Moving to a new flat in London is exciting, but furnishing it on a budget can be a challenge. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to score fab pre-loved furniture without spending a penny! In this post, we list our top 7 tips for finding free furniture in London.
Browse Olio
Olio started as a food sharing app to tackle food waste, but it now turned into an app where people give away 'things' they no longer need, including furniture. It's easy to use - just download the app, browse what's available near you, and arrange pickup. From tables to shelves passing by DVDs and all sorts of items, you never know what treasures you might find.
Check Gumtree & Facebook Marketplace
Online classifieds like Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace often have free furniture sections. People list items they want to get rid of ASAP when moving out. You can find some real gems if you check regularly and act fast when you spot something you like.
Pro tip: Join your local facebook groups to spot items that might not be posted on the marketplace. E.g. if you live in London, search for groups like: "free things in London", "London free stuffs" etc. Do the same with the area you live in, e.g. "free stuffs hackney". You might get lucky and find treasures waiting to be discovered on these groups. It takes a little bit of searching around, but the reward can very well be worth it!
Rescue Furniture off the Streets
This might not sound very sexy at first, but if you've lived in London for a while you probably have spotted furniture on the sidewalk quite often (e.g. chairs, seats, tables, etc.). Stroll the streets of London, especially near clothing donation spots, and you're likely to come across abandoned furniture. If it looks in decent conditions, it's fair game! Just give it a clean and any easy fixes to make it feel like new.
Join Freegle & Trash Nothing Groups
Freegle and Trash Nothing are online communities where people post items they're giving away for free. There are groups for different London areas. Join your local one to see what's on offer near you and post requests for specific items you need.
Pro tip: You can also list items as "wanted" to actively flag to the community that you're looking for something specific. Who knows, you might get lucky!
Freecycle with Ferris App
The Ferris App connects people who want to declutter their homes with those looking to pick up items for free. While not student-specific, it's a great resource for Londoners to find and give away furniture and keep it out of landfills.
Get Free Furniture from Your Community in London
Let friends, family, neighbors and coworkers know you're on the hunt for free furniture. They may have leads or items to pass along themselves. Tapping into your network can give you access to unexpected finds.
Be a Freecycle Fanatic
The Freecycle Network is an old school classic for finding free pre-loved stuff, including furniture. Search for groups in your London area, join up, and post requests for what you need. It's a great way to furnish your home while keeping usable items out of landfills.
Bonus: Score Pre-loved Pieces Using Ganddee
If you can't find what you need for free, you might find the dream furniture for cheap! Using Ganddee - the Google Maps of sustainable shops in London, you can easily find second hand furniture shops in your local area.
For instance, did you know that charity shops also sold furniture?
British Heart Foundation and Emmaus (to only name these) have plenty of furniture and household electrical shops across the capital.
Find all these second hand spots, flea markets and many vintage hot spots on Ganddee!
Using pre-loved furniture is a win-win - you get to create a stylish space on a shoestring while saving perfectly good pieces from going to waste. With a little patience and perseverance, you can furnish your entire London flat for free! The planet and your wallet will thank you.
Happy hunting!
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