The Best Places to get Free Furniture in the UK for 2024

Where to find Free (or Cheap) Furniture in the UK

Welcome to this guide on how to find free or low-cost furniture in the UK. Although most of the options here offer furniture for free, a few might ask for a small fee or donation.

Right now, living in the UK is expensive. Prices are rising, food costs more, and bills for things like energy have doubled. This puts a lot of pressure on people’s budgets.

Owning a house is a big expense, especially when you add the cost of furniture. Even if you have some pieces already, moving into a new home often means needing more. This guide will show you how to find free or cheaper furniture, which could be very helpful if you’re trying to save money.

Did you know you can also get Free White Goods (such as Washing Machines and Cookers?) Read our guide on How to Apply for a White Goods Grant if you’re on low income.

Local Businesses

I should firstly point out that I live in a pretty small town where the majority of shops are locally owned and not massive chain stores. Whilst this can have its downsides when it comes to getting your hands on some cheap or free furniture it can be great.

A few weeks before moving into my new place I visited a few of my local shops and asked whether they had anything spare that they’d be willing to donate, and to my surprise a couple of them were very accommodating, providing me with a free table and a couple of chairs, which were perfect for getting me started.

There is also a dedicated show which takes unwanted furniture upcycles them and sells them on for a reduced price, which I have visited on many occasions over the years to pick up bits for the various homes I have lived in – worth checking if you have something similar locally to you.

Friends and Family

Whilst I couldn’t benefit from any free furniture from my friends or family, it is a great idea to ask if any of yours have anything to spare and you may be surprised about what offers you get. As the old saying goes ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’ so don’t be afraid to be a little bit cheeky!

Local online marketplaces (Facebook)

Facebook isn’t the only place where you can do this, but this is the social media platform I have had the most success in selling and giving away items such as furniture, as well as picking up free or reduced items.

The great thing about using a local Facebook group is that items are listed by local people meaning that if things are being given away you won’t have to travel far to pick them up, or sometimes generous souls even agree to drop them off too, which is a double win!

What I like about using online marketplaces such as Facebook is that you can see items being used again rather than ending up in landfill.

Local Newspapers

Believe it or not, even in this day and age of modern technology there is still a clamour for a good old-fashioned newspaper or newsletter, and you’d be surprised at how many bargains you can get from these. It’s a great idea to pick up a copy of your local paper, or even better newsletter (which is often free) to scout what bargains you can get your hands on.

Freeads

If you wish to go a bit further afield, freeads often offer some bargains across a range of different items. There’s also a specific section on their website dedicated to ‘free stuff’ where you can pick up items absolutely free. I have just had a look and just on the first page, there is garden furniture, a large chest freezer and a leather chair all available for nothing!

Your employer

Loosely related to the local business section, but if you happen to work for a generous employer putting in a cheeky request for free furniture might work, especially if it’s items that are no longer being used and are only destined for landfill.

Freecycle

I am including Freecycle in this roundup of where to get your hands on free furniture in the United Kingdom mainly because it’s solely dedicated to providing people with free furniture.

I joined the local group shortly before moving into my new house and what I found was remarkable – a site dedicated to allowing people to pick various items completely free of charge. Whilst the site doesn’t specifically focus on furniture it is the most common item to be found, so if you’re in the market for free furniture Freecycle is a great place to associate yourself with.

Other online sites

We are now living in a world where many people need to save money in all areas of their lives and through the development in technology many people are benefitting from being able to browse sites such as Gumtree and Preloved as these have sections dedicated to getting free items, such as furniture.

Trash Nothing

This is a great little app that helps you browse all the various online sites that offer free stuff in one place, so no more scrolling various different platforms – a great idea if you want to save yourself a bit of time.

Just something to be aware of when using this site is that it covers a worldwide audience so make sure you’ve read where in the world your item has been listed before agreeing to take it.

Community Groups

In my part of the world there are plenty of community groups who do a marvellous job and keeping local communities going by providing valuable services such as Meals on Wheels, play areas for kids, free events and family days out. On occasion, they also give away free items, including furniture which greatly benefits people. If you have such groups in your area it would be worth enquiring if they do something similar – perhaps also paying them a small donation would go down well so they can continue to provide this vital community service in the future.

Competitions

Whilst this isn’t a way of guaranteeing yourself free furniture, sometimes it’s worth a punt on a competition if the prize is something you really want. On occasion, competitions are also free to enter meaning a chance to win something without it costing you anything which can’t be a bad deal.

eBay

Whilst you won’t get free stuff on eBay, the way that this bidding site works might mean you’re lucky and able to pick yourself up a bargain.

House clearances

Over the years I have been to a couple of house clearances where the previous occupants have preferred to give their items away for free rather than pay for removal costs, so if you happen to hear of one happening in your local area this could be a great way of getting your hands on some free furniture. The only downside to this option is that they’re likely to be very popular so be prepared for some competition.

This covers our roundup of the options of where to get free furniture in the UK and I hope that it’s been informative and helps you on your endeavours to fill up your new or current home.

One final but important thing to remember is that free furniture is free for a reason – it’s likely to need at least some work doing to it. That being said, with a few hours of love spent on it, a few coats of paint it can end up looking as good as new and fit in with the colour scheme of your home.

We would always prefer to see items being given away to others for free so that they can be given another chance rather than ending up in landfill where they are no good to anybody.

Many thanks for reading this article and keep sharing the love.