How To Protect Yourself When Buying Used Furniture

Furniture is expensive, and it can be especially tough to afford it when you have to get furniture for an entire home at once when you move out on your own for the first time or start over following a long-distance move. Used furniture can be a great way to create a home that looks great without blowing your budget, but you need to be careful to ensure that it doesn't do more harm than good.

Watch Out for Bedbugs

Bedbugs are tiny bugs that deliver a painful bite. If they get into your home, it can be impossible to remove them without throwing away all of your clothing, linens, carpeting, and upholstered furniture.

If you buy furniture secondhand, go over every inch of it looking for bedbugs, their eggs, and other pests. This should include looking under cushions, in crevices, and at the bottom of the furniture and opening zippers on cushions.

Be incredibly wary of buying secondhand upholstered furniture from anyone other than a reputable used furniture dealer. If you buy furniture from someone who is trying to clear out their entire home, their motives might not be so innocent, and no amount of cleaning can remove bedbug eggs from furniture.

Check for Manufacturer Tags

Quality can usually be seen by the eye. It's not too difficult to tell the difference between a cheap particleboard table and a real hardwood one.

However, sometimes there can be a huge discrepancy in how furniture looks at first glance and how long it will last. Be careful not to fall for a cheap, put-it-together yourself type of furniture that might look like its top-brand quality only for a few years.

Never Accept Furniture That Has Been Outside—Even If It's Free

That couch on the side of the road might look tempting, but unless you just watched your neighbor roll it out and ask them why they're getting rid of it, skip it.

Furniture that has been outside is extremely vulnerable to being infested with bugs or their eggs. There's also a good chance that it got wet from rain, sprinklers, or just the morning dew. Even a little water could lead to mold, mildew, or structural damage.

If you do make a mistake when buying used furniture and your home is infested with bugs, don't despair. Contact a local pest control company, like Suffolk Pest Control,  to help you get rid of them.

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