Guides

Buying Used Furniture vs New in Abu Dhabi: Which Is Better?

Real prices, build quality, delivery times, used appliances and the few things worth buying new.

By Welcome Used Furniture, Mussafah M37

If you are furnishing a flat or villa in Abu Dhabi, you will hear two kinds of advice. One says buy new so nothing goes wrong. The other says never pay full price for furniture in a city where people move every few years. We buy and sell used furniture in Mussafah every day, and our view is simple: for most of a home, used is the better buy. There are a few exceptions, and they are covered here too.

Is buying used furniture worth it in Abu Dhabi?

Yes, for most homes. Abu Dhabi has a constant flow of good used furniture because people move all the time: contracts end, families relocate abroad, couples move from a flat into a villa. A lot of what comes onto the market is only a few years old and comes from homes that were looked after.

That flow is what keeps prices low and choice wide. Plenty of families here furnish an entire home second hand, then put the money they saved into the few things they really want new, usually a good mattress or a rug.

How does used furniture compare to new?

Used wins on price, speed and what you get back when you sell. New wins when you need an exact colour or size, or a long manufacturer warranty.

How much do you save buying used furniture instead of new?

You usually save between half and two thirds of the new price. Two real examples: a used IKEA EKTORP 3-seater sofa sells for around AED 700, while the same sofa is AED 1,795 new, and a used Daewoo 8 kg condenser dryer sells for around AED 600 against AED 1,799 new.

The difference gets serious when you furnish a whole home. Here is one real example: a one-bedroom flat furnished entirely from used pieces that were listed for sale recently.

This is a snapshot, not a price list. Used pieces sell quickly and each one is priced on its own condition, so the items and prices you find today will be different. What stays the same is the gap: the same five pieces bought new from a mid-range store would cost well over double.

Is used furniture lower quality than new?

Not necessarily, and often it is the other way round. Many older sofas, beds and dining tables were built on solid wood frames with heavier fittings. A lot of budget furniture sold new today is particleboard with a printed wood finish.

There is another advantage people overlook. A used piece has already been lived with. If a wardrobe still closes properly and a bed frame does not creak after a few years in someone's home, it has proven itself in a way a showroom piece cannot. What you need to judge is condition, and that takes two minutes:

• Push the frame. It should stand firm, with no wobble.
• Open every drawer and door. They should run smoothly and close flush.
• Press the seat cushions. They should spring back, not stay flat.
• Check fabric up close and smell it. Stains and smoke smells are hard to remove.

There is a fuller checklist for each type of furniture in our guide on where to buy used furniture in Abu Dhabi.

How fast can you get used furniture compared to new?

Used furniture that is in stock can be in your home within days. New pieces that are made to order, imported or ordered in a particular colour often take several weeks.

This matters more than people expect. If you have just landed in the city, if your lease starts next week, or if you are furnishing a flat to rent out and every empty week costs you rent, waiting six weeks for a sofa is not an option. With used furniture, the piece you choose is the piece that arrives.

Is it safe to buy used appliances?

Yes, if they have been tested and the seller stands behind them for the first few days. Never buy a used fridge or washing machine that nobody has switched on in front of you, and always ask what happens if it stops working in the first week.

Once it is home, three habits make a used appliance last:

• Fridges and freezers: after the fridge has been moved, leave it standing upright for a few hours before you switch it on, so the oil settles back into the compressor.
• Washing machines: check the transit bolts at the back have been removed before the first wash, or the drum will shake hard.
• Any appliance: look up the model number online to confirm its size, capacity and energy rating before you pay. The model number is on a sticker inside the fridge door, or on the back or inside the door of a washing machine or dryer.

You can see tested appliances with their model numbers in our used appliances section, such as this Daewoo 8 kg condenser dryer.

Is buying used furniture better for the environment?

Yes. Every sofa or wardrobe that gets a second home is one less that has to be made, shipped across the world and carried up to a flat, and one less that ends up in a skip.

Furniture is heavy and bulky, and most new pieces sold in the UAE travel a long way before they reach a showroom. Choosing used keeps good furniture in use for years longer, and it costs you nothing extra to do it.

Can you sell used furniture again when you leave?

Yes, and this is where used really pays off. New furniture loses a large part of its value the day it leaves the showroom. Furniture you bought used has already taken that drop, so if you look after it, it holds its value well.

When the time comes to move or leave the country, you can sell your used furniture to a buyer who collects from your home, which saves you weeks of listing and haggling online.

Moving to a new home in the UAE instead of leaving? Before you book the move, go through your furniture piece by piece and compare what each one would cost to move with what it would sell for. Large, worn items such as an old 3-seater or a heavy wardrobe are often better sold and replaced with used pieces that fit the new place, while the furniture you love comes with you. For that part, a removals company such as Expert Furniture Movers can pack it, move it and put it back together in your new home.

When does buying new furniture make more sense?

For a handful of items, new is the right call, and most well-furnished homes mix the two.

• Mattresses and pillows. Comfort and hygiene here are personal. A used bed frame with a new mattress is a smart mix. If a used bed comes with its mattress, ask for close-up photos and judge it yourself.
• Made-to-measure pieces. Fitted wardrobes, alcove shelving or a sofa for an awkward corner have to be built for the space.
• Baby cots. Safety standards for cots change over time. Buy new unless you can confirm the model meets the current standard.
• A long warranty. If a multi-year manufacturer warranty matters more to you than the price, new is the only way to get it.

For everything else, from sofas and dining sets to wardrobes, TV units and appliances, used is the better buy.

Where should you buy used furniture?

From a shop that lets you see the exact piece, tests its appliances and delivers. Most used furniture shops are in Mussafah, and that is where we are too: Welcome Used Furniture, in M37. Everything we sell is photographed, priced and can be viewed on WhatsApp or in person.

If you want to see what is available, start with the room you are furnishing:

We deliver anywhere in Abu Dhabi, free on orders over AED 1,500, and assemble beds, wardrobes and TV units at your home. Every appliance is tested and comes with a 7-day check. Payment, exchange and delivery details are on our delivery and returns page.