Dear Fearless Homeowner,
So you’ve just upgraded your home...Congratulations!
As you look around your brand new house, the extra rooms and the additional space are so exciting...until you realize you need to fill them! Argh! After purchasing a new home, upgrading those window treatments you couldn’t stand, and repainting the pink bedroom your son was refusing to sleep in, there simply isn’t a lot of money left over for new furniture. Here’s an idea: Have you considered estate sales?
You’ve probably tried Craig’s List and antique stores, but why not give estate sales a try. Admittedly, Chris and I have been to our fair share of duds when it comes to estate sales, but we’ve also walked into a number of treasure troves and made some incredible finds!
Here are my tips for successful estate sale shopping:
-Start by looking in the classifieds. After you’re a more “established” shopper, you’ll get the inside track to the good sales. That really just means you gave someone your email address at the check out table the last time you went to a sale. The benefit of being on mailing lists is you’ll be able to preview sales online ahead of time to decide if they’re worth attending.
-Hold out for Sunday! Most sales run Saturday to Sunday, with items being half-price on the second day.
-If you go on Saturday and find an item you simply must have, put in a bid. Bid winners are called Saturday night, and you can generally bid on anything over $100. Plus, the winning bid is often only a few dollars over half-price.
-Know how much the item in question should really cost. Some sellers don’t seem to realize the item is “used” and the price should reflect that! If the table you’ve had your eye on at Pottery Barn is $1,500, don’t compromise and purchase the estate sale table for $1,200. You can find a better deal elsewhere...or maybe you should decide to splurge for the one you want at Pottery Barn.
-Bring your checkbook. If you’re like me and generally live on plastic, this can be an important one to remember. While some of the more established companies will allow you to use a credit card, many estate sales are paper only.
-Befriend a couple of big burly men (preferably ones who own a truck) before you buy larger items. When the sign says, “You buy it as is, where is”, they mean it! Chris and I bought a large item at a sale last week. While he handily lifted his side, I struggled to pick up my end. Meanwhile, one of the men working the sale stood by and watched. For real.
-Appreciate the fact that someone may have very loving used that oversized stock pot you just bought while feeding a couple generations of children. What an honor you now have to make it part of your own family’s meals!
Happy Hunting!
~Kristin
Chris and I are working to redo one of the rooms in our house and need some new furniture. We found this sofa/bench at a sale this weekend. It’s going to entail a complete redo (the fabric and stuffing is literally falling out), but I think I’m in love. Chris says it reminds him of the furniture in an old hotel in the French Quarter. I’m not totally sure yet if it’s one of the coolest things we’ve ever found at an estate sale or if it’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever bought. I’ll let you know once we have it refurbished.
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