Everything You Need to Know About Second-Hand Upholstered Furniture

There is nothing quite like the thrill of second-hand furniture shopping. This is why people visit auctions, out-of-the-way second-hand dealers, estate sales, yard sales, and more. 

Somewhere between all the other bits and pieces of someone’s life, there may be a real diamond hiding. This includes vintage upholstery in mint condition. It could also be a limited edition turn-of-the-century settee. Or a next-to-new sofa perfect for your son’s college bachelor’s pad. 

But do you know everything you need to know about second-hand upholstered furniture? 

Luckily, we have experience helping avid collectors reach out to professional upholsterers. We can help you assess upholstery quality and deal with defects. This is all to transform a great find into an upholstery masterpiece. Here’s how. 

Everything You Need to Know About Evaluating and Choosing Second-Hand Upholstered Furniture

While walking through an antique fair or a flea market, it’s tempting to grab that 1970s bargain and head home. To avoid disappointment, you shouldn’t splurge on vintage furniture without first taking some considerations. 

When evaluating second-hand furniture, avoid the following items:

• Heavily upholstered and overstuffed furniture
• Smelly furniture (unless you know how to get the stink out)
• Damaged furniture. 

You don’t want to spend your free time repairing furniture before you can begin renovating it. 

Checklist for Choosing Second-Hand Upholstered Furniture

What you should do when checking out the local loot on offer is:

• Check for badges or brand names. When you find a quality brand name on a furniture item, you know you are starting with quality.
• Check for bugs and other environmental damage. If the furniture’s upholstery is crawling with bed bugs and fleas, you must clean it and make it salvageable. 
• Choose quality frame material. Poor-quality materials such as compressed wood or chipboard won’t last as long. 
• Tally up the damage – When shopping for furniture that’s been pre-loved, it is essential to have a triage mindset. You can only save the items that can survive. The ones that are beyond saving will have to be let go. It is pointless to buy a second-hand furniture item and spend hundreds of dollars to reupholster that item. 
• Check comfort – The item may be gorgeous, but will your butt think so too? Sit in the furniture item, test the springs, and ensure the furniture is sturdy and comfortable. This includes the stuffing and upholstery, too. Ensure the foam and stuffing are still usable. Stuffing is expensive, so you should only buy a thin top layer.

Everything You Need to Know About the Costs of Repairing Second-Hand Upholstered Furniture 

Before you hand out your precious cash, factor in all the costs of repairing the item. You need to factor in the cost of materials, tools, and resources like:

• Hiring a steam cleaner
• Buying permethrin sprays to kill off any nasty pests nesting in the antique upholstery
• Time to effect repairs and clean up the piece
• Reupholstery if needed (including the cost of fabric and amount required)
• Replacing worn-out padding and stuffing to fill up the seats and armrests to the appropriate level 
• Resurfacing the existing furniture frame 
• Repairs to chair legs, armrests, back supports, etc. 
• Transport costs if you don’t have a minivan or truck to use

When you weigh these items, you must consider if you can afford a substantial remodel of a classic furniture item. Otherwise, it would be best if you instead opted for a simpler but less extensive DIY repair hack. 

Renovating a great furniture piece is exciting. But it can become a real pain when you don’t have the time or funds to work on the project. 

Everything You Need to Know About Cleaning, Caring for, and Repairing Second-Hand Upholstered Furniture 

Second-hand furniture comes with a history. Often, this is why we buy these items. The chairs and sofas we snatch up at auction tell a story of time. Unfortunately, that time also filled the upholstery with nasty memories that needed to be dusted, washed, and vacuumed. 

Cleaning second-hand furniture involves removing the structure or frame, upholstery, and loose cushions. This requires a lot of space, time, and good sunlight. 

When you take the item home, be sure to set it out somewhere in direct sunlight with good ventilation. Never take a pre-loved item home and simply plonk it into your home. Soft furnishings, in particular, can spread pests if you don’t treat them before moving them into your home.

Place the “new” item in your garage, fumigate it, and clean it thoroughly. This ensures there are no pests or nasty smells in the upholstery. I keep a large double-bed plastic movers’ bag for this purpose. It fits nicely over the furniture I need to fumigate. I slide it over, spray, close it, and leave it for a few hours. 

A good cleaning-up session with some upholstery cleaner can brighten colors and liven up dreary and neglected upholstery fabric. Always test any cleaner you use on an out-of-the-way area to ensure the fabric isn’t too sensitive for the cleaner. 

You can test clean in areas such as under the chair or sofa or where the seat cushions fit. If you see signs of bleaching, damaged threads, and disintegration of the weave, you may have to consider steam cleaning. 

When an upholstered piece has been loved a lot, it may not hold up to vigorous cleaning. Be sure to use the correct upholstery attachments on your vacuum cleaner. Avoid placing the item in direct sunlight too often, as this will further weaken the upholstery fibers. 

The Final Selection of Second-Hand Upholstered Furniture

I love buying second-hand furniture. These pieces carry a rich history. Show these pieces the love and respect due to them, and you have a wonderful furniture item. 

Be careful when buying second-hand upholstered furniture. Make sure you can use the furniture item and that it won’t simply go into storage. Also, select items you can salvage with minimal effort. 

Nobody likes rebuilding furniture from scratch unless it’s a valuable antique. Likewise, nobody wants to run up the expense of reupholstering a second-hand item when the upholstery is completely busted. Enjoy the adventure of treasure hunting, reviving something from an era past, and adding valuable items to your home.

If you must reupholster the heirloom, partner with us. The team at Kovi Fabrics offers the best fabric to make your dream a reality.