{"id":3989,"date":"2025-02-26T09:51:41","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T09:51:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/?p=3989"},"modified":"2025-02-26T14:36:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T14:36:59","slug":"furnish-a-home-without-breaking-the-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/olio-stories\/furnish-a-home-without-breaking-the-bank\/","title":{"rendered":"How we furnished a home in London without breaking the bank"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When Karen and her partner moved from Paris to London, they were excited for a new adventure, but trying to furnish a home in a new city on a tight budget was daunting. Scouring second-hand markets became their routine, always on the lookout for the best deals. Then, by chance, everything changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>We were buying a second-hand TV from a nearby couple, and they reminded us about Olio,\u201d<\/em> Karen recalls. \u201c<em>We re-downloaded the app, and it\u2019s honestly been a lifesaver.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"820\" src=\"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/1-1024x820.jpg\" alt=\"Image of Karen's furnished home through Olio\" class=\"wp-image-3990\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/1-1024x820.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/1-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/1-768x615.jpg 768w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/1-1536x1230.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/1.jpg 1816w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Living room full of furniture from Oli<\/em>o<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From that moment on, Olio has helped Karen and her partner turn their house into a home \u2013 without breaking the bank, while giving perfectly good items a second life. Their living room alone is a testament to the power of sharing: a dining table, chairs, a sofa bed, red cushions, a rocking chair, and even a footstool \u2013 all rescued from neighbours on Olio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"582\" src=\"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/4-1024x582.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4004\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/4-1024x582.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/4-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/4-768x436.jpg 768w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/4-1536x873.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/4-2048x1164.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Transporting furniture on London Overground<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cMy favourite find has to be the chairs. They\u2019re stunning \u2013 like something you\u2019d see in a design museum!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"984\" src=\"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/2-1-1024x984.jpg\" alt=\"On the way back to furnish a home with chairs from neighbours\" class=\"wp-image-3992\" style=\"width:600px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/2-1-1024x984.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/2-1-300x288.jpg 300w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/2-1-768x738.jpg 768w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/2-1-1536x1476.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/2-1.jpg 1816w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Rescuing Karen&#8217;s favourite chairs<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But for Karen, Olio is more than just an app to furnish her home. She first discovered the app at university, using it to<a href=\"https:\/\/volunteers.olioex.com\/\"> rescue food<\/a> and save money. Now, in London, she continues that mission, saving surplus food from supermarkets and even from nearby film studio shoots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cIt\u2019s been amazing \u2013 both eating the food ourselves and sharing it with others in the community. We\u2019ve also given away quite a few things, which feels so much more rewarding than throwing something away.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"828\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/5-828x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3993\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/5-828x1024.jpg 828w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/5-243x300.jpg 243w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/5-768x949.jpg 768w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/5-1243x1536.jpg 1243w, https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1\/2025\/02\/5.jpg 1448w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 828px) 100vw, 828px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A F<em>ood Waste Hero collection<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One of her most satisfying moments? Answering a neighbour\u2019s \u2018Wanted\u2019 post. <em>\u201cThey had a light cover but were missing the base \u2013 we had the exact part they needed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond free items and food, Karen has found something even more valuable:<a href=\"https:\/\/olioapp.com\/en\/category\/our-community\/\"> a sense of community<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;<em><em>Every interaction I\u2019ve had on Olio has been so lovely. The person giving away the item is happy to have more space, and we usually chat about their next move \u2013 whether they are moving out, upgrading, or decluttering. It definitely feels like a community of people who don\u2019t want things to go to waste and want to help their neighbours.<\/em><\/em>&#8220;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What do you love the most about using Olio?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cThe best thing about Olio is how effortlessly it brings people together. It\u2019s not just about sharing \u2013 it\u2019s about kindness, connection, and knowing that every small act helps reduce waste. It really does feel like being part of something bigger.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Karen and her partner moved from Paris to London, they were excited for a new adventure, but trying to&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":3958,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-olio-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How we furnished a home in London without breaking the bank - Olio | At Home<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Looking to furnish a home in London on a budget? 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