How to Inspect Used Furniture Before You Pay

Inspect Before the Money Leaves

The moment you pay, the sale is final. An inspection on the seller's floor is the inspection that prevents a bad purchase. Here's the checklist.

Check Every Drawer and Door

Open every drawer fully, push it back. Feel for sticking, sagging, broken runners. Open every door and check the hinges. A drawer that sticks in the store sticks in your apartment.

Look at the Back and Bottom

Sellers photograph the front. Flip the piece and check the back panel, the underside, the legs. Water damage, mold, and broken braces hide on the side you can't see in the listing.

Test the Joints

Grab a corner and twist. A solid piece resists; a loose one racks. Wobble means loose joints or stripped cam locks.

Smell It

Upholstered furniture holds pet and smoke smells that don't show in photos. Put your nose near the cushions and the frame. A smell doesn't come out.

Check for Bedbugs

Look in the seams of upholstered furniture and the joints of wood pieces for dark specks (droppings) or shed skins. A bedbug-infested couch costs thousands in extermination — pass.

Ask Why They're Selling

"Moving" is fine. "Doesn't fit" is fine. A vague answer or "stored in a basement" is a flag.

Measure It

A "queen headboard" listed at 60 inches that's actually 64 won't fit your frame. Bring a tape measure.

Book a Marketplace pickup with inspection.