting furniture from CORT saves you time and money. See how easy it is to get great looking furniture without breaking the bank.

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