As I sit here on my second hand sofa bed (free, from Mr S’s brother), I can see more items of furniture that were pre-loved than purchased new. The same goes for much of my clothing, ornaments and kitchen bits. So, I thought I would give you a little view on my second hand life!
As I said in this post, there are many reasons I like buying second hand. Firstly, second hand items are cheaper. Sometimes they are even free! When you are on a tight budget, it makes sense to pay less for things when you can.
But second hand doesn’t mean buying poorer quality. In fact, for me it usually means that I can afford better quality. Cheap new items are often shoddy and not made to last.
Living a second hand life means that you can help develop a circular economy, where items are produced and used until the end of their lives, maybe repaired and upcycled along the way, rather than discarded when the owner is bored with them and fancies a change. You get the maximum value from each items and then recycle or reuse as much as possible of what remains.
Here are some examples of my second hand life and some of my favourite items.
Windsor armchair
This Windsor armchair is more than just second hand; it is an antique, given to me by a family member more than 20 years ago. It has been in several houses since I got it, and I love it! I purchased the cushion on eBay recently to tart it up.
Welsh dresser
This is another piece that has been passed through the family. My parents had it made in a honey coloured pine in the late seventies, to go with the honey coloured pine kitchen that my dad made from scratch.
I had it in my first house in Norwich, as they no longer needed it and it was small enough to fit into a snug two bed terrace. It has come with me ever since, was at one point a Brittany blue, but is now a sage green and lives in the kitchen.
All of the china is from junk shops too. There is nothing of any great value, just going for a shabby chic vibe!
Wicker vase
This fabulous vase featured in my Instagram feed recently. I found it at a boot sale for £2, and I love it! The plan is to get some kind of artificial foliage to go in it, if I can find some at a reasonable price. This has to stay in the sitting room where the cats rarely venture, or they will use it as a scratching post!
Sofa bed
As I said, this second hand sofa came from Mr S’s brother, who was also given it for free but didn’t use it. The bonus is that it is also a very comfortable pull out bed, which is great when we have visitors.
Bench
Some years ago we found this bench in pieces outside a neighbour’s house, with a free sign on it. Mr S repaired it and I painted it, and it has been a really useful piece of garden furniture ever since.
It actually needs repainting now, which is on our list of things to get done when the dog’s not looking.
Lamp
I absolutely love this retro looking reading lamp, which was in a pile of things a friend was giving away after a house move. At the moment it hasn’t found its permanent home, but I know it will prove useful somewhere and couldn’t pass it by.
Car
I have never bought a new car in my life, and I am pretty sure I never will. They lose so much value as soon as they are driven off the forecourt. I suppose someone has to buy them new, but I will leave that for others with deeper pockets.
My current model is a 2009 Nissan Note, which is perfect for me. Roomy enough for the dog and all my boot sale finds, but small enough to make it easy to drive and park and economical to run.
Storage unit
This is a cheat, as the unit itself was a rare purchase from new (from Ikea). However, the rose covered boxes were second hand from eBay. Ikea don’t sell them any more so I was pleased to track them down.
I mentioned in last week’s Five Frugal Things post that I have a second hand but very lightly used bed and mattress coming from the same friend that gave me the reading lamp. This has saved a few hundred pounds that I thought I would have to spend, so is a good result.
As the boot sales are back on and the charity shops have reopened, no doubt I will be finding some more bargains to furnish my second hand life with.
What about you? Do you buy second hand and what has been your best used purchase to date?
Eira says
ALL the time! I am very lucky that my dear Husband is a keen crafter/woodworker and can fix things and make them glorious. Our favourite place to find things is the tip shop! He brought home a dining table in poor condition, and after taking it apart and fixing and polishing, it is now a glorious coffee table -in a local wood which is highly sought after and valued and lovely. We also have a bed frame he fixed and stained, now a big feature of our bedroom: wrought iron and wood -my ‘princess bed”.
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Wish we had a tip
Shop
Stephanie says
Great post, as always!
I love your second hand treasures – I think they make a home so much more interesting. In my home, I have a mixture of things I have purchased new and some preloved. The things I love the most are the second hand things. One of my best ever finds is a set of four Ercol ‘cowhorn’ dining chairs. About 20 years ago, I persuaded the owner of a second hand shop (sadly no longer open) to swap a dining table and chairs for them. I didn’t know anything about Ercol at the time, but just absolutely loved them. Later, I noticed the blue stickers on them and have since found out that they are worth a fortune! I also bought a lovely old tallboy from the same shop which I still have. More recently, I bought a fabulous pair of linen curtains, £20 from a charity shop, and a huge cupboard for £50 from Ebay. It needs a fresh coat of paint and new handles but it is solid and good quality and would cost about £500 new.
I made a huge error recently though, and got rid of two 20 year old sofas and bought a new corner sofa from John Lewis for an eye watering amount… it’s a little over a year old and has worn terribly with bobbled fabric, out of shape cushions and generally looks awful! My old sofas, also from John Lewis, just needed reupholstering and I wish I had done that as they were beautiful, heavy and well made. As they had lasted so well, I thought purchasing from John Lewis was a good idea. Not so! I contacted customer service about 3 months after purchase and they offered me a free de-bobbling device! No wonder their profits are down!
I am so pleased that you have continued to blog, and always look forward to your posts!
S
x
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Thanks. Annoying about the new sofas though!
Julia says
We were really lucky when we moved back to the UK 8 years ago with virtually nothing that the previous owner of the house we bought left us almost all her furniture as she was downsizing – 4 fully furnished bedrooms (even down to the laundry baskets & bedding!) 2 sofas, coffee tables, sideboards & bookcases – even a couple of dried flower arrangements in vases and some cutlery in the kitchen!
Still using everything she left (no longer have the sofas as they got too tatty) – even the hand towels and tea towels, 8 years on!!
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Wow, that’s amazing! So convenient too
Tania says
I’m currently hooked on Frenchic paint forum on FB. The upcycling that goes on there is absolutely amazing. I will definitely consider this in future. I may have bought new but I make things last. My last 3 piece suite was 20 years old.
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
I will take a look! People are so clever
Sam says
I have a ladder back chair I bought for $15 26 years ago with a rag rug upcycled chair. My husband never like dit, but I am going to try and get it dug out of the garage as I think my daughter would appreciate it. I don’t have much second hand stuff as so much in the US for decades has not stood up to the test of time. My stuff will, so I am hoping when we downsize, someone will be ale to use for generations.
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
If she likes shabby chic your daughter will love it!
Lee says
Love me a second hand home treasure, and I love to be inspired by others’ stories too. I often look round and see that everything I own is a bargain with nothing new.
My lovely antiquey pine chairs were found at an auction, by the roadside, and in a skip respectively. My 1930s club chair was from a lovely couple on gumtree (it had belonged to one of their dads), my Lloyd Loom chair was inherited, my sewing cupboard with the little Bakelite handles cost a song on eBay, my bed came from a friend who was having a sort out, the pine doors are from Freecycle, and on it goes. It’s amazing what’s out there, it truly is.
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Great finds from the skip and by the road!
Lindsay says
Love this post. I have to confess I was a buy new type of person but now I’m all about reusing and recycling. I do sell vintage china etc online, buying mainly from auctions, but I have to say not all the stock reaches the store!
My next project is to find a small table or set of tables and upcycle them.
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Keeping lovely things you buy to sell can be a big problem!
Eloise says
My daughter moved to a village earlier this year. There is a local scheme to advertise freebies and they’ve got some amazing things ….a pedal car, a child’s wheelbarrow and garden implements, children’s roller boots not worn, a cake pop maker, and one of those outdoor play houses in really good condition.
I’ve told her I’m on the look out for a coffee machine!
They also got a child’s patio table and bench set with umbrella for just a few pounds.
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Fantastic. It’s also a good way of passing on your own unwanted items
Eloise says
Haha, when I told her last night that I’d mentioned her freebies on your blog, she very indignantly reminded me that they have also offered several items free to collectors!