March 7, 2017 – When moving into a new apartment, it can be stressful to figure out how to furnish it–and where to buy furniture without blowing your budget.

But furnishing your apartment doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. There are plenty of places, both around Buffalo and online, that offer superior furniture at relatively low prices. Many local antique shops and furniture boutiques also offer one-of-a-kind pieces you can’t find anywhere else.

If you’re looking for furniture in Buffalo, be sure to check out these local stores and online retailers.

Local Furniture Stores in Buffalo

Ró: Located on Elmwood Ave. in Buffalo, locally-owned furniture shop Ró is known for its modern, curated furniture and rustic aesthetic. Featuring a mix of handmade, custom and vintage items, Ró is a fantastic place to find one-of-a-kind furniture. Selection changes regularly, but couches, kitchen tables, dressers, and end tables are usually available, in addition to various home decor items. If you’re looking to invest in some classic pieces that will last you a long time, stop at Ró the next time you’re in the Elmwood Village.

Room Buffalo: Another locally-owned business, Room on Hertel Ave. in North Buffalo offers a curated selection of modern designer furniture to fit your lifestyle. With a variety of dining room, living room and bedroom furniture, the showroom is a site to behold. While the items are pricier than some of the others on this list, the furniture is high-quality and distinctive. And if the furniture is out of your budget, their other home decor products, such as pillows, lighting and candles can add a lot of personality to your space.

Sloan’s Antique & Modern Furniture: It can be difficult to find nice used furniture that’s in good shape, but Sloan’s does all of the hard work for you. Located on William St. in Downtown Buffalo, Sloan’s offers a variety of interesting antique furniture at fantastic prices. Inventory changes often, so you never know what you’ll find, but you may just come across a gently-used gem to take home to complete your apartment.

Buffalo ReUse: If you’re crafty and willing to buy secondhand items, Buffalo ReUse might just be your mecca. The warehouse offers a huge variety of salvaged furniture for your home or garden at much lower prices than you’ll find at antique stores. Located on East Ferry St., you truly never know what you’ll find here, from shelving, dining room chairs and mirrors to cabinets, door knobs and decorations. Even better, purchasing from Buffalo ReUse helps the environment, by cutting back on waste and repurposing old materials.

Value City Furniture/Target/Big Lots: These stores have multiple locations locally and are worth checking out for good deals on larger furniture, such as kitchen tables, mattresses and couches, as well as smaller items like side tables and mirrors. These stores have locations in Amherst, Cheektowaga and North Buffalo, so you can see items in person before buying and figure out how they’ll fit into your space. Come armed with measurements of your apartment walls and rooms to make the most of your trip.

IKEA Burlington: Everyone knows IKEA is a great place to shop for inexpensive, modular furniture, from dressers, desks and bookcases to couches, bedframes and storage units, and we’re lucky to be located just an hour from their store in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. If you’re looking to furnish an apartment on a budget, IKEA can be a one-stop-shop for your essential furniture items. Many of their furniture, such as the wood desks or dressers, can be easily customized with stain or paint, or by adding custom hardware from other places, like knobs and handles, so you can put your own individual spin on their more familiar items.

Online Furniture Resources

Craigslist/Letgo: If you’re looking for something a little more different, consider looking over Craigslist ads or items on Letgo for things like dressers, desks and couches. Like Craigslist, Letgo allows you to buy (and sell) secondhand furniture and other items locally. You can score some killer deals on gently-used items from people who are moving or upgrading their furniture. But beware of items with unrealistically low prices, professional product photos, or other photos that obviously haven’t been taken by the user. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And always meet in person in a public place – like a coffee shop, supermarket or mall – to exchange payment and items.

Ebay: Though often overlooked, Ebay can be useful for finding new or used furniture without the hassle of having to meet in public to handle the transaction. Vintage pieces and antique items can be found at good prices, particularly if you score them in an auction. From chairs and sofas to office chairs, desks and beds, you can find anything to need to furnish your apartment on ebay. Watch out for those shipping fees, though, particularly on larger items.

Etsy: For homemade or hand-crafted furniture, there’s no better place than Etsy. While the furniture tends to be more expensive than what you’d find at a big box store, your apartment definitely won’t look the same as everyone else’s. If you’re looking to invest in furniture for the long term, Etsy offers thousands of pieces to suit your style and budget. It’s also a good resource for unique decorative items, like knobs and organizers, to spruce up your more generic furniture. We love this handmade distressed wood desk, this geometric organizer and these glass drawer knobs.

Online retailers (Wayfair, Overstock, Amazon): Online retailers like Wayfair, Overstock and Amazon are excellent places to find furniture and other home essentials at low prices. All three offer a wide variety of items for bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms, from furniture to appliances, cookware and accessories. Best of all, they offer free shipping as an option with a minimum purchase, so you won’t have to worry about lugging big items home or paying costly delivery fees.

Once you’ve finished furnishing your apartment, you can move onto decorations. Be sure to check out our tips for decorating a small apartment on a budget.

What’s your favorite place to shop for furniture in Buffalo, locally or online? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook.