<p>I know I should be posting this on another forum, but have always been amazed at the resourcefulness of this community.</p>
<p>D is planning on moving to an unfurnished apartment next year. Now that it is looking like she will be a professional student for years to come, in places far away from home, I am wondering if anyone has found cheap, sturdy apartment furniture that is easy to move. Things like plastic sets of drawers that you can just clamp up and move whole without emptying them out, lightweight but sturdy bed frames that would be easy to disassemble etc. Any other places to look besides the usual Target, Walmart, Ikea?</p>
<p>Hopefully she can get some stuff from students who are moving out.</p>
<p>“Hopefully she can get some stuff from students who are moving out”</p>
<p>D has always obtained most of her furniture this way (via Craigslist, postings on boards at school, and hitting up folks she knew were moving on) And the balance was via Ikea. The price, styling, and ease of the Ikea product trumps anyone elses inexpensive furniture. For the Ikea furniture, save the directions and tape them to the back or under the furniture. Makes it easier to disassemble and move or sell.</p>
<p>We’ve had this situation with two of our daughters. The first thing we did was to buy furniture from the people moving out (save dragging stuff up five flights of stairs.) We also bought Ikea stuff because it can be transported flat. But, then you have to assemble the stuff. A MALM dresser, for example, is quite cheap, but it takes time and moxie to put it together (we have assembled more than a dozen over the yeas, but I have seen others reduced to tears over MALM.)</p>
<p>Of course, when it is time to move out, the Ikea stuff is not terribly easily broken down. When D2 left Cleveland (which has no Ikea), I sold much of her Ikea furniture rather than bring it back in a rented trailer or van. </p>
<p>Bed frames (the steel ones) cost less than $100 and can easily break down. Mattresses are a lot tougher to move about, of course. Some students sleep on futons, but that’s not for everyone’s back.</p>
<p>As others have said, we’ve relied on picking up used furniture and the ever popular
Ikea (which we’re hoping to sell next time the kids move). D2 has also had some luck having larger items shipped from Target.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, I’ve been saving a distinctly period 70s colonial living room set in great condition - we took it from my parents’ home when they moved out in hopes of gifting it to one of the kids … but none of them will take it, even if I offer to cover moving costs. :)</p>
<p>Second the steel bed frame. Bought “hollywood” style frame at Sam’s for around $40 and it adjusts for twin-king. Liked it so much we got one for D’s room at home and got new queen mattress. She did take her full size mattress to school for apartment. It is old enough so that after next year she can sell it or put it on the street and I don’t feel we’ve lost anything. Ikea has good desks where you can buy top and legs separately and would be easy to take off to move.</p>