Aspasia Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 We have had our eye on the Ikea ektorp corner sofa for awhile now. With the slip cover we want, it's $1000. Yesterday someone posted this very couch--same slip cover--for $300 on craigslist! I'm so very tempted. That's how much the slip cover alone costs. The picture of it is in a room that looks clean and nicely kept (seems like that would be a given, but you've seen craigslist ads). I would obviously wash the slip cover and probably vacuum the couch with my Kirby. Is this crazy? Should we just spend the $1000 and get the new one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripley Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I might. I'd want to go see it and check it out first. I'm leery of bed bugs. I've heard the horror stories - even clean homes get them, you know? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 If I felt super comfortable with the source. Our current couch was a CL find. It was from a very nice home and it was in their large finished basement (they had three living rooms in that house!). They rarely even went downstairs or used it so it was in like-new condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I would! Inspect thoroughly, smell, look inside. Then vacuum well before bringing in your house. You could even get it cleaned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Nope, too many health risks & too much chance a pest of some sort has not only made it home, but started a family there that you might not see for a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 We have had a few. See it, smell it, sit on it, check the back and bottom. That is a great price. If it's in good condition, get it! But move fast. You surely Aren't the only one who wants one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Scabies.... I actually did buy one used and washed the slip cover, but I knew the owner and at that time I didn't even give it a second thought as to little critters. After reading so many threads here, I would hesitate and make sure to inspect it very carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 No. Weird stuff happens on a couch. I also wouldn't buy a used mattress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Cornelia Snook Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I wouldn't. We invited a roach infestation after we brought an antique piano into our home from a place that apparently had roaches! This was when I was a teenager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ficbot Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Only from someone I know. Our current coaches came from my SIL---they are expensive ones (she has more money than we do) and seldom used as they were in a 'spare' room in the house. So I knew they were good quality and in decent shape. She was redoing the room and offerd them to us when we moved :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I have never owned a new couch and most of my beds have been second hand too. For most people I know this is normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Yes. I have and I would again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Most of our furniture is used including our couch, futon, chair,and the sofa in my office. I would check the seams, etc. for bed bugs, but not worry about it past that. I also sleep in hotel rooms, but only after I check. I would buy it if I wanted it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I am too scared of bedbugs and other pests. I currently have a used couch, but I got it from my mom. Unless I know the people very well personally, not just by reputation or through mutual friends, I wouldn't chance it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Sure, just check it out thoroughly before you buy it to make sure no one was born or conceived on it... :o If you live in an area with brown recluse spiders, vacuum the entire underside for egg sacs. We brought in a sofa from the basement and a big BR spider scrabbled away after we put it upstairs. Turned it over and there were several egg sacs sticking to the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I have more than once. Look it over carefully, and smell it. I steam cleaned it thoroughly before I brought it into the house as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bensonduck Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I think if you can get comfortable with the source, it should be no problem. Clean it, check it over, make sure it is from a nonsmoking home, and you should be fine. It sounds like a great deal!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Yep, I have. I knew the person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 No way. Bedbugs. I am not afraid of roaches, spiders, etc. But bedbugs can live up to a year without feeding, and once in your house, are a nightmare to eradicate. They are hard to detect in the larva stages and are fast. They can live behind electric switches, in your books, in clothes, cushions, pillows, carpet...if they infest your bed and you put traps on the feet of your bed, they can climb the walls and drop onto you from the ceiling. Every piece of clothing would have to dried on very hot and stored away from the house until the treatment was done, every book put through a packtite, and massive exterminator treatments in some cases. If you caught it very, very early, you might be able to isolate it to one room and the treatment may be easier...if you could stomach staying in that room to be bate so they wouldn't spread to another room to find you, until you could treat. Nightmare! I have (unfortunately) read so many stories about them, though I've never had them. I am really afraid of them because with our homeschooling books and kid clothes, etc...if they got into our house, it would be really, really awful to try to treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 We did—but we know the previous owner well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 Well, this isn't helping! Half of you are voicing my same concerns and attitudes--I've generally thought I would never buy a used couch, and I still won't ever consider buying a used mattress. But the other half of you are voicing what the other half of my brain is saying. Hmmm... Dh is leery, but he ultimately leaves all these types of decisions up to me. Such a good deal.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I thought about it once and my sister said, "Um, people have sex on couches". That pretty much doomed the idea for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 I thought about it once and my sister said, "Um, people have sex on couches". That pretty much doomed the idea for me. Exactly. This has always been one of my top reasons for not doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I thought about it once and my sister said, "Um, people have sex on couches". That pretty much doomed the idea for me. Do you not sit on other people's couches when you go to visit their home? I've had sex on a lot of my furniture. I didn't burn it afterwards. I even let my friends sit on it when they visit. Heck, my kids are sitting on my couch right now. It does get cleaned up now and again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 True. And I do sleep in hotels. So, go for it!! Just clean it well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I have bought used couches and would do so in the future. We're still alive and healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Do you not sit on other people's couches when you go to visit their home? I wondered the same thing about the "bed bugs! ack! no way!" responders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I check the beds etc when I go to a hotel. I use the flashlight on my phone to look around the mattress and I take off all the sheets and look between the mattresses etc. I keep the suitcase in the bathroom and nowhere near the rug or furniture. And yes, I do sit on people's couches, but I don't often go to the homes of strangers. If I did I would worry more about it. I also worry about going to the movies. I have heard of people getting bedbugs at movie theaters and bringing them home. It hasn't kept me from going to the movies, but I do worry. I don't care about people having had sex on the couch or bed. That is just sex. I worry about bedbugs and stuff like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Personally, I PREFER a used couch because they're done off-gassing by the time I get them. Upholstered furniture is probably the worst offender with regards to our homes' environmental toxins... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Check it out, and if everything feels right (clean, etc) - it sounds like a great deal! I'll put in a few plugs for buying used, clean furniture, because this thread needs them - new furniture outgasses VOCs. Yuck. Used furniture saves something from the landfill - good for the environment. Just a few positives, to offset the bedbugs. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Our couch is from Craig's list. It is a nice leather one that looked like brand new for a great price. Ds and I went to go get it and the house was spotless. The lady said it was rarely used and assured me that her day care kids were never allowed to sit on it. SHE about died when she noticed that we planned on putting this couch in a horse trailer to move it. We HAD swept it out but she went and got a broom so we could get every bit of sawdust out of the trail..........then she got cardboard to cover the floor of the trailer, etc. She was much more concerned about it than we were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Do you not sit on other people's couches when you go to visit their home? I've had sex on a lot of my furniture. I didn't burn it afterwards. I even let my friends sit on it when they visit. Heck, my kids are sitting on my couch right now. It does get cleaned up now and again. I sit on other people's couches when I'm fully clothed. I don't nap there or get nekkid myself. Personal comfort level. Couches are on par with mattresses to me. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I have before. No issues. But our town made national "top ten" lists for bedbugs a couple years back and I'm much more cautious about what I buy used now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Yes, but I have never bought a new couch in my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 After experiencing bed bugs (not sure where they came from), no. It will cost you more than $700 to deal with them should you get them….and you can't always tell by looking if it's infested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 To be fair I would be less likely to if bed bugs were common here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I'm with umsami, the threat of bedbugs would keep me from every buying used furniture of any kind. It cost way too much to take care of. Not to mention all the hassle of being bit and such. It isn't worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 We bought a brand new leather couch from a family that was being foreclosed upon. It was a steal of a deal. I am eyeing the Ektorp as well, but the thought of cleaning the fabric is overwhelming, let alone the threat of bedbugs. I would check it out very carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I'd be very leery. Although, I said I'd never buy a mattress on Craigslist.....but then the Ikea bunk bed system that I'd been eyeing at Ikea for years came up for sale locally on CL for $85. I couldn't pass it up! It came with both bunks, two mattresses, mattress covers, slats, and canopy. It was in great condition.....I bought it. No issues. I did wash the mattress covers in very hot water! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Definitely - never bought a couch that wasn't used. We're on our 3rd used couch. I would make sure the apartment/house was quite clean and check the thing out thoroughly. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I'm another who has never bought a couch new. Go look at it. If you feel comfortable with it, buy it. If not, no big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 If I liked it and it looked nice, then definitely! Honestly, almost everything we own is used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unfrumpable. Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I've had plenty of used couches over the years. I rarely buy any furniture new. Our current mattresses were bought new, but I've had used over the years too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 We have had our eye on the Ikea ektorp corner sofa for awhile now. With the slip cover we want, it's $1000. Yesterday someone posted this very couch--same slip cover--for $300 on craigslist! I'm so very tempted. That's how much the slip cover alone costs. The picture of it is in a room that looks clean and nicely kept (seems like that would be a given, but you've seen craigslist ads). I would obviously wash the slip cover and probably vacuum the couch with my Kirby. Is this crazy? Should we just spend the $1000 and get the new one? Possibly, if the house were exceedingly clean and I checked it out thoroughly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 No way. Bedbugs. I am not afraid of roaches, spiders, etc. But bedbugs can live up to a year without feeding, and once in your house, are a nightmare to eradicate. They are hard to detect in the larva stages and are fast. They can live behind electric switches, in your books, in clothes, cushions, pillows, carpet...if they infest your bed and you put traps on the feet of your bed, they can climb the walls and drop onto you from the ceiling. Every piece of clothing would have to dried on very hot and stored away from the house until the treatment was done, every book put through a packtite, and massive exterminator treatments in some cases. If you caught it very, very early, you might be able to isolate it to one room and the treatment may be easier...if you could stomach staying in that room to be bate so they wouldn't spread to another room to find you, until you could treat. Nightmare! I have (unfortunately) read so many stories about them, though I've never had them. I am really afraid of them because with our homeschooling books and kid clothes, etc...if they got into our house, it would be really, really awful to try to treat. Two years ago i would have said yes, get it. But then two years ago I got bedbugs. We found them fast and so it was "easy" to treat. Even being "easy" it was a nightmare. And yes, you have to sleep in your bed while they bite you until the extermination treatment kicks in. If you leave your bed at night to sleep somewhere else they follow you and infest more of your house. No used couch. The second favorite place for bedbugs is in the couch where their prey (you) sits still in the evening relaxing. And yes, I do worry about picking up bedbugs at other people's houses and movie theaters. It was a terrible mess to treat. We had to throw lots of stuff away. You just don't always know where the nest is so everything needs to be checked. Exhausting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camelfeet Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Yes. I've had... 3 used couches in my life. I would check thoroughly and use the money saved by buying used to have it steam cleaned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoadLessTraveled22 Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Yes, all of our couches and sofas are either from the goodwill or off of craigslist and we have not had ANY issues with them. Go and look at it, and then use your gut instinct. When you get it home CLEAN it, it will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 No way, my OCD would never allow it. The thought of years and years of someone else's butts and farts packed into the cushion makes me nauseous. And all of the "smell it" suggestions made me light headed. :svengo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 So... OP... What was the verdict? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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