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Original poster

Ds has been offered a flat but he doesn't have furniture.

275 replies

Yellowrose57 · Yesterday 20:10

My son has been offered social housing.i can help him with sone things. But not larger items.

I'm hoping i can find a charity of some sort that sells 2nd hand furniture. As we could probably get most things he needs under one roof and its likely they will deliver.

Just to ad British heart foundation and simlar are to expensive. We can't use free cycle . Facebook anything that requires collection . We do not drive or have access to a car. So it makes sense to use a charity

So bit of a long shot but does anyone know of charity's that sell 2nd hand furniture in the southeast london area..

Thanks 😊

OP posts:
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DelurkingAJ · Yesterday 20:15

I hate to be that person but when we rented our first flat (20 years ago) we did buy a mattress but that was it. We sat on the cardboard boxes we’d used for moving and ate on our laps. We then slowly acquired stuff. New to us (apart from the mattress) didn’t happen until about four years later.

Admittedly we didn’t need white goods, there was a washing machine and fridge with freezer compartment. I hope you manage to get those easily.

ALovelyPinkUnicorn · Yesterday 20:15

Can he take his current bed so he at least has that?

Thingamebobwotsit · Yesterday 20:17

Olio is worth checking. Most people on there are within a certain radius so potentially you could collect smaller items. They also have a wanted section. We rehomed a lot via that following an elderly relative moving into a care home. Lots of items were in excellent condition with plenty of life left in them.

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kookieCrumbles · Yesterday 20:18

Google and check if there’s a st Vincent de Paul’s near.

tripleginandtonic · Yesterday 20:21

What's his weekly budget?

JC89 · Yesterday 20:22

See if there's an Emmaus nearby, the one near us has lots of furniture and does deliver

DontrockthecaravanGeoffrey · Yesterday 20:24

Came to say Emmaus.

Also, people who are wanted to get rid of things e.g. fridges, sofas on Facebook/Freecycle will sometimes deliver just to get rid of the thing.

Original poster
Yellowrose57 · Yesterday 20:25

ALovelyPinkUnicorn · Yesterday 20:15

Can he take his current bed so he at least has that?

Yes he can. So thats at least something.

OP posts:
8TinyToeBeans · Yesterday 20:26

Could it be feasible to look at freecycle or similar, then a man-and-van service to move it to the flat? We did that when we had to move stuff for my gran but that was many years ago so I don't know the going rates now.

Failing that, I'd go with very minimalist approach and add bits gradually. When we moved into our first flat we had a bed with cardboard boxes as the side tables. We had an old 3rd hand sofa and our coffee table was cardboard boxes with an old freebie offcut of kitchen counter on top! We had no money for anything else or anything better. The bed came from my gran's spare room, and the sofa from my now-husband's parents home (it had been the 'kids sofa' in the play room for my husband's entire childhood, and had been his aunt's before that). I remember the excitement of finally saving enough to buy a coffee table. Happy days!

CheeseWisely · Yesterday 20:26

I would echo don’t totally rule out Facebook Marketplace. I’ve delivered bits in the past when it’s been local, for a couple of quid more than I’m selling for.

Littletreefrog · Yesterday 20:27

Check out Facebook marketplace for free things. It doesn't have to be perfect straight away, for example it might be hard to persuade someone to deliver a sofa they are giving away free but he should be able to collect say some folding chairs on foot or on the bus.

Velvera · Yesterday 20:28

People sometimes put free stuff on gumtree. They might deliver if you offer petrol money.

PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich · Yesterday 20:28

CheeseWisely · Yesterday 20:26

I would echo don’t totally rule out Facebook Marketplace. I’ve delivered bits in the past when it’s been local, for a couple of quid more than I’m selling for.

Yes, I have too. Lots of people will be amendable if it means they get rid of what they no longer want.

RandomMess · Yesterday 20:29

Contact your local Salvation Army

BecauseofyouIlearntnottotrust · Yesterday 20:31

DelurkingAJ · Yesterday 20:15

I hate to be that person but when we rented our first flat (20 years ago) we did buy a mattress but that was it. We sat on the cardboard boxes we’d used for moving and ate on our laps. We then slowly acquired stuff. New to us (apart from the mattress) didn’t happen until about four years later.

Admittedly we didn’t need white goods, there was a washing machine and fridge with freezer compartment. I hope you manage to get those easily.

We had a mattress and two garden chairs.
We had a front door of our own and were so happy with that.
Everything else was added slowly after. Good memories 😁

rwalker · Yesterday 20:33

He takes his bed
deck chairs/garden furniture or bean bag
clothing rail and bags for life or plastic tubs for socks and underwear

AntsMarching · Yesterday 20:37

Have a look at Besoms charity to see if they service your area. They do delivery.

oohgoodcupofteanicky · Yesterday 20:38

Why can’t you use freecycle?

soleenq · Yesterday 20:38

DelurkingAJ · Yesterday 20:15

I hate to be that person but when we rented our first flat (20 years ago) we did buy a mattress but that was it. We sat on the cardboard boxes we’d used for moving and ate on our laps. We then slowly acquired stuff. New to us (apart from the mattress) didn’t happen until about four years later.

Admittedly we didn’t need white goods, there was a washing machine and fridge with freezer compartment. I hope you manage to get those easily.

Thats the way. Social housing is cheap

OhBettyCalmDown · Yesterday 20:40

Facebook marketplace and free cycle are probably a good shout here

clareykb · Yesterday 20:41

Echo Freecycle and fb market place I have got some stuff from there that was literally round the corner...and me and the person selling carried them round.

Wirkwirk · Yesterday 20:41

What does he "need"?

When we moved into out first home, we did buy a bed and a microwave. My parents lent us some garden furniture which was our living room furniture until we could buy some and DH bought the portable TV from his childhood bedroom.

There are places that can help though. Freestyle and FB Marketplace are.good places to start.

If he can't collect from Freecycle etc, how does he plan to move the bed?

Poppingby · Yesterday 20:42

Put a message on the FREE STUFF Southeast London Facebook page explaining the situation and asking for help. I bet you will get loads of offers and stuff.

Shhhhdonottell · Yesterday 20:42

Ask the council if they know of any. Also look at olio. Do you or his mates or family drive? If so, look in furniture charity/2nd hand shops, ask them to hold onto stuff for you until you can arrange someone to pick them up

ChickenBananaBanana · Yesterday 20:43

I did a moonlight flit and moved in with a mattress from.b&m. He can add to it as he can afford it.