Fantastic furniture value at auction houses

Those lucky enough to get on the property ladder can find great furniture bargains, says Des O’Sullivan.

The mortgage lending rules have tightened right up, but any young couple who get a house can at least expect to find great furniture value at auction.

It might take a bit of flair and imagination to see a battered old piece of furniture restored to its former glory, but these days it does not take much in the way of money.

Top lots can make fantastic sums, more prosaic pieces can be had for a song. At Woodward’s sale in Cork last week, an Edwardian tub armchair which has done trojan service for about a century, and with care is good for another 100 years, was knocked down for a mere €80.

An inlaid occasional table on a tripod base made €320. These are just two examples from many. The reality is that brown furniture is changing hands today for much less than it would have a decade ago.

It might sound harsh, but many auctioneers now will refuse point blank to take furniture from a seller who is unrealistic about the price it can be expected to make.

More and more lots are being sold without any reserve. There are furniture bargains right now throughout the length and breadth of Ireland.