I get asked a lot about how I navigate the big, bad world of Craigslist so I thought I'd post a few of my top tips and tricks for using the site! As you all know, I love buying furniture from Craigslist! It's become a real obsession for me the past few months. I check it constantly and I am always on the hunt for a good deal. I like the site so much because whether I find contemporary pieces or vintage treasures, even if I don't end up buying something it gets my brain thinking more creatively than if I was scrolling through Facebook or other social media sites. I think about what color I would repaint certain pieces, how I would deconstruct pieces to make them more modern and functional, etc. Looking at completely unfiltered and simple images of furniture and other home decor allows me to think of looks that are uniquely my own. When I find images on Pinterest I usually try to recreate them to a T. Just browsing Craigslist (CL) and letting my imagination run wild leaves me feeling more satisfied and accomplished because I come up with a look that isn't a mirror image of someone else's work, just mine! So where do I start? How do I go from typing in "craigslist.org" in my browser to relaxing in my new Rattan Hoop chair? Check out all my tips below to get started on your own CL adventure! Choose where you want to "shop"I like to start off by choosing where I want to "shop." Meaning, where will I be looking to buy things from? I stick to areas that I can realistically get to in a day, which means I try to stay within a two hour radius of my house. Decide what you're looking forI know this seems pretty obvious but like I said, sometimes I just go on the site to "window shop" with no real intention of buying anything! That's what I find fun doing but it's also nice to narrow it down and get more specific, that way the site doesn't become too overwhelming! Under the "furniture" section you can type in search items such as "nightstand" or "couch" or get even more specific and type in "mid century modern" or "vintage," it just depends on what you need and what your style is! Some items that I see all the time are couches, kitchen tables and chairs and dressers. But I promise you you can almost always find anything imaginable, just have to go looking for it! Messaging the sellerSo you've shopped around and stumbled upon the perfect piece! Now when I message the seller (I prefer to text or email because I usually end up asking for more pictures of the item) I ask a few basic questions. I like to keep it short and sweet, keep in mind if people are selling items on the site then they are in the market to sell, not know every detail about why you need this particular piece in your life as soon as humanly possible (although sometimes I would totally love to tell people how I plan on turning their old pieces into brand new ones!) Here's a few examples of emails I've sent out over the past few months; If it looks like the pieces has been in someone's home ask if it's from a smoke free home. Unless you are intolerant to the smell, it's always best to avoid it when you can! I also ask if they'll come down on the price or go ahead and tell them what I'd pay for it. Most of the time people will take a lower price than what they have listed even when it's not that high to begin with (unless stated on the listing that they are firm on price). I almost always ask for a lower price because the worst they can say is "no I won't go that low" or "I won't go below (whatever amount)." And sometimes pieces are just listed too high to begin with! With the right amount of pictures you can tell if something is really worth the asking price or is being marked unrealistically high in price. Making purchasesOnce you come to an agreement with the seller (you don't always have to, you can check out the piece first before committing to anything) decide on where you'll meet. I've been to people's homes before and I've also offered to meet people halfway or even at their storage units. Most of the time though you'll have to go to their house because they either won't be able to transport the piece somewhere else and people just don't like leaving home if they don't have to I've found out (lol I'm the same way though so I don't blame them!) Most CL deals are done in cash so make sure you are prepared with the exact amount. It's a pain to get to the seller only to realize they don't have change for your twenty and you have to find a bank or some other store to get change yourself (I just experienced this the other night...lesson learned!) My second tip is don't go alone! I don't care if you're buying from the sweetest 80 year old grandmother or from someone in the ritziest neighborhood in town, you never know what could happen! I'm also just an anxious person in general and I always feel more relaxed knowing I have someone with me (usually my mom or my boyfriend, props to them!) If you think you can handle yourself just fine, be my guest but there's nothing wrong with going with a friend or a parent! You can totally make it into a fun activity and incorporate some other shopping in or a meal or running errands together. Bringing your new piece homeAfter I've brought my new purchase home I like to give it a good clean. When I bought the leather slingback chairs earlier this year I gave them a good wipe down and vacuumed out the nooks and crannies just to make it feel a little bit newer and more fresh! Plus who doesn't love clean furniture? I'm a big fan! And there you have it! My guide on shopping Craigslist and how I get from point A to point B!I hope that this helps anyone who has never used the site before and you can all get to shopping for that hidden vintage treasure asap!
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"A room should never allow the eye to settle in one place. It should smile at you and create fantasy" -Juan Montoya AuthorHi! My name is Kristen and in 2016 I got the crazy idea of starting a blog and diving headfirst into the world of interiors. I hope you enjoy the content you'll find on k.space and find inspiration to change your space and tackle all of your DIY projects- big or small! Archives
March 2019
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