Short answer: run a 7-point check before money changes hands — seams for bed bugs, the permanent fire label on upholstered items, grain alignment on wood, drawer runners, a load test, a sniff test, and a hard no on second-hand mattresses. Ten minutes of checking beats a 90-day bed-bug saga every single time.
Shop the pieces in this guide
The second-hand market is brilliant: solid wood at flat-pack prices. But it's also where furniture goes to hide its sins, and some sins have legs. Here's the checklist that separates a bargain from a biohazard.
The 7-point check
| # | Check | Pass | Walk away if |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bed bug seams | Clean stitching lines, no dots | Black/rust dots in piping, shed skins |
| 2 | Fire label (UK) | Permanent BS 5852 label under cushion | Missing — resale is actually illegal |
| 3 | Wood grain | Grain runs over edges, colour matched | Grain stops at edge (veneer over chipboard) |
| 4 | Drawer runners | Smooth full extension, no sag | Catch, roll sideways, or drop |
| 5 | Load test | No creaks sitting/leaning | Creaks, wobbles, joints open |
| 6 | Smell | Neutral or "old book" | Musty, chemical, or mystery aroma |
| 7 | Mattresses/sofas from unknown homes | — | Just don't. Bed bugs hitch rides here first |
Point 1: the bed bug seam check
Bring a phone torch. Inspect piping, seams, and the dust cover underneath upholstered pieces for ink-black dots (droppings), rusty smears, or pale 1 mm shells. Bugs squeeze into gaps as thin as a credit card, so check screw holes and corner joints on wooden frames too. Two minutes here is the highest-yield inspection in second-hand shopping.
Point 2: the fire label is the law, not a suggestion
In the UK, upholstered furniture must carry a permanent fire-resistance label to be resold — a match/cigarette resistance label under the seat cushion or fixed to the frame. No label means you're buying something a stranger is legally awkward about selling. That's a neat proxy for how they treat everything else.
Points 3–5: structure tells the truth
Real solid wood shows grain running continuously over edges; veneered chipboard shows a printed pattern that stops or mirrors at corners. Open every drawer fully — runners are usually the first component to die and the cheapest to test. Then sit on it like you mean it: shift your weight, lean on the armrest. Good furniture doesn't comment on your lunch; creaking joints mean glue lines have let go, and regluing a frame is a weekend you won't get back.
Points 6–7: your nose is a lab instrument
Mustiness means moisture history — mould inside cushions or drawers you can't fully see. Sharp chemical smells suggest recent refinishing with something you don't want in a bedroom. And mattresses: unless it comes with a verified history, skip. The £200 you save isn't worth heat-treating your whole bedroom.
Final price sanity check
Compare against new: if a used solid-wood bookcase is under 50% of the new equivalent, it's usually fair. Under 20%, ask why — damaged runners, water history, or a de-labelling situation. Bargains survive scrutiny; lemons don't.
Where to hunt, briefly
Charity shops are the safest lane — they legally must check fire labels before reselling, so their upholstered stock is pre-screened. Online marketplaces offer the best prices and the widest risk; estate sales and office clearances often yield filing-grade metal furniture at giveaway prices (our 80 cm lockable cabinets started life as exactly this category). Whatever the source, the 7-point check travels with you.
Bring: a phone torch, a tape measure, and a friend with strong opinions. Two of the three will be used.
Keep reading
More dimension guides are in the collection, and the full index is on the furnolio journal.
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