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

[Yellowrose57]

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 😊

Good luck to your son, I wish mine was as lucky. He just needs to move in and save up for a second hand item one item at a time. That’s what I did when my son was a baby after being homeless.

I would try to see if there are free or cheap fridge freezers that someone is willing to deliver. They fit in a car generally - I think anything that fits in a car you'll be much more likely to be able to find someone willing to bring it to you for free or a few pounds. It's bigger things like sofas and beds that are more difficult.

Have you asked the housing association if they can recommend anyplace that could help him? He won't be the first tenant in these circumstances and they may well have contacts he could apply to..

Don't rule out things like FB Marketplace. DM got a sofa for free on there recently, and the people giving it away delivered it to her, and also took her old one away (they were off to the tip anyway).
It is worth an ask, and you would probably be surprised at how generous some people can be.

I can afford to live and pay bills, but if I had to start again from scratch with nothing at all, I would find it a huge struggle.

I have been living in my place for 25 years and bought none of the furniture.
you have a bed - you can coordinate
larger item pick up
to one day and
get a
van.

i started off with deck chairs as
living room furniture.
a lot of the larger items I just walked back to mine from neighbors who were giving things
away.

I have also passed things along.

Some of BHF stuff is really quite expensive, I was surprised at it. I think charities that are local to you might be your best bet so I would have a look on a local facebook group to find out what’s local to you/him. Hope he enjoys his new home.

We used boxes and a rail (£15 off amazon plus hangers for £4). For a few years and built up to a sofa etc. Join the local FB and see if stuff is going and walk it round. Our sofa was horrible but free!
Mustard Tree sre good in Manchester, maybe one near you?

My parents have delivered furniture via freecycle and marketplace before, and even put up curtains etc for people. Some people are just nice and enjoy helping others. No harm in asking :)
How exciting for your son. Good luck to him!

That amount of money could buy him a few second hand white goods surely plus other items.

I moved in here with nothing. Friends gave me a futon sofa, which I slept on for a few weeks, then the council awarded me a grant/loan - can't remember which - to buy basics.

PP would probably call my place 'squalid' now, but it's home!

Most people build up from nothing with first homes. If you want him to improve his money management he should really be the one doing this level of planning for furniture etc. Part of the budget will need to be delivery - everyone had to budget this way for big furniture, he'll just have to save up a bit more to cover it!

If you're hiring a man with a van to move the bed anyway, he could have a look on Facebook market place a week or so before he's due to move, and see if he can find anything and message the people who put it up about only being able to collect on a certain day due to having to hire someone to move it, so could they keep it a couple days etc. May also apply for charity shops, free cycle etc.

Also he could have a look at Asda/Tesco/Argos/IKEA for stuff - whether it's bit of furniture that he actually wants, or an £8 camping chair to just see him through whilst he saves up for a couch. The cube storage units are great for being flexible and smaller ones could be transported on a bus if needed, or he can pay for delivery. Get him to make a list of what he wants, and put it in order of priority. You could also make a list. Then compare them, get him to add what he's forgotten and start looking up some prices for the bits he wants, and help him make a saving plan.
I'm assuming he's after stuff like big tv, games consoles etc, and has forgotten he'll need to buy plates, cutlery, kettle, lamps, toothbrush holder etc, so your list may be a good reminder for him.

@yellowrose57,Emmaus in Elmley St in Plumstead have a large warehouse full of second hand stuff and reconditioned electrical goods. For £200 at Emmaus, he’d get a fridge freezer, cooker and probably a table and chairs and a sofa. The beds are new and about £60 for a single.

Post on your local village/town facebook page. There’s usually plenty of people willing to give away or sell stuff cheaply simply because they want rid of it. Maybe offer something for delivery?

Does he have everything else ? Pots pans cutlery crockery glasses utensils towels bedding tea towels and what not ? Curtains / blinds.
For now his bed a couple of camping / garden chairs and maybe a little unit to put a tv will be fine. And get furniture as each room is decorated and carpeted.

I dont think its pretend squalor. Why would someone choose to have a deckchair as their only chair or sit on/use a box as a table. Can confirm it still happens and not out of choice.
What's your solution?

You may also get discount if on certain benefits and free delivery. May differ between areas.

Maybe it depends on the location I'm not sure but sofas seems to be 200 plus. Other things serm expensive ad well. And its not about 20.00 delivery it's the cost of the item .

People have suggested I put a wanted add and say we have don't have transport. So i will do that.
He can hes just gong to hsve yo msnsge his money bettrr

Maybe it depends on the location I'm not sure but sofas seems to be 200 plus. Other things serm expensive ad well. And its not about 20.00 delivery it's the cost of the item .

People have suggested I put a wanted add and say we have don't have transport. So i will do that.
He can hes just gong to hsve yo msnsge his money bettrr

Like others, I only had a mattress on the floor to start with. It was from my childhood bunk bed, so narrow and only intended for a child weight. Borrowed a futon sofa for sitting room. Borrowed a table and chair. Cheap bedding and towels. Bought a 'student kitchen starter set' from somewhere like Argos - most supermarkets sell similar packs for about £30. And that was about all I had for the first year. Didn't have a TV.

It wasn't squalor, it was basic, not particularly comfortable but when you are young and starting out, you cannot have everything from day one.

As someone who has previously used other people’s garden furniture-and slept in a sleeping bag- I agree with what others are saying.
He can probably get a small fridge and do without freezer. Buy an electric hob for £20 from b and m.
ask around at work- in my experience someone is always replacing a microwave.
and as others have said there is a major colc at the moment. If he can’t manage the basics how on earth will he manage the bills ?

He could try to get registered here?

So between you and him there is not 1 person with a car?
Has he not got friends / work collegues?

I’m in the north but a lot of churches seem to run furniture stores . Put ads on fb marketplace some people are willing to deliver . Good luck

Stop solving his problems for him. Cut those apron strings. Has he done anything to help himself, either practically or financially?

Why is he bad with money? It sounds like it might be a generational pattern - what is he doing to get better habits?

I think you're too hung up on the lack of car. Surely he can carry stuff? You can take SO much on the bus, tube, overground, DLR, tram. Borrow a bicycle to balance larger furniture.

Keep an eye out on the street. Plenty of people put stuff out for free in London. I've found nice blinds (fabric and wood), side tables, cabinets.