Any suggestions for cheap but cheerful furniture?

jennlx

We're about to move into an unfurnished rental house from a furnished flat and so are in dire need of some furniture. We plan to only stay for a year and hopefully buy after that. We're struggling finding somewhere to buy furniture - very overwhelming to have to kit out an entire house all at once! Obviously Ikea is ideal, but we're struggling with bedroom furniture as the landlords are very fussy and refuse outright to consider any holes in the walls (as necessary for all Ikea wardrobes). We've considered Argos canvas wardrobes, but they're a bit dire. Does anyone have any suggestions for some cheap but okayish furniture? What are we looking to buy? Bookcases, wardrobes, nursery furniture, chest of drawers, bed, TV unit, CD/DVD storage...

The_Old_Bag

If you want NEW then I have never had a problem with anything I have bought from IKEA
You can dismantle afterwards and take it with you.
I have never fixed any Ikea stuff to the walls - and so far had no reason the regret that.
i.e nothing has ever fallen over.

Personally I am totally broke and I get most of my furniture either via Freecycle/Freegle, Local Charity shops, and car boot sales - although most of these will be closing for this year, but some do carry on at indoor sites.

Just because it is cheap it doesn't have to be nasty.
I have Laura Ashley and M&S sofas, Ikea drawers, lamps and curtains from NExt.

Depends how desperate you are ( to get exactly what you want,at a price you can afford you may have to wait a while) if you have transport, and what you can afford.
Good Luck

jenniewb

Agree with Ikea. When I loved it was the first place I went to as it really has everything. Only issue is the delivery costs which can be excessive for what they offer (for me arrived a week late and the driver lost his direction, went to the wrong address and I have to stand on the edge of the street in the rain waiting. All for £30 and that nearly was 7 years ago, costs more now!) If you can, arrange your own delivery or pick up yourself.

I have not found a company who sells the same basic look (others have too many frills or too much varnish) and at the same prices.

Next in the sale can be good, as can M&S but they tend to be 'fight for your life' sales which IMO are not worth the stress!

Or try freecycle?

charlie792

jennlx wrote: »

We're about to move into an unfurnished rental house from a furnished flat and so are in dire need of some furniture. We plan to only stay for a year and hopefully buy after that. We're struggling finding somewhere to buy furniture - very overwhelming to have to kit out an entire house all at once! Obviously Ikea is ideal, but we're struggling with bedroom furniture as the landlords are very fussy and refuse outright to consider any holes in the walls (as necessary for all Ikea wardrobes). We've considered Argos canvas wardrobes, but they're a bit dire. Does anyone have any suggestions for some cheap but okayish furniture? What are we looking to buy? Bookcases, wardrobes, nursery furniture, chest of drawers, bed, TV unit, CD/DVD storage...

Ive just recently moved into a unfurnished rental property, all of our furniture came from Ikea. We got all matching bedroom furniture 'Malm' in oak its lovely, big chest of draws, 2 x mini two draw chest of draws as bed side cabinets, bed, wardrobe, even our mattress, sofa, coffee table and to be honest came to nowhere near as much as I was expecting to pay. It all came with things to fit it to the walls but we haven't bothered to do so and we havent had any problems with it.
We didn't bother with delivery from Ikea, we were hiring a van anyway for the rest of our stuff , so it made sense to go pick it all up at the same time.

cally1_2

eBay is a good place to pick up cheap good quality secondhand furniture.

McKneff

Have a look at freecycle, scour the boards at supermarkets, car boot sales.

sukysue

Delivery for ikea is much cheaper now we only pd £35 for a huge delivery about 40 miles away from the store it wasn't worth the fetching and carrying they were brilliant fellas too!If you use a family card they take about £20 off to start with.

Tim_Deegan

Ikeas quality does vary on much of their furniture, but their mattresses are terrible. However as the OP is only planning to keep the furniture for a year, then it could be worth shopping there.

Procrastinator333

I'm doing similar, though may rent for a couple of years. Argos / IKEA for some. But also try ebay.

We got a 8 seater extending table along with 8 chairs. Still for sale new in IKEA and would have been £800. We paid £120 and hired a van for £30 (weekday).

It looks nice enough and will more than do the job for a couple of years.

Bargain!

Tim_Deegan

Procrastinator333 wrote: »

I'm doing similar, though may rent for a couple of years. Argos / IKEA for some. But also try ebay.

We got a 8 seater extending table along with 8 chairs. Still for sale new in IKEA and would have been £800. We paid £120 and hired a van for £30 (weekday).

It looks nice enough and will more than do the job for a couple of years.

Bargain!

I wouldn't bother with Argos. The only things that are cheap in aregos are things that are reduced to clear. Any other furniture that appears cheap, is very cheap quality.

sukysue

Have to agree with you Tim, we bought bedroom furniture from Ikea and Argos and Argos furniture is rubbish very flimsy in comparison.