It’s possible to spend thousands on furniture. Of course, you don’t have to spend this amount of money when furnishing your home. If you’re on a tight budget or simply looking to save costs, here are 7 tips for spending less on furniture.

Take advantage of freebies

It’s possible that relatives or friends may have furniture that they’re willing to give you for free. This could include inherited possessions or furniture that they’re simply looking to replace. If you’re moving into your first home and you don’t have a lot to spend, it could be worth taking advantage of this free furniture.

It’s also possible to find people giving away furniture for free online. This furniture isn’t always the greatest quality, so be wary of this. The catch may also be that you have to collect it, which could involve hiring a van if it’s a bulky sofa or wardrobe that cannot be dismantled.

Craft your own furniture

Love DIY? One way to save money on furniture could be to craft your own. While building your own bed or sofa may be a challenge, furniture such as shelving units and TV stands don’t have to be complicated. On top of saving money, you’ll get to design it to your very own style and dimensions.

You’ll need to make sure you’ve got all the right tools. This could include buying yourself a glue gun from a site such as Glue Guns Direct, buying a circular saw for easy cutting and a power drill for making inserting screws easy. On top of this, you’ll need to buy your own materials. It’s worth budgeting ahead to make sure that all of this is worth it.

Buy used furniture

Used furniture is a lot cheaper than brand new furniture. There are lots of places where you can pick up used furniture including second-hand stores, yard sales and local selling sites such as Gumtree and Facebook.

Ideally, you should inspect the furniture in person before buying to check that it is in good condition. If you’re buying online via a site like eBay, make sure that enough photographs are provided and feel free to ask the seller questions if you’re not sure about something.

See what’s on sale

Furniture stores constantly have sales on. These are great chances to pick up furniture for half the price that you usually would. Such furniture is still likely to be much more expensive than used furniture, however it will usually be better quality and you’ll be able to get a warranty.

Winter is one of the best times to find deals on furniture. Due to most people having to budget for Christmas, there’s often less demand for furniture and so furniture stores will offer larger discounts to attract customers. You can pick up discount dining room furniture, sofas and armchairs for the living room, and even a hardy bed frame that’ll look perfect in the guest room. The Black Friday sales and January sales are also held around this time.

Opt for flat-pack furniture

Flat-pack furniture as offered by stores likes Ikea has to be assembled yourself. However, it’s often cheaper to buy. It could also reduce the need to pay for expensive delivery and assembly fees that come with standard pre-assembled furniture.

Try haggling

It’s sometimes possible to haggle the price of furniture. This is particularly the case with furniture that has been on discount before or furniture that may have flaws.

In large furniture chain stores, staff may not always have the authority to offer discounts. However, in smaller stores or when buying independently, you almost always have the option to haggle. It’s even possible to haggle online via virtual chats or on the phone. You can look into a few haggling techniques here.

Shop around for finance deals

A lot of people buy furniture on finance. Placing a deposit and paying in installments if often a lot more affordable upfront. However, you should be wary of interest rates in the long run.

Some furniture stores will offer zero-interest installment schemes, which are worth taking advantage of, although credit score requirements may be quite high. If you decide to opt for a loan with interest, make sure to shop around for lenders. Those on a low income may want to consider going through a credit union as these tend to have very low interest rates. Always read the terms and conditions when taking out any kind of loan - be wary of lenders that charge extra fees such as closing fees and even early repayment fees (you should be able to pay back your loan early if you want without having to pay a fee).