A growing number of people are opting to turn their old and sometimes unused furniture into a home improvement project.
A recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders found that as many as 25 percent of homeowners were considering turning unused furniture from their homes into an apartment, condo or other type of space.
The survey, which surveyed more than 600 homeowners in the United States, found that 70 percent of respondents said they were considering renting out furniture they have already used, such as bookshelves, closets, chairs and sofas.
A large majority (76 percent) said they planned to do it on their own.
Other survey findings showed that 61 percent of those surveyed said they would use a computer or tablet to do their work, up from 49 percent in 2011.
The survey also found that 63 percent of the surveyed homeowners plan to use a garage to house their home improvement projects.
One of the most popular types of project is an old-fashioned garage sale, which is an informal way to sell or rent out unused items, often to other owners.
A garage sale can be a way to pay off a mortgage, reduce your home’s maintenance costs, or get the best price for your home.
Some older homeowners, such in their 80s and 90s, have turned to selling old furniture to save money.
“I have a garage sale,” said Susan Lee, a homeowner in St. Louis, Missouri.
“It’s been great, I don’t have to go to work, and it’s very low maintenance.”
The survey found that nearly one-third of respondents (31 percent) have had a garage sales.
It was also found by the survey that 73 percent of participants have used old furniture for their home renovations.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you can do it for $1,” Lee said.
Lee and her husband recently had their home remodeled by a contractor.
After she was told she would have to pay about $2,000 for the work, she bought a used Ikea chair from an online retailer.
Her husband bought an old chair for $300 from Craigslist, and the couple’s two dogs, Buster and Jake, both grew up with them.
Buster and Jake are the only dogs in the house.
Lee and Lee said the project took about five hours, but she was able to get the chair repaired for $600.
The work was done in less than a week.
According to the survey, 62 percent of residents have considered using a garage or an old car for their work.
But some homeowners have found that it’s more economical to use an old garage than an older car.
In some cases, they’ve used the old car as a dumpster.
“It’s easier to do a dump,” Lee, who is a real estate agent, told The Hill.
“We use the old house, and we can just throw it out there and move on.”