Who doesn’t love rummaging around antique stores or a garage sale for that unique, one-of-a-kind piece, especially if you can find something for steal! There are more television shows than ever that revolve around people finding or selling antiques. When it comes to buying a used rug, there are several tips that you as a buyer need to be aware of before you think about purchasing a second hand rug. If you’re in the market for buying a rug and don’t want to break the bank, opting for a second hand rug instead of purchasing a brand new rug is a route you might want to consider.
The Best Tips When Buying A Used Rug
  • Know Your Budget
Before you even begin looking for rugs, there are a few guidelines you need to follow. Know the dimensions of the rug you want. Also, use the cost of your living room furniture as a pricing guide when buying a rug. For example, if you’re looking for a rug to go in the living room, take into account how much your couch cost. It doesn’t make sense to buy an expensive rug if none of your furniture cost a good chunk of money, and vice versa. This is a rough estimate of a reasonable amount to spend on a rug. Set your price point and add 10% so you give yourself a little flexibility.
 
  • Inspect the Rug
Always, always, always thoroughly inspect the rug for signs of pet urine. Turn it over on the back and look for any sort of stains, water markings, or discoloration. If a rug has a patterned design, pet urine stains can easily disappear among the design. If the previous owner’s had a pet that urinated numerous times on the rug, slim chance to none the rug is going to stink to high heavens. This potent, lingering odor can be EXTREMELY difficult to completely extract from the rug, and nobody wants to be smelling a musty, nasty, pet-stained rug. 
 
  • Look for High Quality Fibers
The best, higher quality rugs hands down, will always be natural fiber rugs. Hand woven rugs fall into this category. To the unskilled, untrained eye, being able to tell the difference between a hand woven, hand knotted, or machine made rug will be a difficult endeavor. 
 
Natural Fibers
 
 – Wool
 
– Silk
 
– Cotton
 
These fibers are far stronger and durable. They are the best choice for dying, longevity, and if you spill a glass of wine on a cheap synthetic rug, you might as well look for a replacement rug. You will also come across many more synthetic rugs, especially “counterfeit” rugs trying to pose as a real antique. The construction of a hand woven rug is an ancient art that deserves much admiration. Hand knotted rugs are made on a specially designed loom, and knotted by hand. The length of time to produce a hand knotted rug depends upon the dimensions and intricacy of the pattern. Hand knotted and hand woven rugs can last generations if they are cleaned and maintained properly. Typically, hand woven rugs exude a more vibrant sheen and color, that you will not find from the colors on a synthetic plastic fiber. 
 
When you are looking at the back of the rug, if the rug has a border line of fringe, if the fringe is sewn on the edges, it is a machine made rug. The fringe of a hand knotted rug will be apart of the foundation (look for the knotting incorporated into the rug). The back of a machine made rug will be perfectly uniform and even. On the other hand, the weaving and knots on a hand knotted rug will be slightly uneven, and not uniform. When you look at the back of the rug, the more details in that are on the backside, means the better the quality of the rug.
 
It’s absolutely crucial to do researching on rug characteristics before shopping around for a used rug, in order to know exactly what you’re dropping your money on.