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A12 BUSINESS
Thursday 29 sepTember 2022

Millennial Money: Furnish your new

place on a budget

By DALIA RAMIREZ of Nerd-
Wallet
Moving season is almost
over. But if you’re one of
the many people settling
into a new home right now,
you might feel like the fur-
niture-buying season is just
getting started. And that
can get expensive.
After paying rent, a secu-
rity deposit or mortgage
down payment plus all the
costs associated with mov-
ing furniture can come as A sale sign stands outside a home in Wyndmoor, Pa., Wednesday,
June 22, 2022.
an afterthought, leaving a Associated Press
less-than-ideal budget for
the items that make your However, you’ll likely need needed to get rid of items
new place feel like home. to find a way to transport quickly.
Even with lower-cost items the items, possibly by rent- HAGGLE RESPECTFULLY
from budget-friendly retail- ing or borrowing a truck, If you’re shopping at peer-
ers like Amazon and Target, or getting a friend to help to-peer marketplaces, ga-
furnishing an entire space you. rage sales or estate sales,
gets costly. And if you want TRY PEER-TO-PEER PLAT- take the opportunity to
higher-end items, a premi- FORMS bargain. Note that the sell-
um couch or bedroom set Peer-to-peer resale plat- er is often trying to get rid of
alone can run you several forms like OfferUp, Letgo the item, but also try to of-
thousand dollars. and Facebook Market- fer a price within a reason-
To save on furniture, try place feature thousands able range lowballing may
turning to your community of secondhand items. You not get you a response.
and peer-to-peer resale might be able to find some “I always compare with
platforms to find quality hidden gems sitting within similar items on the mar-
secondhand pieces, and a 5-mile radius of your new ket,” Escobar says. If it’s a
also spacing out your pur- place. name-brand or vintage
chases strategically. “There are limited options piece, look up what it
FIRST, SEE WHAT YOU CAN at a store like Ikea,” says would cost to buy new or
GET FOR FREE Miranda Escobar, a mar- what other resellers are list-
Before you venture into the keting manager at a tech ing it for. Knowing the ball-
Ikea maze or go down a startup in New York City , park value of the item you
rabbit hole of online shop- who moved from Manhat- want can help you negoti-
ping, see what your local tan to Brooklyn in April. “A ate more confidently with
community has to offer. Ask peer marketplace opens a seller and steer clear of
people you know if there’s you up to different, unex- listings with unreasonable
anything they’re getting rid pected furniture styles.” prices.
of. Escobar’s go-to is Face- SPACE OUT EXPENSES
“Your friends and family book Marketplace, where “Of course, you want to
may be moving, too,” says she searches a single key- get your new place feeling
Henna Noor, a full-time word like “dresser” and like home immediately,” Es-
student at the University of then refines the results by cobar says. “But it’s better
California, Irvine. Noor re- color, material, price and to be patient and wait for
cently moved into her first location. For example, she pieces at the right prices
apartment with a furniture might search for wood that really fit the space.”
budget of under $700 and items under $50 within 2 Waiting on the lower-prior-
scored a free couch from miles of her new address. ity items can ensure you’re
her girlfriend’s parents. “It However, some locales ready to snag pieces at
might benefit them to get have more listings than rock-bottom prices from
rid of an item without hav- others, and it can be time- users who are up against
ing to pay to move it or try consuming to sort through moving deadlines; they’re
to sell it before they go.” the results. Not all items are likely to take the best offer
Don’t be afraid to talk to priced to sell, either; some available.
your neighbors or make sellers are more motivated Patience is helpful when
a request on social me- by making a profit than shopping retail, too: Out-
dia; the people in your life getting rid of old items. of-season furniture is dis-
are likely happy to help “It can take hours of dig- counted in winter and sum-
you navigate this exciting ging to find the true steals,” mer to make room for new
life change. Many neigh- says Noor. Noor checked items arriving in the spring
borhoods also have “Buy the OfferUp app daily for and fall, and most stores
Nothing” Facebook groups a week before her move, offer significant discounts
you can join to give and keeping an eye out for around holidays like Black
receive household items. fresh listings from users who Friday and Labor Day.q