Written by Sumaya Almanee
Shopping for furniture can be an overwhelming process. There are a lot of options out there, yet finding things for your apartment that have good quality and are budget-friendly can be tricky. There are a plethora of options for buying furniture such as online shopping, thrift stores, garage sales, furniture stores, etc. Before deciding on the best way to purchase things for your apartment, it might be a good idea to familiarize yourself first with the available options to maximize your savings.
1) Furnished housing communities: Most of the apartments in graduate housing are unfurnished (they do come with a stove, oven, and refrigerator). However, some units in Campus Village are furnished. Furnished items in these units include oven, stove, refrigerator, and microwave. Each bedroom contains a bed, dresser, desk, and chair. For more information please refer to the Campus Village Housing website.
Upon your arrival at your new place, consider coordinating with your roommate before purchasing anything new to avoid buying duplicate items especially in the common areas (kitchen, living room). I’d also suggest starting first with some essentials for your place such as soap, toilet papers, a towel, cups, plates, a pillow, and a blanket. You can find these things in stores that are a walking distance from graduate housing such as Target (located at University Town Center) and Albertsons.
2) New furniture: If you have a car or know someone who has a car, a better and more affordable option is Walmart. The closest Walmart store is less than 2.5 miles away from UCI and you can find everything you need from beddings, bathroom sets, kitchen supplies, electronics, storage boxes, etc. For bigger furniture pieces such as bed frames, couches, dining tables, and desks, Ikea is a good option. Ikea carries furniture that is easy to assemble and comes in a wide range of prices depending on their quality and functionality. For example, the price for bed frames ranges from ~$50 to hundreds of dollars. If you decide to purchase furniture from Ikea, you have to choose between either shipping it to your place with an extra shipping fee or picking it up yourself either by using your own car (if it’s big enough) or renting a U-haul. Another decision that you might want to make is to decide whether you want to assemble the furniture yourself or if you want to pay an extra fee to get it assembled.
You can also purchase furniture online from Ikea as opposed to buying them in person. Another good option for buying new furniture online is Amazon. Amazon is my go-to option when it comes to shopping for almost anything! Amazon features a wide range of school-related essentials including furniture. It’s worth mentioning that Amazon offers free shipping for students with Prime Student. You can get anything delivered to your place within two days (sometimes even less) and with no extra charges.
3) Used and free furniture: Since furniture is mostly expensive, most students look for alternatives to buy them at lower prices. One of these alternatives is buying used furniture. The most practical way to do so is to get them from previous graduate students who are graduating/moving out. Oftentimes, senior students sell their used household items via Facebook groups such as SELL FURNITURE!! (UCI), UCI Free and For Sale!or UCI FOR SALE. Craigslist, offerUp, LetGo, and eBay are other alternatives for used household items. Just make sure to meet whoever you are buying your furniture from in public places for your own safety.
If you are hoping to get some furniture for free, then make sure to look out for free household items that are left outside graduate housing. Some students leave their furniture behind, and you can usually find those if you walk around the housing communities, especially at the end of each quarter.
4) Yard and garage sales: There are a couple of yard/garage sale events in Irvine and around campus which you can attend. Make sure to check your housing community emails to find out more about these sales.
I hope this post helped you in figuring out your options for buying household items around UCI and I hope your transition into your new place goes smoothly!