Furnishing your home is one of the best and most exciting parts of being a homeowner. Even long-term homeowners get giddy at the thought of redecorating their home and buying new appliances, furniture, and home decor! As you can expect, this process can be seriously expensive which is why many turn to buying second hand stuff a.k.a pre-loved items. And, while there is definitely nothing wrong with buying used, it’s important to remember that there are just some things you should, as much as possible, always buy new. From kitchen gadgets to furniture and electronics, we’ll share insights that will help you make informed decisions and avoid potential risks in this article.
#1 Kids’ Furniture
Kids’ furniture are one of the most frequent subjects of safety recalls. This means that, unless you’re always up to date on what’s been recalled for safety issues, you’ll never know if the item with the model number you’re buying can cause potential harm to your little ones. Plus, there’s really no way to know if the previous owner assembled it correctly! This is especially true for heavy furniture like drawers, beds, and shelves.
#2 Mattresses And Bedding
Mattresses, pillows, bedding – these are all considered very personal items for a reason! If you can, buy them new instead of used. When you buy used mattresses and bedding, you’re taking home more than what you think will give you a better and more elevated sleep experience. These things collect bed bugs, dust mites, dead skin cells, pet dander, and all sorts of nasty germs and bacteria that no one would ever want to deal with. Unless you’re ready to spend hours stripping, bleaching, and washing your pre-loved bedroom digs in hot water for hours (possibly even days), just get them new from the store!
#3 Upholstered Furniture
Just like used mattresses and beddings, these come with icky stuff that you wouldn’t want to get into your home, especially when you’re not sure what the home situation was for its previous owner. What makes it even worse is that upholstered furniture is harder to clean. Throwing it in the tub to strip it isn’t possible and it’ll take hours and a very powerful wet vacuum cleaner to get most of the gunk out. Even then, you can’t be 100% sure that it’s clean and free of whatever microorganism has colonized it from the inside.
#4 Lamps
Lamps are usually left on for extended periods of time which is why it’s important that they’re wired correctly. An incorrectly wired lamp can cause a fire so it’s not worth the few dollars you’ll save from buying them used.
#5 TV’s and other electronics
If you’ve ever had a faulty TV, you know how shifty they can be. One minute it’s working well and the next it’s like you’re watching a live alien broadcast from Mars. Sometimes, too, it just stops working altogether after a few hours of use. This happens to ther electronics as well, like gaming consoles, stereos, etc. Unfortunately, there are tons of unscrupulous people out there who see this as an opportunity to make money. Once you find out what’s wrong with the TV, it’ll be too late for a return and you’re left TV-less and down a few hundred bucks.
#6 Vacuums
Here’s the thing: when you’re buying a vacuum to clean your home with, you want it to suck. Literally. You want it to be able to pick up the teeny-tiniest speck of dirt so your house can be spic-and-span at all times. The problem is that vacuums lose some of their sucking power and that’s a normal sign of wear and tear. And, given how many times a vacuum gets banged around, dragged, and dropped, it’s hard to tell how much of that wear and tear it has on it. Plus, why would you want to bring other people’s home’s dirt, dust, and grime into yours?
#7 Rugs And Carpets
Investing in a new rug/carpet is a wise choice if you want to steer clear of mold, allergens, and unsightly stains invading your home. Despite efforts made with even the best carpet cleaners, purchasing a brand-new carpet is still the best route to take.
