We’re living in a difficult housing market. Home prices are through the roof—no pun intended—and finding a vacant property to rent is not an easy task. On top of housing market trends are the supply chain issues that are affecting every industry. Furniture and appliances are out-of-stock or delayed for months. Lumber and material costs are high. Let’s take a look at how you can save money by refurbishing old furniture.

So what do we do if we need to cut costs in an inflated housing market? 

Whether you are downsizing, upgrading, or simply freshening up your living room—refurbishing furniture is a viable option to save money. 

With a little sweat, tools, and time, you can cut hundreds off of your living expenses by sprucing up old furniture. 

Here’s a real-life example from my recent move.

Use Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist 

This solid wood coffee table I found on Facebook marketplace was $10. The quality was really nice, but it needed tightening on the bolts.

I recommend filtering to the closest location to you on the search bar. Plus, sometimes you can score free furniture from people who are looking to leave it behind when they move.

Make it Yours 

Even though the coffee table was already finished with a stain and protective coat, I wanted to match it to my existing style. 

I picked up a can of white Rust-Oleum Chalked paint. It gives furniture a texture once it sinks into the wood. 

Time and Effort 

Like all things, DIY projects take time. I started with sanding down the entire coffee table to remove the existing coat. 

You can use a belt sander or your hands but remember to sand with the grain to prevent the paint from sticking to an unnatural groove. 

Once I completed sanding, I slapped 2 coats of paint on the table and let it dry. Optionally, you can add a cost of polyurethane to give the wood a protective coat.

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Of course, you might have different costs depending on the level of effort needed to revitalize your furnishings, but in the long run, it could save you money refurbishing old furniture. 

I recommend refurbishing as a cost-saving method because furniture typically has low-quality material from Amazon or IKEA. Also, you can’t put a price on learning skills along the way.

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DIY cost 

Coffee Table: $10

Chalked Paint: $23 

80 grit Sandpaper: $6.48

120 grit Sandpaper: $6.48

Labor: FREE (unless you put a price tag on yourself)

Total cost: $45.96

Check out other blogs on Bizcolumnist.com, like traveling to Phoenixville, PA, and finding your next experience!