It started off as a mission to reorganise the cabinet to the left of my desk, and spiralled into a full-blown room-reno project.
I live in my parents home in Hong Kong, so the room I’m in is the room I grew up in. As I began to reorganise one cabinet, pulling out everything from Hello Kitty stationary circa 2000s to MP3 players pre iphone era, I started noticing my room’s desperate call for a much-needed revamp.
My first goal after some days of furious decluttering was to find some storage options. I have one blank wall that is incredibly underutilized – it could do with a cabinet, some wall shelves, art and more. My first stop was Ikea, because I am on a low budget and I know some of their simple stuff could do. However, for some reason, perhaps because I have been working in luxury in the past few years or their quality have gone down, the dreary mediocreness of Ikea’s furniture stood out more than usual for me during this past visit. I just couldn’t find much I could buy. I did end up getting a few small bamboo organisers for the inside of drawers – those were decent – but I know I needed to look elsewhere to fill up my room.
My next go-to is to find secondhand options. People who have followed me or read my work before would know that I am a big fan of secondhand fashion, but this is my first foray into secondhand furniture. So, I did some googling, as well as consulted my experienced secondhand furniture hunting friend Amelia. Read on to find out where to find secondhand furniture – and towards the end, best practice on how to get the best bang for your buck!
1. Facebook Marketplace
Selection quantity: 5/5
Quality: 1/5-5/5
Price: $-$$$$
As you could see from my ratings above, the range of quality and prices could vary. You definitely have to comb through the listings to find the good stuff – but, you can definitely find some good stuff here with some patience! You also sometimes have a mix of new furniture in there, so if you’re just looking for used options, beware of that.
2. Go Green Shop
Selection quantity: 3/5
Quality: 3/5-5/5
Price: $$-$$$$
Go Green shop has a generally well-vetted and high quality selection of furniture, and you can really find some well-priced gems in here. I saw a rattan desk that made me wonder if I need another desk… If only!
3. Asiaxpat
Selection quantity:3/5
Quality: 2/5 – 5/5
Price: $$-$$$$
Asiaxpat has a great selection of furniture, from used ikea ones to designer pieces. Again you have to comb through the selections quite a bit, but I would say the overall quality is generally better than on Facebook marketplace!
4. Geoexpat
Selection quantity:3/5
Quality: 2/5 – 5/5
Price: $-$$$$
Very similar to Asiaxpat, Geoexpat has furniture from used Ikea furniture to designer pieces. If you have time, it’s fun to go through all the pages to find the perfect gem! Some pieces are even free as long as you arrange pickup.
5. Happy Shop
Selection quantity: 3/5
Quality: 3/5-4/5
Price: $-$$
Happy shop sells a selection of secondhand minimalistic, Ikea-esque furniture at pretty affordable prices. I haven’t seen a lot of designer or custom-made furniture over here, but this platform is definitely a great go-to if you’re looking for minimal-looking pieces.
6. Carousell
Selection quantity: 5/5
Quality: 1/5-4/5
Price: $-$$$$
Very similar comparison to Facebook Marketplace, you have to comb through a lot of crap to find good deals. You can also check the box “used” if you want to get rid of all the new options. I haven’t had any luck finding good pieces on here yet, but I have had friends who’ve found amazing pieces on Carousell. Carousell is also great for finding just about any type of secondhand product, from electronics to hiking gear.
Tips on finding good secondhand furniture
1. Know your measurements
Make sure you know what you are looking for and the suitable dimensions. Usually dimensions are stated on the listing, but if not, you should ask the seller for that information. The last thing you want is finding a beautiful piece of furniture, but turns out it’s too big for your space!
2. Check the piece in person
Sometimes items might appear different from in photos. You should organize to view the furniture in person before making a decision on whether to buy it or not!
3. Negotiate
Always try to negotiate on the price of the furniture. Remember most people who want to sell their furniture are on a time crunch to move out or get rid of their pieces, so most sellers are willing to be flexible on pricing.
4. Bring cushioning materials to protect furniture for transportation
If you find a great piece of furniture, especially something that is vulnerable to damage or scratches during transportation, it is super important to protect it. For transporting my wooden cabinet, I found used bubble wrap from various corners of my apartment and brought them to wrap around the furniture pre-transportation. After unwrapping my furniture, I saved the bubble wrap for the next round of furniture hunting!
5. Order a gogovan
There are various ways for transporting furniture, and one of the easiest ways is to order a Gogovan on their app. If you need a wheeled cart, you could check that option during your ordering as well. Keep in mind if you ask for a detour during your trip, or asking them for any extra help, they will charge you extra. Make sure you negotiate or get clarity on this surcharge, or they will just slap it on after they have done the extra work!
6. Patience!
This seems obvious but to find a good piece of secondhand furniture at the right price definitely takes some luck and time. You could find something right away or on your 10th visit to the website – just be patient!
And that’s it for my tips on how and where to shop secondhand furniture in Hong Kong. Good luck!