Moving home? Starting university? Redecorating? IKEA remains a popular place to stock up on home essentials and furniture without overspending.
But if you’ve noticed things aren’t quite as affordable as they used to be, you’re not the only one. On average, the price of IKEA furniture has increased about 30% in the last five years. That KLEPPSTAD 2-Door Wardrobe you bought for £60 in 2019 is now priced at £79 (and has been £99 at its highest price).
So if you’re looking for ways to save at IKEA, we’ve got you. The IKEA Buy Back scheme is a great place to start, so you can trade in your IKEA furniture for money. We’ve gone a bit further in our guide, with lots of other money-saving tips, from Family card discounts and seasonal sales to getting a bargain with IKEA second hand pieces.
IKEA Buy Back & Resell
The IKEA Buy Back scheme was launched in 2021 as a way for customers to trade in furniture they no longer need. You can get up to 50% of the original value back in gift cards, depending on the condition.
As part of their sustainability efforts, IKEA Buy Back means pieces like chairs, shelves, and chests of drawers are given a new lease of life and saved from landfill.
It’s ideal for students moving out or moving on, for re-decorating a space, updating furniture, moving into a new home, or if you’ve simply no use for a product anymore.
What do they take?
Of course, they don’t take everything. There’s a list of the select products they will and won’t take within their scheme. In a nutshell, it’s usually storage pieces, indoor dining furniture, small tables, and children’s products.
Your item must also be clean and functional, fully assembled, unmodified, and in a resalable condition. Use their Buy Back estimator tool to see if yours is eligible for a trade-in.
What do you get?
As new – no scratches: 50% of the original price
Very good – minor scratches: 40% of the original price
Well-used – several scratches: 30% of the original price
Your trade-in gets you a gift card for IKEA store credit to spend in store or online on everything except food – and they never expire.
Look out for Buy Back deals! In November and December 2023, there was an extra 25% on top of the Buy Back amount for IKEA Family members.
What if my item isn’t accepted?
If your piece doesn’t qualify for the Buy Back scheme, there’s a chance for a full refund if it’s on the recalled product list. Check out our tip down below.
Re-shop & Re-use
So what happens to the items that you trade in with IKEA Buy Back? These pre-loved furniture pieces find a home via the IKEA Re-shop & Re-use scheme.
Previously known as Circular Hub, this scheme features trade-in pieces from their Buy Back programme, ex-display items from the showroom, discontinued products, and items with minor flaws.
You’ll find a mix of second hand furniture as well as brand-new pieces and those with minor damage. Availability depends on location; each store will have different pieces available and you’ll need to physically collect from the store within 48 hours of reserving.
These all come at pretty big discounts, from 30% to as much as 70% off. Take a look at the examples we found below.
Product: FOKUSERA wall-mounted extractor hood
Price: was £450 now £135 (70% discount)
Reason: showroom model
Location: Gateshead, Newcastle
Product: SLÄKT bed frame with storage
Price: was £290 now £200 (31% discount)
Reason: damaged product - small scrape marks on top left edge of headboard
Location: Birmingham
Product: BONDHOLMEN outdoor armchair
Price: was £120 now £60 (50% discount)
Reason: item discontinued
Location: Birmingham
Product: KLIPPAN 2-seat sofa
Price: was £299 now £200 (33% discount)
Reason: second chance at life
Location: Belfast
Get an IKEA Family card
It’s free to join the IKEA Family membership scheme and once you do you’ll get special discounts and personalised offers. Member prices are indicated in blue so you can see how much you’re saving.
As of 27th August 2024, IKEA Family members can now collect points and earn rewards. You'll get one point for every £5 you spend online or in store. Other point-collecting activities include setting up an IKEA Family profile (5 points), creating a wish list (2 points), and attending events and workshops (20 points).
Once you've collected enough points, you can reap the rewards. Rewards can be used towards delivery costs, restaurant items, and basket discounts. Here are just a few examples:
- 22 points: get a Daim cake for 10p
- 68 points: get a 9-piece breakfast for 50p
- 100 points: get £10 off delivery
- 125 points: save £10 when you spend £11 or more
- 200 points: get £20 off delivery
- 500 points: save £40 when you spend £41 or more
There are a few other benefits to membership, particularly if you’re shopping in store. Get free hot drinks in store on weekdays and free insurance on furniture for the journey home.
You can also get discounts and special prices on food offers in store.
Abbie from TopCashback often goes to her local IKEA for cheap eats:
“IKEA's Family card is great as you get money off some of their best-selling furniture and huge discounts in their restaurant so you don't have to shop hungry. Recently they've started doing their Swe-Dish Friday where you can get their iconic meatballs meal (8) for just £2.45 or (12) for £2.95 – making it super affordable. You also get just-in-case protection on anything you buy so if something breaks on the way home, they'll replace it for free, plus a free hot drink on every visit!”
Keep track of IKEA sales
Like most retailers, IKEA have sales throughout the year that offer big discounts. You don’t have to get lucky to make the most of these sales – just know your dates.
Firstly, sign up to their newsletter to stay informed about the latest offers and upcoming sales. You might even get early access or exclusive discounts as a subscriber.
Generally, IKEA sales take place twice a year, in summer and in winter. Last year’s summer sale ran from June 5th until July 9th and their winter sale from December 11th to January 7th.
Unlike lots of other retailers, IKEA has no Black Friday sale, but their bi-annual seasonal sales can feature discounts of up to 50%.
Browse offers online & in-app
Some offers can’t be predicted, so the best way to find them is to visit the site regularly. IKEA offers can include limited-time promotions, last chance, and reduced to clear items. Usually, Family members will have more generous deals to take advantage of.
When we looked, we found an app-only discount for Family members that meant £20 off when you spent £100.
While there is no specific IKEA student discount, there are occasional offers for students. These are often during the summertime, to coincide with those preparing for university housing in September. If this is you, start looking early; we found a month-long offer of 20% off in June 2024.
Delivery, click & collect, or van hire?
There are lots of different and affordable options to get your IKEA order back home, even for those who don’t have transport. We’ve done the comparisons for you on home delivery, click & collect, and van hire to figure out which option is best for your order.
Delivery
IKEA home delivery options are split into two categories: standard delivery for smaller items and large delivery for things like beds and wardrobes.
Small standard parcel under 15kg | £5 | Free on £60 spend |
Large parcel 15kg–100kg | £10 | Cell |
Express delivery | Small parcel £7 | Large parcel £14 |
Large furniture up to 150kg
£25
Large furniture 150kg+
£40
Express delivery up to 150kg
£30
Express delivery 150kg+
£45
Large furniture up to 150kg | £25 | |
Large furniture 150kg+ | £40 | Cell |
Express delivery up to 150kg | £30 | |
Express delivery 150kg+ | £45 | Cell |
In-store delivery service via Task Rabbit
£39 same day
£49 selected time
In-store delivery service via Task Rabbit | £39 same day | £49 selected time |
Cheapest for small packages
Click & collect
If you’ve got your own vehicle, you can save time and money by collecting at a designated time and place. Note that collection points will likely have a size limit on what they can hold, so these options aren’t suited for large furniture.
Collect from local IKEA store
Free
Collect from nearest DPD point
£2/Free on £100 spend
Collect from nearest locker point
£5/Free on £100 spend
Collect from your local IKEA store | Free | |
Collect from your nearest DPD point | £2 | Free on £100 spend |
Collect from nearest locker point | £5 | Free on £100 spend |
Express delivery 150kg+ | £45 | Cell |
Cheapest if you have a car and/or spend £100
Van hire
IKEA have teamed up with Hertz 24/7 so you have access to hourly van rentals on site.
This is a great option for those who don’t have their own transport. You’ll have to do all the heavy lifting yourself on large pieces, but you could use the van to pick up bits from other locations if you have spare time.
£14 per hour
£11 per hour as Family member for 2 hour minimum (£22 total)
£5 annual membership (members and non members)
Cheapest for a big shop without a car
Quick tips for pinching pennies
That’s not all! We’ve got a few last tips on other ways to make the most of your IKEA trip, save money, and avoid extra costs.
Get free spare parts
Missing or lost a piece? Order small parts like screws and knobs online for free. Sometimes you can even get larger parts like chair legs if your local store has one floating about.
Return recalls for a refund
Got an item that doesn’t qualify for the Buy Back scheme? Check out the IKEA Product Recalls page and you might be able to get a full refund instead.
Ask for a discount in store
This tip comes from staff member Abbie who scored a 40% discount on a speaker:
“If you see something on display and they haven't got that item, you can ask to buy it at a discount. We got a £10 speaker for £6 as they hadn't got the colour we wanted in stock. We spoke to someone, they priced it up and we bought it! Still in perfect condition and came with everything it needed which was great!”
Get cheap brekky in store
There are some great deals in store at breakfast time, although there are no longer discounts for IKEA Family members. Sausage and bacon rolls are £1.50 each and you can get a cooked breakfast between £2.50 (small, veggie) and £3.75 (regular, with meat). Children’s 3-piece breakfasts cost £1.50 and individual items like toast, black pudding, and hash browns are just 75p.
Andy from TopCashback gave us this dinner-time tip:
“To add an extra 4 meatballs to an adult meal in the restaurant it costs £1.75. However, it only costs £1.50 for a kid's meatball meal, which includes four meatballs, chips or mash, peas, a soft drink and a piece of fruit. Obviously you should ideally have a child with you but I don't think it's a rule.”
Free childcare for one hour while you shop
The Småland supervised play area is right by the entrance of stores so you can drop off your little one and crack on with your shop. It’s available for kids between the ages of three and 10 and the childcare ratio is usually one supervisor per eight children.
* Smålands are available in main stores except Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, and Croydon, which are expected to open in 2025.
Bring your own bags
Retailers are legally required to charge for carrier bags, and the iconic blue IKEA bags are now priced at 50p for medium and 75p for large. Cut out this cost by bringing your own bags.
Smörgåsbord of savings
There are tons of ways to save at IKEA, whether you’re a regular shopper, a complete newbie, or a soon-to-be student.
With the IKEA Buy Back and re-shop schemes, you can even shop sustainably and reduce your carbon footprint with second hand furniture options. And, as a bonus, you can make money back by reselling what you don’t need anymore.
IKEA looks set to continue improving their sustainability practices, so we’re looking forward to seeing what money-saving schemes they introduce in the future.
What are some of your favourite ways to save at IKEA? Let us know in the comments below.
That you can now do click and collect for free from a locker for £100 plus spend !
To stock up on flat pack furniture
The big sale!
Looking around bargain corner and buying the cinnamon buns in the shop to take home
Checking online for Deals and Also checking on TopCashBack for the Percentage of Return IKEA Is Getting at the Time I want to Buy .
I also check voucher codes for free delivery also .
The family card deals
You can get up to 50% of the original value back in gift cards, depending on the condition
up to 50% of the original value of the furniture you're trading in
I love thier bargain area where you can normally get things a lot cheaper and still on pretty good condition may have a small scrape or something