When looking around our home recently, it occurred to me that we’re nearly split 50/50 for furniture that we thrifted, consigned or inherited and furniture that we bought new. And honestly, I love that. Over the years I’ve loved the challenge, thrill and hunt that comes with finding items for our home. My love of finding pre-owned furniture began when I lived in my first home after college, when I wasn’t in a place to spend money on new furniture. I stumbled upon a white chalk paint dresser that perfectly fit the vibe I was going for with my basement row home bedroom. Plus, the size was great for my small bedroom, and I knew it could be used in any future home I would live in. It also didn’t hurt that it was $175.

Fast forward to now, and Yale and I have found over 90% of our dressers, tables, consoles, etc. on Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, in consignment shops or had it passed down from family and friends (my parents move last year really helped us in that department). Similarly, we’ve sold between 20-30 items on Facebook marketplace (which I prefer over Craigslist, simply because you can usually see the buyer prior to agreeing to meet).

There are certainly a few things we learned over the years throughout our thrifting experience, and I wanted to share those here!

1) Wait until you have the space BEFORE you buy: I am VERY guilty of buying items prematurely, or that I know I have no room for, or worse, buying for a future home (don’t laugh). While it is fun to dream and get inspired, at times I’ve spent money on items I actually didn’t have room for, or that didn’t end up working in my home. Before we bought this house, I purchased a GORGEOUS vintage area rug that I ADORE. It was my first time buying anything like this, and I didn’t even consider measuring it prior to purchasing. I fell in love with the colors, and didn’t think practically about the size. Turns out it is HUGE and 2 homes later, we still don’t have the space for it. It’s currently wrapped up in our basement which breaks my heart, and I can’t seem to part with it yet. Knowing this isn’t our forever home, I am keeping my fingers crossed it’ll work in our next space. If not, I’ll sell it. I’m still learning how to contain my excitement, and think practically when I find an item, but sometimes it’s impossible not to fall in love.

2) Know what you’re looking for (or have a general idea): I found WAITING to be incredibly important when looking for thrifted furniture. We live in a world of Amazon Prime, and instant gratification, which can make the waiting game with thrifting so tricky, but I think that is half the fun! When I have my heart set on something (a particular look, style, size), I stalk all of the consignment shops I can think of, and FB Marketplace/Craigslist. It took us probably 2 months to find a corner storage cabinet, but once we found one, it was such a thrill (this happened in 2020, so anything outside of sitting at home was a total thrill!). Once you have an idea of an item in mind, be patient. The exact item could be waiting for you at your local consignment shop!

3) MEASURE your space BEFORE (and bring a tape measure on thrifting missions): Whose made this mistake before? You purchased something excitedly, without considering how big (or small) it would look in your home. I know we have. This was particularly true with wall decor, but it is almost worse when you mis-measure furniture. When we’re going out thrifting, I always bring my measuring tape. Some stores have them on hand, but I think it is just easiest to bring my own. Measure your space first, and then double and triple measure the item once you’ve found it. You also might find it helpful to mark it out in your home (with tape), prior to buying the item, if possible.

4) Inspect CLOSELY: This might sound like a no-brainer, but when buying thrifted items, inspect everything closely. That means, if you’re buying an item in person, open drawers, look underneath, jiggle it, smell it (our dining table came from a smokers home, which we realized when the item was in our car and STUNK! It took months of cleaning and sitting with baking soda all over it to get rid of that smell). If you’re buying something from photos alone, ask for TONS of pictures, dimensions, how it was stored, if it came from a non-smoking home, etc. Often, thrifted items are final sale, which means you are stuck with it. Make sure you do a thorough inspection to avoid buyers remorse.

What are your thrifting tips? Anything that has helped you along your journey? I’d also love to hear some of your favorite thrifting resources (consignment shops, websites) or any amazing thrifts you’ve had over the years!!