by Jaimela King

Created on: August 19, 2008   Last Updated: August 20, 2008

Finding free furniture can be a real adventure; the search is every bit as scintillating as the find. If you have a project in mind and you are a naturally creative person, you can find treasures in a myriad of places, which you can then fashion to your own preference. When looking for free reusable furniture, keep in mind that you are also recycling and as such contributing to a better environment for us all.

Perhaps the best place for free furniture is the side of the road or outside someone's house. The best time to look is the night before garbage pick up in your area. Take a walk or a drive, if you plan to cover longer distances, as you scan the area for that piece of furniture. Don't be apprehensive, the items are put out to be disposed of and I find that most homeowners are happy to know their discards are going to another home rather than the dump. Go later in the evening when everyone's garbage is out for the next day. I suggest you go prepared with gloves, a wheeler for heavier items, and take someone else's along who can help you look and move the items as needed.

I personally know several people who have found some beautiful furniture this way. They have acquired stacks of metal chairs, beautiful wooden garden furniture which only needed a coat of paint and antique tables. You may be looking for a specific piece which means you will need to invest a lot more time in searching for the piece you want. Sometimes you may find a great piece with a broken leg or needing some minor repairs. I don't recommend retrieving furniture that is badly damaged or very dirty; there are plenty of good pieces out there that require a minimum amount of refurbishing.

There are some things to be aware of when using this method to find free furniture. Avoid taking anything that is on someone's property, it has to be on the boulevard or on the city property, obviously for garbage pick up. Sometimes you may find a sofa in front of a property with a "take me" sign, if you like it take it. Be very careful about what you pick up, if you can't see it don't take it. You don't want to grab anything that can cause you injury. If the article is covered with an unknown substance leave it.

We live in a time of extraordinary excesses and I hate to see things go to waste. It is indeed appalling to see the number of good pieces of furniture that are cast away daily. I always wonder why they weren't given to a thrift store instead. You can do your part in reusing and refurbishing these perfectly good furniture finds. You will be saving yourself money and you will be contributing to saving our environment.

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