Cheap Decorating Ideas For Home

Illustration, Linens, Household supply, Creative arts, Paper product, Paper, Cushion, Drawing,

Illustrations by Virginia Johnson

EBAY

Size: 800 million listings, 25 million active sellers worldwide

Best for: All kinds of verified antiques—like appliances, furniture, cars, you name it.

And surprisingly good for: Art. The online auction house has the largest selection on the web.

Good to know: eBay just launched Live Auctions, which lets buyers participate online in live sales held at auction houses across the country.

Smartest search tactic: Create "OR" searches by using parentheses around each word separated by commas. Example: (footstool, stool, ottoman, pouf) returns listings that contain any—not all—of the search terms in the title.

Insider tip: To avoid paying high shipping costs for larger items, use eBay classifieds, a localized market that lists items from sellers close by.

Best tech tool: Don't miss out on any auction action with the eBay app, which notifies you when you're outbid, when an auction is about to end, and more.

Bargaining etiquette: If an auction has expired without any bids, e-mail the seller to negotiate a price that works for your budget.

CRAIGSLIST

Size: More than 80 million classified ads listed monthly, 60 million users across the U.S.

Best for: Bargains. Sellers are looking to unload on the quick (and can be less savvy), so the site holds more potential for scoring goods at a discount price.

And surprisingly good for: Freebies! The local "free" section includes scrap wood, fixer-upper furniture, and even washer/dryers.

Good to know: The site allows users to search by "owner" (instead of "dealer"), which filters results to just those listed by individuals, who are more likely to make a deal.

Smartest search tactic: Misspellings are common on Craigslist, so include a few misspelled keywords in your search: Dinning table in addition to dining table, and chester drawers instead of chest of drawers, for example.

Insider tip: Most sellers want items taken off their hands ASAP, so beat out other buyers by using the magic words, "same-day pickup."

Best tech tool: After entering a search term, click "E-mail Alert" to have Craigslist e-mail you when related items are listed

Bargaining etiquette: Skip the in-person awkwardness and negotiate before you meet the seller. Also, consider meeting the seller at a police station to ensure your safety.

ETSY

Size: 26 million items listed, 1.3 million active shops

Best for: Original handmade pieces, from screen-printed art to industrial lighting, and small-scale vintage finds.

And surprisingly good for: Plants. Whether you're looking for tiny succulents or potted fig trees, Etsy has your green thumb covered.

Good to know: Most artisans offer customization options for anything from art to textiles

Smartest search tactic: Use your account to follow tastemakers, sellers, and friends. By marking others with a similar aesthetic as "favorites," your home page feed becomes an edited shopping list of great finds.

Insider tip: It pays to be a repeat customer, as many sellers will offer coupon code discounts on a second purchase.

Best tech tool: Make the blog, produced by editors who constantly scan Etsy for the best items, your first stop on the site to bypass the less-than-inspired finds.

Bargaining etiquette: A set price structure is very important to the success of small businesses, so Etsy is not the place to bargain.

See how Page created a pretty, layered living room in less than two weeks using only scores from Etsy, eBay, and Craigslist—click here for the big reveal!

More Decorating Ideas:

18 Vintage Decorating Ideas from a North Carolina Farmhouse

10 Ways to Create Down-Home Charm on a Dime

Inside an Arizona Ranch Home Filled With Old World Charm

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io