This post has been written in collaboration with Gumtree
A couple of months ago I visited a friend to see her newly built house for the first time. The house was divine and had the most loveliest floor plan. It was bright and airy and perfect for family living.
I was impressed with the size of my friend’s kitchen island bench. It was huge and big enough to seat the whole family to eat their dinner or for the kids to do their homework. I was particularly taken by my friend’s bench stools which were a modern metal netted chair – something I had been looking for my own island kitchen bench.
My friend told me the chairs were designer (they looked it) and retailed for over $350 per chair. She had 6 of them at her bench. She admitted she didn’t pay that much for them.
When she saw the bench chairs at a retailer and found out the price, she nearly gave up hope of getting them. Until she was looking through a second hand paper and found someone on the Gold Coast was selling the exact bench chairs she was after. She ended up getting all 6 for $300! That’s $50 EACH.
Truth be told I was envious of my friend’s bargain, but it also gave me inspiration to do my own search for similar chairs. We don’t need them yet, but we will soon once Phoebe is out of her high chair.
It’s amazing what you can source second hand and how much you can save by being patient and doing a little research.
Fitting your house with new furniture can be a really expensive exercise if you choose to redecorate and buy brand new, but second hand doesn’t always mean old and daggy. Often people sell new furniture that they can’t get a refund on or they need to get rid of because of personal circumstances.
This time of year can be the perfect time to nab a bargain if you’re looking for new furniture.
How to save on furniture and homewares this festive season
If you’re having guests over Christmas and/or New Years and you don’t have enough seating, check out the bargains on Gumtree.
In the last year I have been on the hunt for a few second hand furniture items for our house to accommodate and entertain guests. I still haven’t quite found what I’m looking for and in the price range I need, but that’s the beauty of trailing second hand stores and researching online.
Some of the key furniture trends that can be sourced on Gumtree include:
Outdoor Timber Setting
Modern Steel & Glass top Outdoor Setting
Outdoor Lounge – Black
Outdoor setting – White
Sun Loungers
Bar Stools
Drinks Trolley
You can save quite a bit of money from simply purchasing second hand. Even Tony Abbot recently bought a second hand fridge off Gumtree to help with Christmas entertaining.
Have you ever bought anything second hand? Do you like to give your second hand items a bit of DIY action?
This post has been written in accordance with my disclosure policy.
