Furniture is where second-hand really pays off
New flat-pack furniture is cheap to buy and almost worthless the moment it leaves the shop. Older solid-wood and design furniture is the opposite: it was built to last and often holds — or gains — value. Buying used means you can own better-made pieces for less than the price of new particleboard. Here is how to judge what you are looking at.
Read the materials
- Solid wood shows continuous grain that wraps around edges, and end-grain on the ends of boards. It can be sanded and repaired for decades.
- Veneer over solid or ply can still be excellent (much vintage design is veneered), but chips reveal a different material underneath.
- Particleboard / MDF has a printed or foil "wood" surface, crumbly edges, and swells permanently if it gets wet. Fine for cheap utility pieces, but don't pay a premium.
- Joinery tells the story. Dovetails and mortise-and-tenon joints mean quality; staples and plastic cam-locks mean disposable.
Brands and names worth knowing
Recognising makers is where bargains hide — a piece listed generically can be worth multiples if you know the name. Learn the big Scandinavian and mid-century names (think classic Danish and Swedish design houses, Stressless recliners, well-known designer chairs), and always check underneath and behind for maker's marks, labels and stamps. An original marked piece is worth far more than an unmarked lookalike. Our chapter on art & antiques goes deeper on reading marks.
Search the maker, not just the object. Use our search across 70+ marketplaces for a brand or designer name — pieces are often mis-listed in the wrong category or with a misspelled name, which is exactly where the deals are. See
how to spot underpriced listings.
Inspect before you commit
- Sit, wobble, open. Test every drawer and door; rock the piece to feel for loose joints.
- Smell it. Strong musty or smoke odours are very hard to remove from upholstery and porous wood.
- Check for woodworm and pests. Small round holes with fine dust mean active woodworm — avoid, or you risk spreading it to your other furniture. Inspect upholstery seams for bed bugs.
- Water rings, veneer lifting, sun-fade are negotiable cosmetic issues; cracked frames and broken recliner mechanisms often are not.
Hard to resell — price accordingly: large sofa sets, wall units and very heavy wardrobes are difficult to move and sell. Use that as leverage to negotiate hard, and factor transport into your budget.
The practical side
Measure your doorways, stairs and the spot the piece will live before you buy — furniture bargains are routinely ruined by something that won't fit. Bring straps and a blanket for transport. For cross-border finds, run the numbers on delivery first with our shipping calculator; large items often only make sense locally. Finish with the general inspection checklist.