Buzz
Furnishing your home on a shoestring budget often leads to creative solutions (perhaps using a plastic storage bin as a makeshift coffee table). But when funds are tight, it's a challenge to quickly find decent pieces. That’s when you start negotiating on Craigslist or hope you’re the first to grab a Freecycle offer before anyone else does.
Unlike a typical Marie Kondo-style garage sale or someone selling a single item, moving sales are geared towards people who need to get things out quickly.
People in moving sales are in a rush to offload their stuff, and the deal usually comes down to your offer versus them just donating it to Goodwill. I’ve scored great bargains on secondhand Ikea pieces, cookware, vintage mid-century furniture, a Lasso Fan, a Canon printer, and shelves.
If you’re after bigger items like a bed frame or an eight-seat dining table, you’ll need to plan ahead and have a large vehicle ready. When someone’s moving, they want to clear out their belongings fast and likely won’t want to deliver it to your door.
While renting a truck or asking a friend with a larger vehicle might seem like an extra cost, it could pay off when you consider the discounts available at a moving sale. For example, if the seller is offering several Ikea furniture pieces in excellent condition, you might get them at a reduced price—and the best part is, they’ve already done the assembly for you. This saves both time and money.
