Where can I get cheap/reasonably priced decent quality furniture?

[Reastie]

Am looking for either a slim wardrobe (which could be easily converted to have shelves in them and ideally with a drawer or two at the bottom) or a tall chest of drawers for the bedroom (after a previous thread I did on here a few days ago about built in furniture which we have decided against).

Have looked at homebase/ikea etc and they have stuff we could buy and afford, but I just sob a bit at the whole chipboard/rickety quality (went into homebase today and wasn't impressed). Maybe I'm pitching too high for our price tag . Looked on gumtree and ebay but nothing suitable for the right size (has to be up to 87cm wide) near us. Have also looked on local facebook selling groups. I like antique stuff but don't want anything dark wood as the room is light wood otherwise .

So, does anyone have any ideas where to go? I don't really know about this stuff so have just been looking online at obvious places. I'd say as cheap as we can get for as good as we can get . Maybe expecting to pay around £200 - £300 but could pay a bit more if it was especially nice. I realise this isn't a huge budget but am hoping we can get something decent with it. I'm imagining a beautiful French Armoire with glass on the front and a single opening door, but I don't think for the price we will manage that (and all the ones I can find are too wide).

I know mn know of great online places i have never heard of before so hoping you can help me out

The furniture on that Pine Solutions website looks nice - can anyone vouch for the quality? Better than Ikea Hemnes?

What about using a courier? That has been a revelation to me! Have bought some beautiful second-hand furniture (OK and one or two fails -- like a rickety Danish rosewood floor lamp) from eBay over last two years, all under £200-300 mark. But I also live in London and the places near here seem basically to be expensive, presumably because of rent. But sellers elsewhere in the country will usually recommend a courier to you and sometimes will deliver themselves for £40 or so. It hurts to pay for the delivery when you're on a budget, but I bought (e.g.) a really lovely condition Austinsuite sideboard (Frank Guille with curvy wave drawers) for £200 and with delivery was still the same price range as IKEA. Completely hear you on the particleboard, though they do have the odd piece with nice veneer (e.g. Ekenaset armchair). Let us know how you get on!

Annie Sloan paint doesn't need prepping/sanding first. You can get quite a smooth finish with a flat bristle brush. I've painted several pieces of Ikea furniture with it. You need to wax it though. I've done a massive dining table and instead of wax I used Fiddes Clear Glaze. 3 coats and I can leave a hot mug or wet glass on it and there are no rings.
Be careful to test first though. I used Original which is almost white and the varnish caused it to yellow like nicotine. Over Emperor's Silk or Napoleon Blue it's fine. Lovely sheen too.

Check eBay, I sold pristine French style painted Barker and Stonehouse stuff for peanuts. The couple drove down from Newcastle because it was a good deal.

I second the suggestion of local auctions. You can get amazing bargains for really well-made furniture.

My dd has got some fantastic stuff from charity shops - I mean sofas that would cost £2000 new for a fraction of that.

As for the likes of chests of drawers, you can find real bargains - solid wood and properly made with dovetailed joints etc. - in antique shops/markets, for the same price or less than you'd pay for considerably less solid flatpack.