Cheap sofas? Where to buy without looking like student accommodation

[bigbulbs]

I'm about to commence a 12 month rental. I would really like to leave behind my rather old sofa set and get a new one but I don't want to spend £££ when I know I'm only in the new property for 12 months before hopefully I will buy somewhere and invest in actual long lasting furniture.

Does anyone know of any good websites or places to go for a sofa set 3 and 2 seater that will look ok. Happy for second hand but the really nice stuffs still fairly expensive or I can't find a 3+2. Cheap and cheerful really to last 12 months but not look so obviously cheap it's embarrassing, I'm saving the super fall apart in a year stuff for the bedroom furniture safely tucked away from any guests

Ikea

Second hand on gumtree or eBay. Some people get new sofas with slightly alarmingly regularity and get rid of perfectly good ones on there for cheap all the time.

Or charity shops, BHF furniture shops, house clearance places etc

Our local dfs has a clearance section hidden away in a separate warehouse bit all ex display or returns, i picked up a lovely 3 seater v cheaply there.

I’ve just given away 2 sofas on Facebook marketplace. There are usually lots of cheap sofas for sale on there too.

I’d just sth from Ikea and take it with you when you buy. They’ve got a range of prices and it’s easy to get sth affordable and decent.

It’s hard to get rid of them where I live! They go for free on local fb groups all the time.

Some bargains on next sale at the mo Ex display of yr near a bigger store.

I got a fab blue corner sofa for 500 reduced from 1399.

eBay.

But second hand , I know loads of people who sell after a year .. weird but true !

Thanks all I'm not on fb but sounds like I should go and have a browse on there.

I will continue looking on eBay, and charity stores I didn't think of, will have to pay a visit too.
Will also checkout stores for anything ex display. I'm not one for replacing things every year. I wish I could. My current sofa is 7 years old!

Sofa Sofa - I bought from there for my spare room downstairs

eBay, Facebook, gumtree or Ikea

@bigbulbs Charity shops is a good idea because you've got some extra peace of mind that the sofa has been checked out before you get it. I know of someone who offered a charity shop their sofa (it was in good condition) but the charity shop refused to take it because it wasn't in good enough conditions for their standards.

Dunelm have some lovely velvet sofas which are cheap copies of the fancy Loaf ones.

You can now rent furniture from John Lewis - good quality sofa and they take it back after a year. www.theguardian.com/business/2020/aug/15/never-knowingly-under-leased-john-lewis-moves-to-rent-out-its-furniture?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
I think Ikea also do rental.

If you live near a Harvey's or Laura Ashley, do they still have anything in their closing down sales?

@Masterpiece123

You can now rent furniture from John Lewis - good quality sofa and they take it back after a year. www.theguardian.com/business/2020/aug/15/never-knowingly-under-leased-john-lewis-moves-to-rent-out-its-furniture?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other I think Ikea also do rental.

Those prices are bonkers - £80 a month to rent a sofa!

Another vote for charity shops - you do have to wade through a lot of functional but hideous stuff (a lot of it comes from the houses of elderly people and you can often tell) but it's worth it to get something really nice, good quality and affordable. My advice would be not to go for the cheapest - people often have a cap they won't go above for second hand because 'I could buy new for that', which is true but if you spend the cost of a cheap IKEA sofa on a secondhand sofa what you'll end up with will be SO MUCH nicer (and comfier!) than the IKEA one.

Looks at 17yo IKEA sofa and grandmother's chaise longue that needs reupholstering

Why not just stick with the sofas you have for another year if you are planning to buy new when you buy a housenext year. It is absolute madness to waste money on two sofas for a year (never mind the impact on the environment). If you can't stand that idea buy two good sofas that you will take to the new house. At the very least buy second hand or vintage. I'm actually horrified that you would consider buying sofas just for one year.

[quote ChocoTrio]**@bigbulbs* Charity shops is a good idea because you've got some extra peace of mind that the sofa has been checked out before you get it. I know of someone who offered a charity shop their sofa (it was in good condition) but the charity shop refused to take it because it wasn't in good enough* conditions for their standards.[/quote]
@ChocoTrio

Was it “not good enough“ or was it missing the fireproof tag? They won’t take without that.
We had a sofa that was pretty meh generally, but it had the tag, so they took it.

We got a second hand sofa off Gumtree that was originally from John Lewis. It was originally meant to last us a year whilst we saved up and got a brand new one but we ended up keeping it and 5 years later its still near perfect

Definitely Facebook or the like, we paid stupid money for ours only 3 years ago but moving and it doesn't fit right so having to change. I've no doubt I will be selling for pittance compared to what we paid.

Ooo so I've figured I can view pictures on fb marketplace without actually being on it so that's handy and does appear there are bargains although somehow I'm going to have to find someone to carry them and maybe hire a van as well.
Raining too much for me to venture out to a charity shop but I will be soon.
I had no idea you could hire furniture but the rental prices seem quite steep for me.

For the sake of 12m I'd just keep the one you have. One more year isn't bad.

@bigbulbs most areas have a man with a van who will do it for a small fee