I don’t know what happened during the pandemic, but it’s crazy out in these design streets. I mean did everyone look around their home and collectively say “This is a dump! We need to redecorate!” The reason is that it has been so hard to find furniture, new or used, in the last few months. This is why today I’m sharing my strategies for how to find Ikea furniture on the cheap.
How I Find Ikea Furniture For Less!
This all started with a specific furniture piece I needed for the current decorating project I am working on. At first, I thought I would place a desk in a certain area of the room. Thinking that a desk would be a great dual-purpose piece to have.
And I actually found one on Offer Up for $15. I picked it up but then changed my mind. Not because I didn’t like the concept, but because I realized that didn’t have the time it would require to revamp the desk as its current condition was pretty tattered.
First, decide if you have or are willing to put in the time to revamp a used piece or if you would rather find a “like-new” piece instead.
The Perfect Ikea Furniture Piece
Then I found a piece that I knew would be perfect! The lines and wrought iron look of this console I knew would be perfect for the space. Even better it was a very reasonably priced Ikea console called Vittsjo. But here’s the thing, because everyone was all “I’m redecorating my home right now”, Ikea didn’t even have the piece in stock.
No worries, I love hunting for used Ikea pieces, especially because I can probably score a deal. Luckily I was able to find the console fairly easily on OfferUp. I actually found the same piece several times. I say several times because almost as soon as it went up for sale on the app, someone scooped it up before I could even get in the running.
Keep Designing –
Seriously, this console was in high demand. Probably, because it has such simple but stylish design lines. Here’s a similar piece but with a price tag that’s more than x2 the Ikea piece.
No, the Ikea console was the one for me. But I just had nothing but bad luck whenever I would find the piece. It got so bad that I was even willing to drive quite a distance if needed to get.
At some point, I thought I would just get it in another color and spray paint it the black color I needed. Ultimately, I decided that might not be smart because after I factored in the cost of the spray paint, I wouldn’t be saving that much on the piece and may as well just wait and purchase it at Ikea once it was in stock again.
I read somewhere that Ikea furniture pieces should never be purchased new. Probably because you can always find them used.
Time to Switch Things Up
So after having the console snagged away from me several times, I finally figured out what I needed to do to ultimately score this high-demand furniture piece. Here’s the process I used that finally landed me the console:
How To Find Ikea Furniture On The Cheap
- Know the specific name of the furniture piece
- Look for the piece on multiple selling apps like – OfferUP, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Mercari, etc.
- Do a daily search (or even 2-3 times a day) for the item
- Enable the alerts on the apps for when the item is listed
- Look for the piece using alternate terms, like – Ikea console, Ikea shelving unit, etc.
- If you find it, send an offer immediately!
- Offer to leave a deposit or prepay for the item (ask if they will accept payment through Venmo, CashApp, or Paypal).
How I Found My Ikea Console!
I finally decided what I would do was enable the stock alert on Ikea’s website so I would be notified when it was in stock again. In the meantime, I continued my search for a used item. Since Ikea’s website stated that the piece would not be in stock for 2-3 weeks, I felt like I might be able to find the piece for cheaper by then.
Then it happened!
After a few more days with no luck, I did an alternate phrase search and there it was! MY CONSOLE! I immediately messaged the seller and made an offer.
And you know what?
I GOT IT for $10 less than the listed price. Which by the way, was about $30 less than Ikea’s price.
Here’s what I ALWAYS say to a seller – “What is your best price.” This allows the seller to consider lowering the price without insulting them.
Beerbudgetstyle.com
The funny thing is, the seller told me she had listed the item quite a while ago, but because she didn’t use “Ikea” in the title it had not come up in my searches. She listed it as a “shelving unit”. But by this time I knew what the console looked like on sight!
So I finally got the console! And at a deal too! It was exactly what I was looking for and it was in good shape.
Keep Designing –
Use This Strategy On More Than Ikea Furniture
The thing is you can use this same strategy to find pieces other than Ikea furniture too. The more you know about the specific piece the easier it should be to find it and get a deal.
Hopefully, this will make your bargain furniture hunts a little easier and more successful. Even if everyone is looking for the same piece as you.
Want to remember this “How To Find Ikea Furniture On The Cheap”, to your favorite Pinterest boards or social media channels?
