Tag: gumtree

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Expert Tips Outdoor & Exteriors

Houseplants online: how to buy and sell them on Gumtree

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There’s been an enormous revival in the popularity of houseplants. Previously relegated to the 1970s, indoor greenery has exploded back into fashion! Driven largely through the increased focus on wellness, and often seen styled beautifully on social media, cultivating your own indoor jungle oasis can seem daunting.

Image: Leaf Supply

But there are plenty of beautiful, healthy, and well-established plants that you can grab for a local bargain online. Or, alternatively, if you’ve become an expert propagator, you could look at selling your own plant babies!

Amanda Behere from Gumtree Australia shares the following advice:

Selling: 

  1. Propagate plants: Think about any plants at home you could divide and propagate to sell separately – veggies, ferns and houseplants are great options! To propagate, just take a stem or healthy leaf clipping, place in clean water and give it extra sunlight – it usually grows strong healthy roots within a month. Succulents are a great option for this and very popular on site, with over 4,000 listings.
  2. Money does grow on trees: When your ferns or growers are due for a trim, don’t just throw their lengths in the bin – sell plants as cuttings or ‘off-cuts’ as some people enjoy buying them for the challenge, or want to buy clippings for a small price. This also helps someone else in their green thumbed adventure! Some examples here and here.
  3. Patience pays off: Mature plants can make some serious money. If you bought a cheap plant at the supermarket and it has matured into a beautiful home feature, it can be sold for more money. Many people want to buy ‘interiors-ready’ plants for styling, so you can sometimes double the price. See a larger plant here.
  4. Know your item value: Know the right price (or approximate price) for what you are selling. Simply search your plant type on Gumtree before posting to get your price right and this will increase your chances of selling!

Buying: 

  1. Do your research: Dedicate time to research what’s out there to help you understand the average price of similar plants. Search by style and category and both new/used plants to see the best options for your budget. 
  2. Ask questions: Get to know more about the plants by asking sellers questions about the species, their specific needs, and any questions you might have about its Gumtree description. It is also important to ask for images of the whole plant to ensure every part of it is healthy or as per its description. 
  3. Keyword searching: The number of plants on Gumtree can be overwhelming, so to whittle down your options, make sure you search via keywords to find the exact plant you are looking for. If you search ‘plants’ in Gumtree over 16,000 listings pop up so be specific based on what you are looking for – for example searching ‘Philodendron’ brings up 300 listings, which is much easier to sift through! 
  4. Package deal:  Some buyers will generally be selling more than one plant, so ask if they have anything else available and see if you can get a deal if you buy more than one.

Tips such as these are accessible to people of all skill levels; from those of you who are dedicated to cultivating a lush jungle paradise in your own home, to those of you who just want to add a few splashes of greenery to a room. Either way, finding the right plants for you and your home has never been easier.

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We all know house plants are in fashion right now, but unlike other decor, some work and skills are involved in keeping these green beauties alive and thriving! We asked…

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Furniture Homewares

Discovering discount designer Eames and Starck on Gumtree

Brought to you by Gumtree

Who doesn’t love a bargain?! I’ll level with you, I’m not the upcycling type. I don’t do craft, I’ve (enthusiastically I hasten to add) tried a few spray painting furniture projects and it has not gone well at all. I have nothing against an excellent pre-loved find though, and who knew Gumtree was home to designer chairs and more? Well, you do now!

I bought a gorgeous secondhand Coco Republic find (in fantastic condition) and sold my old Ikea armchair (don’t get me wrong, I love Ikea, but it’s less and less of a feature in my home the older I get). Winning at savings of hundreds of dollars! While I was there and doing some digging, I was pleasantly surprised by how much cool stuff people list on there.

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Bought a secondhand Coco Republic chair

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Sold my Ikea chair

I’ve always been a fan of waiting to buy great quality brands on sale rather than cheaper impulse buys. And you can’t beat the thrill of the good deal, right? I feel the same if I find a great used goods bargain online. My vintage marble-topped coffee table which cost me a mere $65 is still one of my favourite and most commented on pieces of furniture. A modern version (which wouldn’t have half the character or quality) could easily cost 10 times as much.

Yes, you can list unwanted items on Gumtree at bargain basement prices to get rid of them quick sharp, but you can also sell decent stuff you just don’t love anymore and put the cash towards things you really want. Which is pretty much like free money, right? You have to look really hard but when you strike gold, you get that rush of excitement at being the bargain queen!

I discovered people sometimes list an entire apartment’s worth of furniture on Gumtree for a quick sale. Think interstate career relocation. And you know what? People with money are in a better position to give stuff away (or at a great price anyway), so look out for quality goods at amazing prices if you’re prepared to take several items off their hands.

Check out these three cool items I found on Gumtree…

A legit Eames leather ottoman for $1,200 (worth more than $2,000)…

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This unique designer cashmere armchair for $300…

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A genuine Philippe Starck Mademoiselle chair for half its original $2,000 RRP…

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So my message is sell your unwanted furniture, and buy the furniture you always wanted on Gumtree, win at savings and don’t tell everyone or they’ll get all the good stuff…

Categories
Designers Furniture Interviews

Bombora: beautiful and eco-conscious recycled timber furniture

Working as a firefighter, Luke Collins began Bombora Custom Furniture initially as a hobby. Using the beautiful recycled timber he had accumulated from his local Victorian timber yard, he spent every spare moment designing and crafting.

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Luke at work

Selling his first piece (a dining table) on Gumtree, inquiries immediately started coming in for custom pieces and word of mouth quickly got around. Six years on, and Bombora have become synonymous with bespoke timber furniture and timeless designs, which honour the beauty of natural wood.

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With a collection that includes everything from dining tables and TV cabinets, to bed frames, couches and outdoor decor, the aesthetic is influenced by Nordic furniture, modern architecture and 70s design. Oozing clean lines and a simplistic, contemporary base, for Bombora functionality and longevity are of the utmost importance.

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[contextly_sidebar id=”MnEtLoqYxl5cqGuPBtsX4KOCGVEmWw4u”]”It is very important to us to minimise our impact on the environment by using recycled timbers, natural finishes and a quality of construction and design that will ensure our furniture is passed on to the next generation rather than into hard rubbish,” explains Alison Collins, head of marketing and Luke’s wife. “Providing our customers with excellent customer service is also a priority for us, which is why each piece is made to order to our clients’ specifications to ensure that it is perfect for their tastes and their homes.”

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Whether a client picks one of their portfolio designs or Luke crafts them something completely unique, all pieces are made to the clients’ exact requirements from dimensions and functionality to timber preferences.

Predominantly using recycled Messmate timber, a species of Eucalyptus local to the southern Australian states, Bombora love it for both environmental and aesthetic reasons. “We love this timber from an environmental standpoint because being locally sourced it is readily available and requires very little resources to convert it from its old state to a furniture ready state and very few travel miles. From an aesthetic point of view, it is a beautiful timber. It has a wide variety of different tones from creams to medium browns with interesting grain patterns and frequent sap lines. Each piece is distinctive and creates very unique looking furniture.”

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All Bombora furniture is protected using a natural oil and wax finish, which produces a silky soft feel and natural look. The finish enhances the beauty of the wood, whilst also making it durable, hard-wearing and easy to maintain. For more information.

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House Tours Renting

Rent my style: Perth beach shack turned well loved family home

Here at Interiors Addict, we just don’t buy into the idea that rental homes have to look bland or lacking in style and personality. Rent My Style is dedicated to showcasing the best of our readers’ rental home decorating efforts. They’re not show homes, they’re real homes!

As a freelance photographic stylist and the owner of an interior decorating and styling business, it’s perhaps no surprise that Jo-Anne Pabst‘s home is absolutely gorgeous. Jam-packed full of character, this unique old house is a two-minute walk from one of Perth’s finest beaches and is referred to, rather fondly by Jo’s family, as the Beach Shack. But it takes a certain eye to disguise leaning walls and peeling paint this well, in a home which is most likely destined to be knocked down.

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“I think we appreciate the Beach Shack more than a lot of other people might,” explains Jo. “There aren’t any modern features (no dishwasher or second toilet here). It is not very big and all the rooms lead off each other, but we love what it offers us as a family.”

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Home to Jo, her husband and their two young boys, they have lived here for the last two years. Having moved from London, they decided to rent so they could keep their property in the UK; a decision that hasn’t compromised the homeliness of the property. “It was all very neutral when we moved in. Great floorboards and plain walls,” says Jo. “ There’s a feature fireplace and mantle which I change regularly and all of our furniture just seemed to work with a tweak.”

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As an avid collector, Jo has furniture and homewares from all over the world. Loving everything antique or vintage, she has found these character pieces to be the key ingredients for creating changes that aren’t permanent and giving the place a great feel. “I love having all of our furniture and art from our time in London. It all has a story of where it was bought or found,” explains Kate. “For that reason, I really love the lounge room. It has an open fire, which we are enjoying in the very short winter in Perth and it also has all of our favorite furniture, art and things we have collected from our travels. It is amazing how these can take me back to times gone by in an instant.”

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Unfortunately for Jo and her family, the Beach Shack will most likely be knocked down, but that does mean the landlords don’t mind what they do to the property… within reason. “Most of the things we have done are in the outside area,” says Jo. “Vegetable and herb gardens, sand pits and chicken houses. I think we fancy ourselves as suburban farmers! The boys have lots of room for adventure, trees to climb and swing from, a cubby house (from Gumtree) and even a pirates’ lair up in the back corner.”

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While the outside has got a lot of love and care, the inside of the property has not remained untouched either, with some quick DIY fixes, fresh coats of paint and the addition of IKEA cupboards. The interiors also presented Jo with her biggest rental decorating challenge: “The two rooms on the side of the house have a definite lean to them,” she explains. “One room is my office and then the kids’ playroom. We definitely have to position our furniture to lean the right way! I have also covered the walls in these rooms with my moodboards, photos and kids’ artwork; much cheerier than the peeling paint!”

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While it may be tired in places, Jo sees this as a benefit: “ I don’t have to be precious about the sandy feet or the hand prints!” Loved by her family and all those that come to visit, Jo is very glad to call the Beach Shack home. “We have a bit of fun with it, lots of barbecues and themed kids parties. Most people say it has a really good vibe, which is what I am most proud of.”

Categories
House Tours Renting

Rent my style: Bonnie’s personality-filled home on a shoestring

Here at Interiors Addict, we just don’t buy into the idea that rental homes have to look bland or lacking in style and personality. Rent My Style is dedicated to showcasing the best of our readers’ rental home decorating efforts. They’re not show homes, they’re real homes!

With an artist mother, Bonnie Muir grew up in homes bursting with colour, pattern and paintings. “To me, the little touches and objects wherever you look that show the personality of the people that live in the space, are what make a house a home,”she says.

The 22 year old lives here with her boyfriend Samuel, and it’s their first home since leaving their parents’ nests! They’re both students, so can’t splash the cash on furniture and homewares, but they’ve certainly put their stamp on the place in just five months! “I have always loved interiors,”said Bonnie, who’d like to work in the industry one day. “It was really important to me to create a space I love to be in. The thing I worried about with renting, was that I would not be able to create a homely feeling, and that our house would end up stark and bare. I definitely think I had nothing to worry about!”

Bonnie had a decent art collection thanks to her mum’s efforts which helped fill the walls. “She paints on incredibly lightweight canvases, so they hang on removable 3M Command Hooks, which makes life incredibly easy! The majority of the pictures hanging in the bedroom are bargains that I picked up in secondhand shops. I have always loved dogs and flowers, and so I have been building up a collection over the past few years whenever I see something I like.”

Gallery wall in the bedroom
Gallery wall in the bedroom

The map collection in her study was one big bargain. “The large ones are wrapping paper prints and were only $8.95 each. The small ones all come from an old mini desk calendar that I pulled apart and put into op-shop frames, all painted white. Again, Command Hooks are the saviour here! I did a similar thing with pages from an old diary in the kitchen. The diary featured images of ads from the 20th century, and I just picked a few favourites and put them in some IKEA frames.”

The couple, who live in South Australia, are lucky to have friendly landlords (they even said yes to a kitten!). “There have been two things that I have actually had to put nails into the walls for (the pegboard for my jewellery, and the large map in the bedroom), but I checked with them first, and they gave me the all-clear, so long as I patch them up when it comes time to leave.”

In the living room, Bonnie swapped the existing curtains (putting them away safely to return when she moves out) for a cheap fresh white pair from Spotlight. “It has really made the space a lot lighter and brighter!” When it came to furniture, the students bought their TV unit, dining table and couch from good old IKEA. “We managed to get the couch as an ex-demo for only $500 because of a tiny scratch on the arm. Our dining chair are just fold-up chairs we got from Officeworks for $12 each, but the colours match perfectly and they’re all we need.”

There are pre-loved Gumtree finds in the mix too. Bonnie’s bedside table is an old meat safe with the legs cut off. “It did take some patience: I was compulsively checking the listings every hour for about two weeks each time, but it definitely paid off!”

Her main tip for renters is that it doesn’t have to be expensive to put your personality into your home. “Be inventive! Use bits of interesting wrapping paper in a cheap frame to create some artwork, go trawling through junk stores to find things you can update, or even just do something as simple as getting bedding that makes you happy and gives an injection of colour into the room!

“Customise anything you can to get the feeling you want your house to have. The lamp on my bedside table was only about $50 from a lighting shop, and it came with a boring, basic white shade. I had met a woman at a market who made lampshades and pillowcases, and so I got her to make something funky for me. Bargain shops and secondhand shops will become your best friends if you let them.”

Bonnie’s been surprised at how easy it’s been to make her places hers (even though, technically, it isn’t). “I honestly thought it would look a lot barer than it does, and that it would also take me a lot longer to get it looking how I wanted it to. The only real challenge I have had was trying to convince Samuel that it would all actually look good together! Because I have quite eclectic and colourful taste, in the moving van it all looked like a hot mess! He has really let me take the reins on decorating here (which I am very thankful for), but I think I’ve managed to create a space that we can both share and enjoy. I’m very proud of the home I have created.”

We think you should be, Bonnie! Thanks for showing us around and sharing your tips!