10 Craigslist Tips & Tricks

If you're willing to do a piffling extra work, secondhand items are a corking agency to create a genuinely unique abode on a pocket-size budget. And yous know I hateful it! One of my favorite sources of corking secondhand items is Craigslist. And since you've asked, today I idea I'd percentage a few of my favorite tips. So, hither they are...my 10 Craigslist Tips!

#1. Frequency, Baby.

When it comes to Craigslist shopping, frequency is key. It's merely similar thrifting inwards that the to a greater extent than yous do it, the amend materials you're gonna find. There are hundreds of items inwards each expanse that become upwards on Craigslist every unmarried day, as well as most of the fourth dimension the practiced materials is gone inwards less than a day. I depository fiscal establishment friction match the site several times a calendar week as well as search for the specific items I'm looking for. With a little persistence, I tin normally discovery precisely what I looking for.
 For example, after a few weeks of searching for a very specific item...a Queen Anne trend tufted upholstered chair (for nether $20...mandatory.), I establish this hottie for $15. 

This piffling thang needs some work, but I'm thinking it volition live the perfect champaign of written report for me to larn how to reupholster something amongst tufting. 

Sigh.

This experiment could become downhill FAST, thus wishing ol' blueish luck.

#2. Use Keywords
Knowing how to utilisation keywords is super helpful when finding the correct materials on Craigslist. Let's utilisation my Queen Anne tufted chair equally an example. If yous are looking specifically for that, search 'Queen Anne Tufted Upholstered Chair'. If naught shows upwards amongst your super specific search, drive leaving out dissimilar words as well as merely searching 'Queen Anne Chair' or 'Tufted Chair' or 'Upholstered Chair'. You never know how people volition pull their item, thus yous may cause got to utilisation several variations of your keywords.

Personally, I honey using Craigslist to discovery corking antique as well as vintage pieces that can't live establish inwards stores anymore, as well as these keywords are a corking starting point. 

For example, I establish this amazing mirror merely today for $50. 

#3.  Use multiple spellings 

If yous can't discovery anything amongst keywords, drive dissimilar spellings of the word. Misspellings are a mutual employment on Craigslist, as well as if a give-and-take is spelled wrong, yous may non discovery the listing. For example, when I establish my office desk, I was searching for 'tables', equally I knew I wanted to utilisation a pocket-size dining tabular array equally my desk. After coming upwards empty handed, I randomly decided to drive searching 'tabel' as well as that's when I establish the perfect tabular array for $50 that had gone unnoticed for ii weeks. I realize it's ridiculous, but yous would live amazed at how oft this flim-flam has worked for me. 

#4. Use synonyms

Similar to #3, if naught else is working, drive searching for synonyms of the item yous desire to find. For example, when searching for my table, I searched for all sorts of related items similar the following: dining table, entryway table, buffet, console table, sideboard, wooden furniture, furniture, dining set, desk. Eventually, it's highly probable yous will find something. 

#5. Search By Picture.

To brand all of this searching a fleck easier, I ever conduct to search inwards 'pic view', as well as thus likewise click on the tab higher upwards that says 'has image'. This filters out all the listings that don't cause got images, as well as thus allows yous to take in all the pictures inwards the residuum of the listings. You tin hover over whatever of the thumbnails, as well as the large painting exhibit volition popular up. It's an awesome characteristic as well as makes life thus much easier.

If you're life revolves unopen to Craigslist. UNITE!

#6. Look for things amongst a corking shape.

When looking for your adjacent corking slice of furniture, don't live deterred past times things that merely facial expression ugly. Seriously. Give it a infinitesimal as well as facial expression beyond the headgear as well as jorts. As long equally they cause got a corking shape, as well as you're willing to do a piffling work, yous tin ever paint, stain, reupholster, as well as bedazzle merely nearly anything. For example, this miserable piffling fella I establish on Craigslist a few years ago...once an ugly duckling...

...now a total swan.

#7. Negotiate

Once you've genuinely establish an item you're interested in, it's fourth dimension to contact the seller. I normally prefer to e-mail a seller commencement as well as negotiate the toll correct off the bat, offering less than what it is listed for. Once the details are worked out, I follow upwards amongst a telephone phone telephone to setup the meeting. 

Here's what yous demand to know. Craigslist is similar a garage sale. People normally facial expression yous to haggle. Basically, at the 8AM garage sale you're gonna pay $30 for that amazing lamp. By 3PM, the seller is loading it inwards your van for free. 

When I was looking for a headboard for our guest bedroom last year, I establish a corking forest headboard for $50, as well as was able to negotiate it downwards to $25 past times letting the seller know that I could alternative it upwards that same day.

#8. Be quick.

 I've learned from selling on Craigslist, that if a buyer can't adjust to pickup the item quickly, I'll normally merely motion on to some other interested buyer. Buyers tin live flaky similar a croissant on Craigslist, thus sellers normally won't hold back unopen to for yous if at that topographic point are other interested buyers. You'll acquire dropped similar a hotcake. If yous desire to acquire the practiced stuff, as well as at a corking price, allow the seller know that yous tin acquire the item ASAP as well as thus follow through.

#9. Feel costless to country no give thank yous you.

 If yous exhibit upwards to acquire the item, as well as it merely isn't what yous expected, country no give thank yous you. For example, I should cause got totally employed this tip on the table that is yet haunting me to this day. Do your due diligence earlier mitt as well as enquire nearly measurements or anything else non inwards the listing thus that yous tin avoid an awkward province of affairs as well as avoid inconveniencing some sweetness former human being amongst a table.

#10. Stay SAFE.

We prefer to purchase from people we've talked to on the phone. It leaves a record, as well as puts us at ease past times hearing their voice. We ever setup our coming together at a world place away from our abode as well as allow a friend or relative know when as well as where we'll be, along amongst the make/model of the machine as well as the parent of the individual we're meeting. I almost ever purchase smaller items that tin live transported to a secondary location, but if I cause got to become to someone's home, I ever cause got Jesse or a super burly relative amongst me. Burly men come upwards inwards handy when lifting large items and/or fending off weirdos. 

Have ane handy.

Don't brand him fish you. 

Basically, merely live cautious, trust your gut, as well as do things the correct way. As long equally yous are careful, yous tin genuinely discovery some awesome materials as well as cause got tons of ridiculously strange fun doing it.

Virginia as well as Jesse post-craiglisting circa 2011. (That mightiness likewise merely live an awesome appointment picture, but it serves our purposes, thus shhhhhh.)

So, that is all for today, my friends! Thanks thus much for stopping by! Feel costless to pivot this post thus yous tin discovery it later!

Happy Craigslisting!

That's all for today! 'Til adjacent time!

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Decorating Mistakes & Lessons: i Bedroom, ten Ways

When nosotros showtime bought this solid a few years ago, I envisioned that I would somehow receive got tons of coin in addition to would but become to all the stores in addition to purchase all the stuff. 



Obviously, that didn't happen.

When I expected to experience similar this...

I ended upwardly feeling similar this.

 I don't know what but happened there.

Due to some normal-people budget hurdles, furnishing our solid took a lot longer than I expected. I ended upwardly getting almost 90% of our article of furniture from thrift stores in addition to and thus redoing it myself. But, every bit amongst all things, at that spot was a fleck of a learning curve, in addition to my showtime few attempts were less than desireable. 

But, I don't regret it. It's embarrassing to facial expression dorsum on, but if I hadn't done all of this I would receive got never realized what I loved doing. And also, this weblog likely wouldn't exist.

Plus, my means constantly evolves, in addition to I'm glad I was forced to experiment for awhile rather than purchase a bunch of expensive materials that would exclusively drive me crazy today.

There was definitely a yell for early where I was searching for a dark pleather headboard.

So, omg.....close call.

 So, that beingness said, I idea it powerfulness move fun (for you) to encounter how some of our rooms receive got evolved through the years. I computer programme to acquire to some of the other rooms later, but for forthwith we'll but start amongst the bedroom. Some of these photos receive got never seen the lite of day, thus concur my manus piece nosotros walk downwardly retention lane.

Hold it tight.

  

Version #1.

The real showtime fourth dimension nosotros saw this house, the original sleeping accommodation is what stood out to me the most. It was horribly outdated, but at that spot was thus much potential. 

This is the photograph of the room that was inwards the existent estate listing.

Version #2.

We bought the solid in addition to moved in, in addition to for the showtime 2 months, nosotros slept amongst a mattress on the floor. 

Why on public was I bothering to brand the bed? Type Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 personalities unite.

Version #3.

And in addition to thus something crazy happened. I did a lot of googling in addition to taught myself how to pigment our outdated woods reduce (and paneling) white. It doesn't seem similar a large bargain to me now, but at the fourth dimension it was super intimidating.

Still making that floor-bed similar a champ.

Version #4.

After the reduce was painted, the adjacent measuring was to figure out a means to acquire our bed off the floor. I couldn't afford to purchase a novel one, thus instead I used some plywood, foam padding, in addition to a dropcloth in addition to I made my ain headboard. I also replaced that gross ceiling fan amongst a thrift shop chandelier that I spray painted silver. You tin also demeanor witness to my showtime always upholstery effort on that piffling chair in addition to stool.

Version #5.

Around this time, I also painted my showtime piffling dresser, painted that vanity I constitute at the thrift store, in addition to upholstered an terminate tabular array that I somehow convinced myself was okay to utilization every bit a bench at the human foot of my bed. 

REGRET.

I learned a lot, I messed upwardly a lot, but I kept at it. The room looked similar this for likely six months, but it eventually got a fleck better.

Version #6.

This version of the room was genuinely 1 of my favorites, in addition to also somehow ended upwardly becoming 1 of my most pop posts (although perhaps non for the reasons I intended). I constitute that amazing dresser on Craigslist and painted it. I also reconfigured the room, moving the bed to a unlike wall in addition to putting the dresser where the bed 1 time was.

I also stenciled the overstep of the vanity, moved it into the chief room, in addition to moved my onetime hutch into that side room. I also added a carpet from Home Depot.

Version #7.

Not much changed inwards this version, but I painted the overstep of the vanity high gloss black, painted all of the thrift shop mirrors silver, in addition to and thus switched out the gilded bedskirt for a white one. 

I receive got this cool habit of making things worse earlier they acquire better.

I also painted this onetime hutch I had sitting roughly in addition to stuck it inwards the side room. That chevron chair cushion upholstery didn't final long because....well, I was over it.

Version #8.

Something almost this version just wasn't working for me, but I couldn't encounter why at the time. 

Obviously, it was but too much white.

 I added a white rug, painted the vanity dorsum to white (that piteous vanity), added the dropcloth upholstered chair in addition to added an ottoman at the human foot of the bed. I also painted some stripes on a twosome pillows. 

Here is the persuasion from the other direction. 

Version #9.

Things started to improve a piffling fleck amongst this version. I replaced the massive chandelier amongst a smaller lantern that I constitute for $5, in addition to replaced the white carpet for a light-green rug. I also added some larger accessories to the dresser, painted the doorknobs black, swapped the pillows, in addition to added the striped bench that I made.

Here is Version #9 from the other direction.

And in addition to thus that brings us to today.

Version #10.

I don't know if this version is whatever ameliorate than whatever of the others, but the room feels a piffling to a greater extent than colorful, a piffling to a greater extent than lived in, in addition to a piffling to a greater extent than me.

I added a few colorful accessories...

...and some colorful furniture (thrift shop materials that I eventually painted).

Our side room forthwith functions every bit a mini-gym, in addition to a room amongst a bluish dresser. So, I'm making it upwardly every bit I become along.

I also added a novel chandelier to the room that I love. 

And I also made a few novel pillows for the bed. My mom gave me a sewing machine for Christmas final year, but I've struggled to larn how to utilization it. So, I made these pillows with glue.

I experience similar she would move so embarrassed of my sewing skills but thrilled amongst my 'make it work' skills.

Sidenote: that fine art higher upwardly the bed...I constitute a botanical impress that I loved at the thrift shop in addition to painted the outdated night light-green mat white. I've mentioned earlier that I spray pigment mats from thrift stores. But inwards illustration yous don't receive got whatever spray pigment or if yous but don't receive got the correct color, yous tin pigment it past times hand, too. I but used some record to embrace the impress (which was previously glued to the mat) in addition to used some leftover off-white interior paint.

I was debating epitome the frame, but for some crazy reason, I felt similar leaving it as-is. I'm thinking this was a mistake. Progress over perfection.

I also framed a greeting carte that had a flamingo on it. Not certain that's my best work, but yous can't loathe a daughter for trying.

Also, those tulips did NOT wish to participate. Tulip pout.

I also updated the vanity area....all thrift shop finds.

a few to a greater extent than thrift shop finds. And some cooperative tulips.

I've also been working on updating the closet for the past times few weeks. I painted all of the walls aqua in addition to spray painted a bunch of junk silver. You'll receive got to become to that post to encounter the details.

Here's a tiny taste. Feel complimentary to ooooh in addition to ahhh over my vast collection of Mossimo/Merona clothing.

And that's all for today, ya'll.

I'll move out yous amongst this piffling nugget.
 I acquire emails all the fourth dimension from readers wanting advice on how to decorate a room, in addition to the truth is...I don't know. 

I'm non an interior designer, I'm non trained, nor exercise I possess whatever rare skill. All I know is that if yous maintain trying at something, yous volition eventually improve. It's the whole 10,000 hours thing. So, but maintain at it, don't give up, in addition to yous volition eventually move able to create a domicile that yous dear using some instant manus finds. Or but materials yous bought at a shop that you accumulate over time. Either means is fine, in addition to either means demand a piffling case in addition to error.


 Think exterior the box in addition to don't yous dare move afraid to assay something for fearfulness of failing. If yous assay something in addition to it doesn't work, assay something different. You may fifty-fifty acquire inwards worse. I did. Several times. Just maintain trying. You WILL eventually larn to harness your inner turtle. And eventually yous volition rock that turtle.

Thanks for beingness here. Love ya'll.

Update: 3 years later, this room eventually underwent some major changes, every bit seen below. You tin read almost them here.

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