Love your planet
Re-use your furniture
Like fast fashion, fast furniture is an issue. The availability of mass produced items encourages people to change their furniture frequently and often they aren’t built to last.
But there is a solution.
Buying second hand is one of the best ways of giving your home a unique look for less and helping to save our precious natural resources. When you do want a change there are lots of ways of passing items on rather than throwing them away.
So if you’ve never thought about buying vintage, going to a Repair Café, donating to a reuse charity or selling online, we’ve got lots of hints and tips to help you love your home for less.
Rehome your furniture
Sell or donate your unwanted furniture quickly and easily.
New to selling online? Follow our tips for a straightforward sale.
Swipe left or right to activate carousel
Put it in its place
If you’re selling online, make sure that you have selected the most relevant category to list your item under. State if the buyer will need to collect and don’t forget to include your contact details.
Picture it
Upload as many photos as you can and include pictures from multiple angles, as well as close-ups of any marks or damage.
Describe it
Write a detailed description of the item you’re selling, e.g. dimensions, colour, any brand name or model numbers and age. Include whether the item is from a smoking household or a home with pets. Be honest about any damage to avoid time-wasting, for you or the buyer.
Clean it
Check the item over and give it a clean before advertising. It will look its best in the photos and you might spot a minor repair that could make all the difference to the final price.
Price it
Compare similar listings beforehand to decide on a fair price. Let buyers know if you’re open to offers, or equally if you don’t wish to negotiate. You can always edit it later.
Save it
Always keep the fire safety labels on upholstered furniture to maximise its reuse potential.
Find out more
Rehome your furniture with a local reuse organisation or charity shop using our search facility.
Try out your buying and selling skills with these sites
Repair
Love your stuff for longer
Visit a Repair Café
If you have a broken electrical item, bike or piece of furniture why not visit a local Repair Café?
Repair Cafés are community events where expert volunteers repair household items and sometimes clothes and textiles for a small donation. They also offer tea, coffee and sometimes cake! While having your item repaired, you can also sit with the repairer and learn how to make the repair yourself next time.
Details of Repair Cafés in Hampshire are listed below. But there are more coming to Hampshire soon. Please contact us if you know of any others or are planning to start up your own event.
| Repair café | Time and Location |
|---|---|
| Alton Repair Café |
A monthly event Alton Community Centre, Amery St, Alton, GU34 1HN |
| Andover Repair Café |
A monthly event St Ann's Hall, Suffolk Rd, Andover, SP10 2JD |
| Baughurst Repair Café |
Third Sunday of the month from 10am - 1pm. Heath End Village Hall, Baughurst (RG26 5LU). |
| Bordon Repair Café |
A regular event held at the Forest Community Centre, Bordon |
| Brockenhurst Repair Café |
A monthly event held at Brockenhurst Village Hall |
| Chineham Repair Café |
Third Saturday of every month at Christ Church Chineham, Reading Road, Basingstoke, RG24 8LT |
| Denmead and Hambledon Repair Café |
A monthly event held in the Denmead and Hambledon areas |
| Fordingbridge Repair Café |
Regular events in Fordingbridge, please see their website for details |
| Gosport Repair Café |
Second Saturday of every month (except August) 10:30am - 1pm Make Gosport, Unit 5, Quay Lane, Hardway, Gosport, PO12 4LJ |
| Havant Repair Café |
First Saturday of each month 10am - 1pm The Pallant Centre, Saint Faiths, Havant |
| Hayling Island Repair Café |
Monthly event in Hayling Island |
| Lymington Repair Café |
Regular community events around the Lymington area |
| Meon Valley Repair Café |
First Saturday of each month 10am - noon Waltham Chase Methodist Church, Curdridge Lane, Waltham Chase SO32 2LS |
| North Hampshire Repair Café |
Regular Repair Cafe in venues around the north Hampshire area |
| Overton Repair Café |
Monthly event Community Centre, High St, Overton, Basingstoke RG25 3HB |
| Repair Café Portsmouth |
Weekly events in the Repair Café Hub in Cascades Shopping Centre Pop-Up Repair Café at various locations around the city on the 3rd Saturday of each month Visit to website for information on how to book a repair slot |
| Rushmoor Repair Café |
Regular Events in Aldershot |
| Southampton Repair Café |
Freemantle United Reform Church, 257 Shirley Rd SO15 3HS First Saturday of each month (except January) 10:30am – 1pm St Denys Community Centre, Priory Rd SO17 2JZ Third Saturday every other month (e.g. November, January etc) 10:30am – 1pm |
| Totton Repair Café |
Regular community event held Totton & Eling Community Centre, Testwood Lane, Southampton, SO40 3AP |
| Repair Café Winchester |
Regular events at Badger Farm Community Centre, Badger Farm Road, Winchester, SO22 4QB and Unit 12 CIC, Winnall Valley Road, Winchester, SO23 0LD |
| Bike repair and reuse |
These projects may be able to repair your bike, let you rent one or purchase a second-hand bike or receive donations of bikes that you no longer wish to use |
Hampshire Repair Café Network
The Hampshire Repair Café Network is an informal group which supports new and existing Repair Cafes in Hampshire through sharing knowledge and best practice. Hampshire County Council hosts the group and provides promotional and training support. Find out about the the Repair Cafes in the network and the impacts they have achieved. If you run an existing Repair Café or are planning to set one up, please contact [email protected] for more information.
Make repairs yourself
If you are handy with a set of tools or just fancy having a go at home, iFixit is a useful resource. You can find free repair guides for a wide range of household devices.
For other items, search online, attend a class or visit your local library for guidance on skills from sewing to basic DIY.
Making it Work: A reuse and repair toolkit
Hampshire County Council, in partnership with a number of public and voluntary sector organisations in Hampshire, has developed a reuse and repair toolkit.
It provides practical advice and inspirational ideas for reuse organisations that are looking to reduce their costs and make more of the items they receive. It’s also a great resource for anyone interested in repairing or upcycling their own furniture or textiles.
Buy pre-loved furniture
Swap flat pack furniture for ‘one of a kind’ finds from a local reuse organisation.It’s often cheaper and benefits good causes. What’s not to like?
Like what you see?
Visit local reuse organisations for more great used furniture finds.
You could also find a bargain through private selling sites.
Pick up a bargain
Local furniture charities have a lots of unique items often at a great prices and they provide a vital service to those in crisis or on low incomes. So you could pick up a bargain and support a great cause.
List of Local Furniture Charities
- Acts 4 Sharing, Ringwood | Telephone 07810 005763
- Acts of Kindness, Fareham and Gosport | Telephone 07726 577761
- Community Furniture Project, Basingstoke | Telephone 01256 320 700
- Emmaus, Winchester | Telephone 01962 868300
- Fleet Lions, Fleet
- Furniture Helpline Bordon | Telephone 01962 868300
- Hub4stuff.co.uk Gosport and Fareham | Telephone 07387 364240
- Jacob’s Well Care Centre, Gosport | Telephone 023 9258 3050
- SCRATCH, Southampton | Telephone 023 8077 3132
Spot The Bargain
Second hand furniture: less faff than flat pack, cheaper than buying brand new, and quality so good you'll struggle to see the difference.
Hiring or renting
Many of us wouldn’t think of hiring a table or a sofa, but actually it’s a great way of getting the look you love while keeping the flexibility to change your mind.
If you’re having a party don’t forget to check out rental services for cutlery, crockery and tableware. Much more sustainable than paper plates and plastic cutlery, plus they look great too! The Party Kit Network is a good place to start your search.
Why not try a website like Fat Llama or search online for a service near you.
Ever thought about hiring clothes? Find local clothes hire services from our Sustainable Fashion page. Or toys? Check out Whirli's subscription toy box service.
Buy, donate, sell or repair
Check our reuse directory for pre-loved options near you
Know a site or organisation that should be on here? Let us know.
For more ideas and hints to reduce and save money visit Smart Living