$3 furniture: Where in UAE you can get the best deals on home products

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Sharjah is best place to go if you are looking for furniture in your house. There are many markets here offering over 75 per cent discount. And if you have great bargaining skills, you can grab items for as low as Dh10.

Shawkath Ali, a salesperson at Darul Misk used furniture shop, stood out with his extensive collection of used furniture, which included anything from beautiful dining tables to comfortable armchairs.

As buyers pass by the large stores, Ali greets them with a bright smile and inquires about their requirements and the sorts of furniture they choose. He obviously knows what they want even before they tell them. “It's a skill that comes from years of practice. Customers gaze at cabinets, shoe racks, mattresses, and bed sets, and coffee tables as they pass through the adjacent stores, and we all know what is kept where in the neighboring and adjacent shops,” Ali explained.

The market buzzed with activity as vendors carefully put their goods along the small walkways. Shelves supported the weight of mismatched objects, while antique wardrobes revealed beautiful woodwork.

Below is the starting price of each piece of furniture.

Plastic stool- Dh10

Paintings- Dh10

Decorative items- Dh10

Wooden stool- Dh20

Mirror- Dh30

Bed set- Dh120

Dining table- Dh120

Sofa set- Dh200

Tv and coffee table—Dh80

Shoe rack- Dh50

Wardrobes- Dh80

Where does the furniture come from?

As customers pass, Ali tells them stories about the furniture's origins. “I normally tell them the stories about how the dining table had seen numerous dishes and family dinners, the wardrobes that had kept generations of clothing, and the study desk witnessing the birth of dreams,” said Ali.

Kareem and Abiha, a young couple who had recently moved to the UAE, wanted to decorate their rental flat and came to the Abu Shagra used furniture market to find furniture that would fit their budget and their taste. Their attention was drawn to the Rukn Al Rebab used furniture store’s classy selection as they went through the stores heaped high with furnishings. "I had a budgeted amount set aside for furniture." "However, after all of my purchases, I am returning with more than half of the money saved," Kareem said.

“I purchased a nearly brand new four-door wardrobe for Dh400, a coffee table for Dh100, a shoe rack for Dh80, king size bed for Dh500 and dining table and chairs for Dh250, and a few more spending a total of Dh1,500 for entire interiors,” added Kareem.

As good as new

Hashim Kamal, the vendor at Rukn Al Rebab Used Furniture Store, said that these pieces carry a history, but they are also ready for new beginnings. “People say it’s used furniture, but it is as good as new. After we get it here, we repair it and make it sturdy for long-lasting usage."

Kamal explained how they can get their hands on used furniture. “We are very active on social media and post regularly that we buy used and old furniture. The second way to get in is we are in touch with the watchman and the real estate agents. They inform us about if people are vacating flats or throwing away their used furniture,” said Kamal.

The vendors also distribute pamphlets at residential buildings, spreading the word about the cheap used furniture corner in Abu Shagra. “We have buyers daily, and with God’s grace, every furniture store is doing well here,” added Kamal.