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Furniture Buying
Thanatos
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Okay, I'm moving to Seattle this weekend, and I need to buy some furniture. I'm also a tightass when it comes to money, so the cheaper, the better. I figured I'd probably check out thrift stores for, like, a dresser and maybe a desk, and I've got a Staples gift card for a chair. Where should I go to buy a cheap, comfortable bed? What should I know about bed-buying? Like, aren't there, like, different types or something?
And is there anywhere I should know of where I can get all that other furniture for cheap?
And is there anywhere I should know of where I can get all that other furniture for cheap?
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Ikea tend to have cheap stuff, you just have to assemble it yourself.
But if you think about it, you're moving...so it's pre packaged for you?
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
There are alot of different types of mattress; pillowtop, double pillowtop, memory foam, standard and probably more. The salesmen will help you pick a bed depending on how firm you want it and if you're a back sleeper or side sleeper.
One thing I did not know when I bought my bed is how expensive they are. I guess I always took having a bed and furniture for granted. I got a frame, box spring, standard mattress and a cover and the bastard cost nearly 700 dollars.
Hey, it got me through my student days.
Amen. Just moved to Seattle myself, and managed to find a full-size frame, boxspring and mattress set for $40 on craigslist. It's all about taking some time to look for good deals, and shooting out emails to everyone.
As a side note: If you don't deem yourself above it, there are a surprising number of people up here who just set their old stuff on the side of a road with a "free" sign. Picked up my dresser, chairs, computer desk and lamp that way.
I recommend not doing this. This happens a lot in Boston and people end up with bed bugs and other things that are not so nice to sleep with.
yeah I would never buy a used mattress. But for things like chairs and tables and armoirs and tv stands and whatnot it's fine.
We have an Ikea bed and frame and are happy with it. We also have some ikea furniture that we're happy with. Generally we only buy things that are solid wood, usually pine, and avoid anything that's a veneer. There's a lot of cheap shit at Ikea (that usually comes in a lovely white) but a lot of good as well. Especially useful if you like this more utilitarian than ornate.
My mom works as a manager for an assisted living building and gets tons of deals, and not just because people die. Old people tend to hold on to things, even things they never use, and typically won't bother even thinking of getting rid of it until they're prompted or something reminds them. Could be a good way to get some stuff -- find some respectable ones and ask if they have a posting board.
I generally dislike the couches at Ikea but I also dislike the couches sold at most furniture stores -- huge arms and big bulky frames that take up more space than they should. We have a futon as our main couch and we really like it, but they can quickly get out of a "cheap" pricerange.
Ultimately, for beds you either need to get a boxspring + mattress, or a mattress + frame w/ slats. If you get a boxspring bed, you don't technically need a frame, which can save you a lot of money. My parents have used a bed w/ boxspring, no frame, for over 10 years and have been happy with it. It could be worthwhile to just go to a bed store, including Ikea, and lay on the mattresses to get a feel for what you want. Generally "pillow top" is a scam, and not everyone likes foam.
I have never purchased a bed before, and I'll be damned if I'm going to shell out that much money without educating myself first. :P
The box spring will be higher than the frame with slats and offer a little bit more support as the mattress doesn't have the space between slats to sag. Also, slats can break a lot easier than a boxspring, but they're easy enough to replace
For a quick bed fix you can get an air mattress, plus it will then come in handy when company sleeps over or you go camping or something. I found one similar to this at Shopko a year or so ago and it is really nice, especially when camping. Really saved my ass from getting wet when the tent flooded once.
Keep in mind how much storage you have at the new place. A frame may be expensive at times, but having an extra space to store things out of sight can be nice. We bought long, somewhat flat tupperware containers to store our towels, sheets and the like in, and slide them under the bed. Our closets are too fucking small.
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970666737/
While slats break more easily the thing to consider if the box breaks, or the intenal timber creeps too much (which is a problem is all timber strutures) the box is fucked and you'll need to buy a new one.
If you are going to skimp as much as possible and buy one expensive item, skimp on everything but the matress.
A good matress will give you a good nights sleep. A bad matress wont.
Satans..... hints.....
Box Spring
A box spring typically will offer a little more "give" for a mattress. They're ideal if you like soft beds, although a firm mattress on top of one won't be "less firm." Slats typically include a frame & posts all together, so the bed is "complete" without having to purchase a platform & frame. Because of that, slat frames can be lower to the ground, which some people like and others don't.
Some box springs are really basic -- just wood bolted together in a way that offers a small amount of give. Some are pretty nice, and include their own springs to supplement the mattress. Some very low-cost bed frames include a really basic box spring in them, on the platform -- these are commonly seen in movies with squeaky beds or poor characters/houses
I personally dislike box springs due to their cost -- many cost almost as much as the mattress despite being little more than some unfinished pieces of wood bolted together with some light fabric stapled to it. I also prefer a frame for a slanted headboard, so it's easier to sit up in bed, so my bed uses slats. They do make moving the bed a little easier as you don't have to maneuver a box spring around.
If you're going for a mattress/box spring combo, then also try out the beds. Most places will sell you a basic frame to set them on for $25 or for free. Of course, you can always just set it on the floor. It's not the best for the box spring, but won't hurt it that much in my experience. For pricing purposes, I was able to get a new queen size mattress and box spring with a frame including tax and delivery for $800. This is as low as I've seen prices for a good mattress. As I said, just make sure it's comfortable for you first - if you have to spend extra money to get one that is, it's worth it.
Also, for IKEA beds, you should know they're not standardly sized (as compared with every other store's mattresses and beds), so if you get one, you'll have to get the mattress there too (may be included in the price), and won't be able to swap to a different mattress later.