Thursday, October 17, 2013

Find Old Furniture To Restore



 If you are going to develop your skills, you will have to get hold of old furniture to restore. These days old furniture can be found everywhere and often people sell furniture that is still in a good condition because they do not want to go to the trouble to fix it.
Vintage kitchen dresser restored to original state
The first option is to look at pawn shops and secondhand furniture shops. However, you should be careful because they are in the business of making a profit and you may end up paying too much for it. The main thing is to buy something that you like. It also depends on what you want to do with it. If you are going to keep it the price may not be that important. Should you want to fix it and sell it again for a profit, then price is very important. It’s  important to be aware of prices of secondhand furniture. Make sure that you know the value of a piece before you buy it. Remember if you are going to sell it you want to make a profit and the selling price must be lower than the price of a similar new piece of furniture.
The best option is to buy a piece that is not too badly damaged. Small defects such as cracks or loose joints can be fixed without too much effort. But if you have to replace some parts (e.g. a table leg), then it can become costly. In such a case you may have to go to a cabinet maker to make a new leg and more often than not you will have to take the whole piece apart to fit the new leg. Also, some hardwood types have become very rare and can be difficult to find and are usually very expensive.

Auctions can also be a good source for secondhand furniture. Again, beware of paying too much for it. If a piece is soiled or damaged you might get it for a very low price. Make up your mind what you want to pay for it and stick to that.

Keep an eye on your local news paper.  Be sure to first have a look at the piece before you make an offer. The internet is another option. Gumtree and other similar sites sometimes have good buys. Like with a news paper, you should try and see it before you buy.

To start off with your restoration and refinishing efforts, you should try and practice on your own furniture.  You can then afford to make mistakes.

2 comments:

  1. In the warehouse there are much furniture that stored longer than used it. You can mix and match your old furniture with the new furniture by firstly clean it from the dust and place it in the right place. Michel - Renownedfurniture.com.au

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  2. Great idea if you can find soiled furniture at a reasonable price.

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