Are you in need of furniture for your house but are faced with budget challenges? There are places where you can have sofas, beds, mattresses, dining tables, and chairs, for zero dollars—we kid you not.
If you know where to look, you can score good deals on free furniture—most of them used (but in good condition) but some may be new—from organizations or individuals out there who are just waiting for you to come and pick them up.
We reviewed dozens of organizations and sites where free furniture is available and how to apply or avail yourself of free home furnishings. We picked out the best ones worth your time to check out based on the likelihood of getting furniture for free.
You can score good deals on free furniture from organizations so you don't have to pay out of pocket. We'll tell you where to apply and how much you can save.
Read on if you don’t want to miss out on our tips on how you can furnish your home for free or at a minimal cost.
How Does Free Furniture Giveaway Work?
Free furniture giveaways are generally of two types. One type serves the needs of the general public, and a second type is for persons who find themselves in crisis, such as after experiencing a calamity or when going through hard times.
For the general public, free furniture deals can be found on eCommerce platforms or classified ads websites, including Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
On these sites, furniture is offered by people who are downsizing, moving to new states, or renovating to anyone interested and willing to haul the pieces themselves.
For persons in crisis or disadvantaged situations, there are several humanitarian or nonprofit organizations that collect donated furniture and redistribute them to those in need.
Some organizations allow beneficiaries to walk in and “shop” (choose) the furniture they want in a warehouse setting, but other organizations require potential beneficiaries to have a referral from social workers.
What Kind Of Furniture Is Available?
Typically, furniture giveaways include “essentials” such as:
- couches, sofas
- dining room and kitchen tables, and chairs
- beds, cribs, mattresses
- sheets and towels
- dressers
Sometimes, however, “bonus” items, such as recliners, garden or patio furniture, and even pianos can be found.
Most giveaway furniture is previously owned, and their condition may range from being “new,” “good as new,” or “gently used.”
It’s an as-is-where-is basis for the most part, but some organizations who receive donated furniture fix up older and “well-loved” pieces before putting them up on offer.
Why Go For Second-Hand Furniture?
Besides the obvious savings, there are other compelling reasons for you to consider getting second-hand furniture.
- It reduces waste and is more environmentally friendly. Finite resources, such as wood can be conserved if used furniture is recycled rather than being thrown as garbage.
- Getting previously owned furniture and then upcycling them with new paintwork or DIY upholstery can unleash your creativity and create positive feelings of accomplishment.
- Used furniture can give you an option not to buy furniture on credit or on installment, which makes it more expensive. It can also prevent you from taking out furniture loans which may decrease your credit score because these loans are associated with subprime credit.
Where To Get Furniture For Free
Sources for the General Public: No Eligibility Criteria
For the general public, i.e., anyone regardless of current financial situation, eCommerce or classified advertisement sites are the go-to sites for free home furnishings.
Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are examples of these sources. There are no eligibility criteria.
Craigslist
Craigslist is a classified ads site where people sell a lot of stuff, but you can find many items offered for free provided you haul them out of the owner’s.
These include beds, couches, dining sets, recliners, study desks, office tables, bookcases, bed frames, headboards, futons, computer tables, etc. At the time we were writing this, there was even a piano in good working order on offer.
Look at the Craigslist page for your city and search “free stuff.” There are many free items.
Labels on the site indicate the condition of the furniture (“good,” “fair,” etc.) but owners include pictures, so use your best judgment.
Usually, owners list as a condition that you must disassemble the furniture (though they may be willing to help) and haul the stuff.
Postings on Craigslist are local, so choose an item if it’s close to your location. You must decide quickly as well because free posts on Craigslist stay on the site generally up to seven days only although in some states, a post could be on the site for up to 45 days. Paid posts stay on for 30 days.
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace describes itself as “an e-commerce platform that connects sellers and buyers through meaningful interactions and unique goods.”
Facebook advises that you must check that you are logged into the real Facebook website before searching for items.
Type in the search bar “free furniture near me” and use various filters on the page to find your chosen item.
You can search by city, neighborhood, or zip code and choose a radius between 1 and 500 kilometers.
Other filters are item condition (new, used), date listed (last 24 hours, last 7 days, last 30 days), availability (available, sold).
If you’re looking for a bed, you can filter for size (king, queen, full, twin, California King). You can also filter for color to see like-colored pieces. There are 15 colors listed, including bronze.
Typical descriptions of available items include “Free pickup. Must pick up today or they are going in the garbage,” or “Free furniture. Good condition. Bring big van or truck.”
Someone giving away a solid wood desk hutch noted “One small damage ring from bleach. Too big. Need the space. Needs multiple men to load.”
Facebook Marketplace recommends sharing meet-up details with a trusted friend or family member through Messenger, as well as cleaning and disinfecting items before use.
Furniture Giveaways With Eligibility Criteria
Nonprofit organizations, church groups, and some companies give away free furniture that is donated to them by supporters to certain disadvantaged groups of people according to their organizational mission and values.
Some serve multiple locations across the US, but others limit their service to within a city or state.
Hope to Dream
Hope to Dream is a nonprofit that is supported by Ashley Stores.
The organization donates a twin-size mattress, bed frame, bedding, and pillow to underprivileged children between the ages of 3 and 16. A child must be nominated and there are eligibility criteria.
Since 2010, the nonprofit has gifted more than 125,000 children in North America with twin beds for a better night's sleep. The aim is to prevent the children from suffering the physical and emotional effects of sleep deprivation.
Child beneficiaries are chosen following the criteria of Hope to Dream’s “Nominate a Child Program.”
Family members or friends may nominate a child in need of a bed.
Qualifications are:
- Underprivileged children between the ages of 3 and 16 who don’t have beds
- Families with very low income, live in poverty, or transitioning from homelessness
- Nominated by a school social worker, case manager, church, and other charitable organizations
Nominations must be submitted to participating Ashley HomeStores. The review and selection process may be done quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, depending on the store.
The Freecycle Network
The Freecycle Network describes itself as a “grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving and getting stuff for free in their own towns.”
The network is a global one, with 5,000 town groups, but it started in Tucson, Arizona in 2003.
They give free items, including furniture, away in line with their corporate value of reusing and “keeping good stuff out of landfills.”
One must sign up as a member of the network to get free stuff.
How it works is that after signing up for free as a member, you must join one or more local town groups.
You can then post about things you want to gift (displayed with a tangerine “Offer” arrow on the site) or receive (displayed with a blue “Wanted” arrow).
You may also type in the search bar house furnishings that you need and browse through items available. If you find what you need, you can arrange a pickup time with the owner.
Furniture Bank Network
Furniture Bank Network is a group of registered charities, not-for-profit organizations, or social enterprises that provide “gently used” household furnishings to individuals and families in need.
The network follows a giving model that involves furniture being donated by people who no longer use it and transferred to those who are struggling financially to furnish their own homes.
You qualify as a beneficiary of free furniture from the network if you’re within any of the following contexts:
- previously homeless
- unemployed
- working poor
- battered women and children in retreat
- immigrant or refugee families
- young adults leaving foster care
- individuals with mental or physical disabilities
- victims of fire, robbery, and natural disasters
- veterans
- returning citizens
- those in an emergency or transitional housing
Furniture Bank aims to provide “Not just dignity and pride in one’s home, but the dignity of choice.”
This is why they maintain a showroom where instead of just giving you a pre-selected list of furniture, you can choose the furniture you want according to your style and taste.
Some organizations in the Furniture Bank network are open to the public, but many network members serve people who are referred to them. This is to ensure that the furniture is distributed directly to those in need.
If you would like to know whether you can receive free furniture from Furniture Banks, you must contact a partner agency of the network.
Crisis Assistance Ministry (serves North Carolina)
This organization, which was created in 1975 by a group of local churches, distributes donated new and “gently used” furniture to households facing financial hardship in Mecklenburg County, NC.
Items are provided free of charge and are distributed via Crisis Assistance Ministry's Partner Agency network.
Trained caseworkers of partner agencies identify persons in need through home visits and then submit a referral on their behalf.
You may reach out and find more information on Crisis Assistance here.
If you qualify as a beneficiary of the “Basic Needs Program,” you will be given essential furnishings, such as mattresses and box springs (queen, double, twin, or single), sofas, dressers, and kitchen/dining room tables and chairs.
Heroes Warehouse (serves California)
If you’re an armed forces veteran or belong to the family of one, you can go to Heroes Warehouse for free furniture and other household essentials like appliances, utensils, clothes, and towels.
Heroes Warehouse is a nonprofit based in California and has assisted at least 5,600 veteran families in the counties of San Bernardino and Riverside.
The home essentials that the organization gives outcome from individuals and businesses, such as hotels that are renovating.
Typical items given out are couches, loveseats, tables and chairs, coffee and end tables, lamps, dishes, and other household goods.
More information on Heroes Warehouse furniture giveaways can be found here.
Furnish Hope (serves Washington, D.C.)
FurnishHope DC (FHDC) is a relatively new nonprofit based in southeast Washington, D.C.
It was founded by Niki Mock and Adriane Herbert around the time the COVID-19 pandemic began to address the needs of families facing hardship, particularly in D.C.’s Wards 7 and 8.
Mock and Herbert collected gently used furniture discarded and placed curbside by families redecorating their homes. The nonprofit was able to help 200 families within six months of its founding.
Everything is free and the founders sometimes even deliver the items themselves. Beneficiaries are “shoppers” who can get essential furniture like couches, dining tables and chairs, dressers, beds, and cribs from the FHDC “store.”
Kitchen and household necessities like pots and pans, utensils, linens, baby items, and clothing are also available. There may also be appliances, such as television sets, microwaves, and computers, as well as play equipment like bicycles.
FHDC had to move in early January and is still looking for a new space, so in-person “shopping” is not possible now. However, the founders are keeping their services open.
If you live in the area covered by FHDC, you are advised to contact the founders through the number on the FHDC website.
Furniture Mission of the Red River Valley (serves North Dakota)
Established in 2020, Furniture Mission of the Red River Valley, based in the Fargo/Moorhead Area of North Dakota serves “people in crisis.”
It’s a nonprofit corporation that aims to provide gently used furniture at no cost to individuals and families who are in need.
According to Furniture Mission, you may be eligible for their furniture giveaway if you:
- have suffered a loss of household belongings due to fire, storms, or flood
- are starting a new life after homelessness
- have experienced significant financial loss, abusive situations, or incarceration.
You must contact Furniture Mission if you’re interested to know whether you’re eligible.
Other Nonprofits
Some charities like The Salvation Army and Goodwill give out free furniture vouchers that can be used to shop at their thrift stores. However, these are only for individuals who become part of their job training and life skills programs.
If you’re interested in these programs, you need to get in touch with your local branch of The Salvation Army and Goodwill.
Both The Salvation Army and Goodwill receive donations of furniture from supporters and make these available for sale to the general public at a low cost.
Other Ways To Get Free Furniture
1. Post a Wishlist on Social Media
Let your friends (including family) know that you’re open to receiving second-hand furniture. List down the furniture you need and post your wish list on your social media account, much like setting up a gift registry.
2. Find Curbside Treasures
Look around your neighborhood for furniture that’s been left at curbsides by folks who are renovating, downsizing, moving, or just have no idea what to do with their old pieces.
3. Explore Campuses on Moving-Out Day
You may find free couches, futons, chairs, desks, and other furniture left behind on campus when students move out of their dorms in the spring, as well as when apartment leases switch over in late summer and early fall.
How Much Can You Save On Free Furniture?
We calculated just how much savings can be had with free house furniture with a mash-up of research by the interior design company Furnishr and prices from the retailer Costco.
It turns out that if you could source free essentials—the most basic pieces for your living room, bedroom, and dining room—you could save at least $3,450 – $6,800.
Check out our table of costs if one were to furnish a home with even just the essentials:
| Living Room Essentials | Bedroom Essentials | Dining Room Essentials |
| Sofa $1800 – 2500 | Bed $400 – 800 | 5-piece Dining set $500 – 1300 |
| Coffee Table $120 – 260 | Mattress $300 – 1200 | (1 Table; 4 Chairs) |
| Floor Lamp $130 – 290 | Nightstand(s) – $180 – 300 | |
| $2,050 to $3,150 | $880 to $2,300 | $500 to $1,300 |
Summing Up
If your focus is on improving your savings situation, looking for free house furniture should be a no-brainer.
If it’s penny-pinching times, why go for a four-figure spend if you could have what you need for $0?
Aidan has been writing about personal finance for over 6 years. Prior to this, he worked as a Corporate Finance Analyst where he specialized in Due Diligence, Company Valuations and more. He is a CFA charterholder.
