What to check before you pay for second-hand furniture

There is a settled way of talking about buying second-hand furniture. It is worth asking how much of it survives contact with the detail.

Establish what it is made of

Look at the edges, the underside and the inside of drawers, where the construction is undisguised. Solid timber shows continuous grain running over an edge; veneer shows a thin layer with a different material behind it.

Particleboard and MDF are visible immediately at any exposed edge or screw hole and determine whether a repair is worth attempting. This single check tells you whether the piece has another fifty years available to it.

Test the structure

Gently rock the piece: looseness at the joints is common and repairable, and a cracked or broken rail is a bigger job. Open every drawer and door, look for smooth running, and check whether drawers are dovetailed or simply nailed and glued. Look at the back and the bottom, which are never disguised and show how carefully the piece was made.

Check that the piece sits flat, since a twisted carcass is much harder to correct than a loose joint.

Look for woodworm and rot

Small round holes are exit holes from beetles that may have left long ago; the sign of activity is fresh, pale powder and clean, sharp-edged holes. Press the wood around holes with a fingernail, since heavily tunnelled timber crumbles and has lost structural strength.

Anything with suspected active infestation should not be brought into a house with other timber furniture until it has been assessed. Treatment and structural assessment are jobs for someone qualified, particularly where the piece is large or is structural in any way.

Upholstery is where the hidden cost is

Reupholstering is often more expensive than the piece cost, so an old sofa needing new fabric, foam and webbing is a project rather than a bargain. Press the seat: if you feel the frame, the suspension has gone; if it smells musty, the filling has absorbed moisture. Old foam degrades into dust and old horsehair and springs can be excellent and worth restoring.

Upholstered furniture is subject to fire safety regulations in some countries, which can affect what may be sold or reupholstered.

Old finishes and safety

Painted furniture made before lead paint restrictions may carry lead, and sanding or stripping it releases hazardous dust. Do not dry sand old paint, particularly around children or during pregnancy; testing kits are widely available and specialist advice exists in most countries. Some older pieces were treated with substances no longer considered safe, and a strong chemical smell is a reason for caution.

Underneath it, when in doubt, leave the finish alone or consult a professional restorer.

Budgets and buildings differ, and old buildings differ most.

Practicalities before you commit

Measure the piece and measure your doorways, corners, stair widths and ceiling heights, because this is the most common reason a good buy goes back. Consider the smell, since smoke and damp odours are absorbed into timber and textiles and are very difficult to remove. Factor in transport, which for anything large is a real cost and often needs two people and a van.

Negotiate on identified faults rather than in general, since a specific point about a loose joint is far more persuasive than an offer.

The takeaway

Check the edges for solid timber, rock it for loose joints, look for fresh dust, and measure the stairs.

The best rooms look like a decision, not a purchase.