Furnishing your first place in Canada from scratch can get expensive quickly if you head straight to traditional retail stores. Fortunately, there is a thriving secondhand economy here that makes it easy to find high-quality, sturdy furniture for a fraction of the price.
The strategy comes down to knowing where to look and mixing digital marketplaces with brick-and-mortar thrift options.
1. The Digital Marketplaces (Your Best Bet for Big Items)
Online peer-to-peer platforms are where you will find the absolute best deals on major items like dining tables, bed frames, and desks.
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Kijiji: A Canadian staple, Kijiji is an absolute goldmine for affordable furniture. Because many people use it when they are in a rush to move out of their own apartments, you can often find entire living room sets or solid wood items for incredibly cheap—or even free if you filter by the “Free Stuff” category.
- Pro-Tip for Kijiji: Search for keywords like “moving sale” or “must go by Sunday.” Sellers under a tight deadline are highly open to aggressive price negotiations.
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Facebook Marketplace: Great for browsing visually. It operates similarly to Kijiji but lets you look at the seller’s public profile, which adds a helpful layer of trust.
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Buy Nothing Groups: Search Facebook for the specific “Buy Nothing [Your Neighborhood Name]” group. These are local hyper-local communities where neighbors freely give away items they no longer need.
2. In-Person Thrift & Liquidators
If you prefer to see things in person before buying, or if you don’t have a car to drive around picking up individual items from Kijiji sellers, check out these physical retail spots:
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Habitat for Humanity ReStore: This is a massive hidden gem. ReStores are nonprofit home improvement centers that sell donated, high-quality furniture, appliances, and home decor. It is one of the best places in Canada for solid wood tables, chairs, and couches at incredibly low prices.
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Value Village, Salvation Army, and Mission Stores: Traditional thrift stores are ideal for smaller accent pieces, lamps, end tables, and kitchenware (plates, pots, and pans).
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IKEA “As-Is” Section: If you go to a physical IKEA brick-and-mortar store, do not walk straight to the showroom. Walk straight to the “As-Is” section (usually located right next to the cash lanes). This is where they sell floor models, discontinued lines, or items with minor cosmetic scratches for 30% to 70% off.
3. The Golden Rules of Cheap Furnishing
The Bedbug Rule: Never, under any circumstances, buy a secondhand mattress or an upholstered fabric couch from the curb or an unverified stranger. Stick to buying hard surfaces secondhand (wood, metal, plastic, glass) which can be easily bleached, wiped down, or disinfected. Buy your mattress new—even a budget online “bed-in-a-box” brand is safer than taking a risk on a used fabric mattress.
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Measure Thrice, Buy Once: Before clicking “buy” on Kijiji, measure your apartment door frame, your building’s elevator, and the exact spot the furniture will go.
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Factor in Transportation Costs: A $50 couch on Kijiji isn’t actually $50 if you have to spend $80 renting a cargo van from U-Haul or Home Depot to transport it. Always ask the seller if they offer delivery for an extra $20—many people with trucks will gladly say yes to get the item out of their house.