I’m sure all of us have experienced having a broken or old furniture that needs to be repaired. We also used to do that. However, don’t bother for repairs when the furniture is pretty old. We learned of the cost of repairs when we did some computations and came up with the decision that it is better to buy a new furniture than have the old one repaired. Although the cost of repair vis-a-vis the new is just 20% to 30%, it’s still a substantial amount considering that the furniture remains old unlike when you buy a new one.
We never really bothered to check for the price of repairing old furniture, but if that's the case then we made the right decision of just giving the furniture to people who need it, like the ones who scavenge the trash cans to sell to the junk shop. We gave away a sofa set that has sunken cushions already.
Well there are some that are worth is and some that aren't. I definitely know that the older furniture is almost always not worth it and the repairs are more than the new and lighter versions, which I like more anyways.
I am quite torn about this because sometimes, sentimentality can really get in the way of saving or having something new and better. I inherited two long sofa from my parents and the springs finally gave in after decades of use. I just don't have the heart to throw them away! I have them reupholstered at a cost of $120 recently and they're looking new as ever. I'm stuck with them though. I just wish I had a bigger house so I could buy the L-type sofa I've been dreaming about for quite sometime.
One more factor to consider is if the furniture is of antique value, like the pieces that were made by Gustav Stickley(you should leave it the way it is, because it could devalue the furniture if you have it fixed)-but most of the time a little bit of cleaning does enhance the value of most antique furniture. So yes sometimes a nice clean over works along with a bit of glue to hold the joints together-and this will do a lot of good. Also sometimes just a bit of restoration will make the furniture presentable. Most of the time though, it is better to restore the furniture to the original state than changing anything about it,unless pieces are missing and it has some rotten legs, then you could work with it to give it a nice new different kind of look.
I have to agree with you on that. If the furniture is old and worn out, it is probably close to the end of its days any way. It would be better to sale it altogether if possible and just buy a new piece, hopefully at a good discount. Furniture repairs seem like a bigger waste of time in my opinion.
Let's also know that the old furniture will need to be replaced sooner or later and if the furniture is already falling apart, then it's already sooner so it's ultimately best to buy new furniture than to pay for a repair then a few months later, buy a new piece of furniture. You'd just waste money for nothing.
If a furniture is old enough to break, not for falling down or being jumped on my teenagers which caused it to break, then I definitely believe it's not really worth repairing it because it's still going to break again from another part of it. You would keep on repairing until you must have spent almost the amount that you would have used to buy a new one. Once furniture gets old, it's better to have it replaced with new one. It's more economical that way at the long run.
I have found out that furniture often gets low valued. So it's not much of an issue. If you consider furniture price and the amount of money required for the repair. Often that price does not computer. And so on that basis. I am guessing many people avoid the repairs. So get the first hand if possible.
Repairing old furniture is just too time consuming for me and it's probably not cheap unless it's a very minor repair. We have a shop just down the road from where we live that sells amazing second hand furniture at ridiculously cheap prices. If I need something urgently and don't have much money I would go there.
I must disagree with you on this issue Alexandoy, in fact, I think is cheaper to repair and consolidate the old furniture than buying a new one. I have consolidated my old furniture that is made from oak wood, it did cost a few hundreds of dollars to repair it and make it look as new, but the quality of my furniture is better than the furniture from a palm.
Here it is not so much the cost of repairs but getting someone to do it. Unless you give them a job to make new furniture they will not come just for repairs.
