Fast furniture isn't built to last. Here's how to find quality pieces that are still affordable

NEW YORK (AP) — Furniture is one of the biggest hurdles during a move, because good dressers and couches are bulky and expensive.

During a stressful time, it makes sense to crave something cheap delivered straight to your door. That's where fast furniture comes in.

These are simple pieces made with a mishmash of plastics, fiberboard and chipboard that aren't built to last. They can typically be ordered online, are mass-produced and ship unassembled in a flat-packed box.

They get the job done, but once thrown out, their ingredients generally can't be recycled and don't break down well.

“It’s of little emotional value, it’s fleeting, and it is not going to accompany you through your life’s journey,” said furniture and design expert Deana McDonagh with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Americans dumped over 12 million tons (10.8 million metric tons) of furniture in 2018, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and 80% of it ended up in landfills.

Moving is chaotic, and fast furniture is a sensible solution. But there are ways to decorate your home that are just as cheap and may furnish other parts of your life.

When Heather Strong moved to her own place in the Los Angeles area, newly single, she felt like she was starting over. Many of her well-loved furniture pieces, like her favorite pan rack, stayed with her ex in the home she'd left.

That's when she discovered the Buy Nothing Project: an app and network of local Facebook groups where people gave and got things for free. A year and a half later, Strong has furnished her home with dining room chairs, wood furniture and bedding from her neighbors.

“I’ve had the chance to explore different areas of my own community and venture out a little. And I’ve made some friends,” said Strong, a business owner.

Buy Nothing's co-founder Liesl Clark recommends asking your neighbors before ordering that unassembled coffee table. Comb through neighborhood Facebook and Nextdoor groups, check gifting sites like Freecycle and see if a friend of a friend knows anyone getting rid of their furniture. Or, look on curbs and front stoops for nice pieces that others have left behind.

“You will get so much more satisfaction. You’ll save funds that you can then perhaps spend more locally,” Clark said.

Maddie Fischer has furnished most of her Brooklyn apartment with pre-loved pieces. She found one of her living room chairs in a trash bag on the street and nabbed her kitchen table for free in a move-out giveaway, recruiting her sister and friends to carry it down four flights of stairs.

“I don’t mind when things look like they’ve had a little bit of wear and tear,” said Fischer, a social media manager. “I think it gives them more character.”

If you can't find the item you want on the curb, shop secondhand. Try neighborhood thrift stores or sift through sites like eBay, Vinted and Gumtree. There are also furniture rental websites to source quality items for a short time, but can be pricey.

If finances permit, it's never too early to start thinking about buying high quality furniture. Dressers and tables made of wood and other natural materials are more unique and give the home a personal touch. Plus, they last longer and don't need to be replaced as often.

Decorating an empty home all at once can rack up a hefty price tag. So McDonagh, the furniture expert, recommended buying one nice piece of furniture every year. “If you’re doing it for your future self, take your time,” McDonagh said.

Buy modular pieces like shelves and storage that stack onto each other and are adjustable based on space constraints. Over time, your home will fill with durable items that also feel homey.

In the meantime, make do with what you have. A stack of books or boxes can function as a makeshift chair while a sturdier piece is on the way, McDonagh said. Outdoor furniture can work surprisingly well indoors too, since the fabrics protect well against scratches and stains.

Despite the name, fast furniture can last many years if we take care of it. With creativity and a bit of TLC, it doesn't have to be replaced as frequently.

“I don’t believe that any furniture is inherently fast. It’s our decision as consumers whether it’s fast or not,” said Katryn Furmston, a fast furniture expert with Nottingham Trent University in England.

Maybe you don’t want to carry a desk up five flights of stairs. Or the thought of sitting on a used couch icks you out.

If you have to purchase fiberboard furniture, avoid buying from too-good-to-be-true websites that’ll leave you with missing parts or a slanted desk. When the piece arrives, treat it well. Cover scratches with a tablecloth or rotate it to face another direction.

When it's time to move away, keep a photo of the product handy to show to friends or co-workers. Give it a second life by selling in a community group or gifting to a neighbor. Do your part to keep the piece in use for as long as possible.

Associated Press journalist Kiki Sideris contributed to this report.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage also receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Furniture is for sale at Mothership, a vintage and thrift store, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

A chair is for sale at Mothership, a vintage and thrift store, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

Furniture is for sale at Mothership, a vintage and thrift store, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

A shopper looks at a rack at Mothership, a vintage and thrift store, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

Roberto De Zerbi was hired Tuesday as Tottenham’s third coach of the season in a last-ditch bid by one of England’s top clubs to avoid costly relegation from the Premier League.

The appointment came amid criticism from fans’ groups about the Italian coach’s past support of a player who was charged with — but not convicted of — offenses including attempted rape.

Tottenham, the reigning Europa League champion and an ever-present in England’s top division since 1978, is one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League with seven games left.

De Zerbi has replaced Igor Tudor, who was fired on Sunday after 44 days as interim coach. De Zerbi left Marseille in February and previously worked in the Premier League as Brighton’s manager.

De Zerbi signed a “long-term contract," the team said.

“Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season,” De Zerbi said in the announcement.

Spurs sporting director Johan Lange added: “Roberto was our number one target for the summer and we are very pleased to be able to bring him in now."

Tottenham didn't specify but British media reported the contract is for five years and does not include a relegation clause.

While at Marseille, De Zerbi coached former Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood, who was charged in October 2022 with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behavior, and assault after images and videos were posted online.

British prosecutors dropped the charges in February 2023 owing to a “combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses” and due to “no realistic prospect of conviction.”

De Zerbi said Greenwood was a “good guy” who “paid dearly for what happened.”

Women of the Lane, a club-affiliated women’s supporters’ group, questioned De Zerbi’s “judgment and leadership” because of the way he “publicly defended Mason Greenwood in a way that downplays the seriousness of male violence against women and girls” and it was “not an appointment Tottenham Hotspur should make.”

Proud Lilywhites, Tottenham’s LGBTQI supporter group, also had objected to De Zerbi’s arrival. It said the decision to appoint a coach “isn’t just about results or style of football. It’s about values, identity, and the kind of people we choose to represent us.”

“When someone in that position publicly defends a player like Mason Greenwood, and frames it in a way that downplays the seriousness of what happened, it matters, not just in isolation but in what it signals,” the group said.

Spurs Reach, the club’s official race, ethnicity and cultural heritage fans’ group, said De Zerbi’s “public remarks defending and contextualizing” Mason Greenwood “risks normalizing harmful attitudes, diminishing the experiences of survivors and sending a deeply concerning message about what is tolerated within the game.”

De Zerbi, a coach known for playing an attacking, high-risk, complex style of soccer, is another bold appointment by Tottenham with the team’s top-flight status on the line.

He is a well-respected tactician — doing admirably at Sassuolo in Italy and then at Ukrainian team Shakhtar Donetsk, which he left in 2022 following Russia’s invasion — but is known to have a combustible edge to him.

De Zerbi takes over a club that is one of the biggest in England and reached the Champions League’s round of 16 this season, losing over two legs to Atletico Madrid.

However, Tottenham’s Premier League form has been woeful over the last two seasons. In the 2024-25 campaign, Spurs finished in 17th place — one above the the relegation zone — though that was partially due to focusing on the Europa League as they surged to the title.

This season, Tottenham hasn’t won a league game in 2026 and is coming off a 3-0 home loss to relegation rival Nottingham Forest before the international break.

Thomas Frank started the season as Tottenham’s manager before getting fired on Feb. 11. His replacement, Tudor, lasted just seven matches — losing five of them — before losing his job on Sunday to end his nightmarish month and a half in charge.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Tottenham fans leave the stadium after their team conceded a third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest in London, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

FILE - Marseille's head coach Roberto De Zerbi gives instructions during the French League One soccer match between Paris FC and Marseille in Paris, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)