Where to Find Great and Affordable Furniture for Your Apartment

By Madison White on June 17, 2019

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.

Browsing furniture websites can be daunting, especially when the prices for a decent couch seem sky high. As a student, you probably can’t afford to outfit your apartment with all new furniture, so what should you do? Check out these helpful tips for scoring some cheap, or even free furniture, to help you make your apartment a home in no time!

1. Try renting

You may already be leasing your apartment, but have you ever thought about renting furniture as well. Because most students will switch accommodation from year to year, or even multiple times a year, having to move around all your furniture can be expensive and exhausting. If you are a student who is living far away from home during the school year, furniture can be especially difficult to navigate during the summer. If you bought your own, you would have to consider finding a place to store it for months at a time, and that money can definitely add up.

Luckily, there is a great option for you if you’re looking to furnish your apartment without having to make pricy down payments on a bunch of items you don’t really want to keep long term. Renting furniture is an exceptionally convenient and affordable way to furnish and decorate your apartment. Websites like CORT Furniture Rental have an amazing selection of all the furniture and decorations that you can rent for select prices.

The furniture rental process is simple: pick out the furniture you want to rent, select how long you want to rent for (the longer your rent, the smaller your monthly price), and set up a time for your things to be delivered. You can even set up auto-pay so that you don’t have to think too much about paying the monthly furniture rental fees!

2. Look at local marketplaces

When you’re trying to furnish an apartment on a budget, look no further than your local online marketplace. People are constantly looking to get rid of older, gently used things when they update their own homes. Because many of these people are desperate to get their old couches, chairs, and tables out of their house, they will almost always sell the items at discounted rates.

People will most often use websites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to list the items because the listing will only be available to people in the area. This is helpful to you so that you won’t have to worry as much about transportation costs.

These websites are updated constantly and frequently have a quick turnaround meaning that something on sale today may be gone tomorrow. There are a few tricks to making successful purchases from these websites. If you are interested in the item for sale, you should contact the seller as soon as possible and inquire about its availability. If you plan on negotiating the price, you should be upfront about what you are willing to pay. Remember to always be respectful of other people and do not offer prices way lower than the listed price. You should always go see the item before agreeing to buy it. It is always a good idea to bring a friend or family member with you to see an item for safety reasons.

3. Ask friends and family

Sometimes it can be difficult to ask people for things that you need, but doing so can pay off in big ways. When it comes to furniture, you can almost always count on friends and family nearby to have things that they no longer use or want to get rid of. If you aren’t particularly picky, you should be able to furnish an apartment with couches, chairs, tables, lamps, and other things in no time.

If you can, just bring up the fact that you’re trying to furnish your apartment when talking to friends and family. When you raise the topic, you could gently ask if they have anything they’re not using or wanting to get rid of. Never demand things from anyone. It is more than likely that they will respond with something like “We have a sofa downstairs that we don’t use.” This is a perfect opportunity for you to score some cheap, even free furniture, as well as help them by taking it off their hands.

Another helpful tip is to put out some posts on social media where extended family members might see it. If anyone offers you something, don’t feel obligated to take it, but do always thank them for their generosity.

Furnishing a college apartment may seem like a difficult task at first. With high prices and fees, it can seem impossible to find furniture that will work with a college budget. However, with these helpful tips and tricks, you’ll be well on your way to scoring some really affordable furniture. 

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.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format