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Deciding how to furnish a small space is challenging. If you're in a small space you probably have a tight budget too. With patience and ingenuity, you can find furniture dirt cheap or even free. Cheap furniture ground zero is Ikea. You can also get similar assemble-yourself pieces from Walmart and Target. Search the name of the Ikea piece on craigslist before you but new, you might get lucky.

Before you buy used Ikea furniture, inspect it carefully. Particle board furniture doesn't improve with age. Be very careful moving particle board furniture. It breaks easily and it's heavy. If you have to disassemble make sure you have tools. Older pieces of Ikea furniture may present challenges if you don't have a good basic toolkit. Carefully save connectors in a plastic bag. Get the instructions, make sure the original tools are included. These are things to ask about before you make an appointment. Ideally, you want to be involved with disassembly to make sure the piece has no damage, and to understand what you're getting yourself into.

Craigslist free section turns up nice finds. Protect yourself from flakes by reconfirming just before you leave. Ensure the piece is there and will be available when you arrive in thirty minutes or however long it takes. If you make an appointment for the day after tomorrow and just show up, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise.

Ask if there will be any surprises like damage. Know what it costs to buy an item new before you buy it used. If a seller has an unrealistically high price, just wait for them to wake up, find the next seller, or let another buyer make the mistake of being overeager.

Nice pieces turn-up curbside all the time. Beginning of the month, end of the month when people move they have to do something with all their stuff. Sometimes they have nice pieces that are too much hassle to sell and they don't want to take it with them.

Christmas tree shops sell furniture covers. Woolite, paint stripper and painting can turn something old into something special. Shabby-chic can look great and be dirt cheap.