Auctions sites offer affordable route for home improvement

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - 13:04 by Simon Crisp

Many people use eBay to buy used products, but some enterprising home renovators save tens of thousands of pounds by picking up pre-loved items via safe shopping online, according to an article in the Telegraph.

Sarah Ockwell-Smith is one particularly frugal e-commerce auction fan and she estimates that she has saved upward of £50K because she has bought everything from old furniture to ornaments for her home on eBay whenever a redecorating stint has presented itself.

While she admits that this does mean she has spent a large amount of money through safe shopping online, she says that the savings are far greater than they would be if she had simply shopped and haggled on the high street.

This approach allows people to pick up antique furniture and browse a vast selection of products without ever having to leave the comfort of their homes.

Mrs Ockwell-Smith pointed out that you can often unearth real treasures by browsing online and bagging a bargain may result from casual surfing, even if you did not originally set out with a specific item in mind.

Although buying products at auction is a largely painless experience, there are some who have had a less than stellar time at the hands of other sellers.

The good news is that reputable sites like eBay have systems to help you work out whether or not you should buy from particular users. Each customer can rate the quality of the people they do business with, which means you can get an instant snapshot of a seller's performance and factor this into whether or not you are willing to bid for an item.

Whether you want the latest gadgets or a Victorian cabinet with real history behind it, the web is the only place to go for such variety at low prices.