Outdoor Refresh + Tips for Facebook Marketplace Finds

I spent some time this weekend updating our back deck. I'll be the first to admit that this isn't a very big space, but I love our setup. I am out here nearly every morning with Maui. I know I will love my time out here even more after doing this refresh!

I've been wanting to add some plants to our deck for so long and I am so happy with the outcome. These are Fairytail Bride Hydrangeas. Once bloomed these will be covered in white flowers. The Black plantar was a facebook marketplace find!

I also replanted my lemon tree. I started growing my lemon tree, Mr. Lemon, during quarantine in 2020. It's been a rocky road with getting this little guy to grow. I am hopeful that he will adjust to his new pot and have a big growth spurt. My dream is to have a big lemon tree in my kitchen to use while cooking/baking!

My last plant on the deck is this Gebera Daisy (my favorite flower!). I got this one from Kroger for less than $5. When I purchased it there were three pink daisies. The daisies did not fare well while I was out of town. I replanted it into this pot since it has overgrown its original container and am giving it some extra TLC this week! Fingers crossed it will bloom again soon!

I found our patio furniture on Facebook marketplace for $40. They were exactly what I was looking for and one year later I still love them! I highly recommend checking Facebook marketplace for any of your furniture needs.

I've sourced a lot of our furniture from Facebook marketplace and feel like I have learned a couple good tips.

1. Search using keywords. This was a trick I learned from someone I follow, but I thought it was a great tip! If you aren't looking for something specific use a keyword to start your browsing. For example, if your style is coastal or antique use those words in your search bar. I've found this helps the algorithm start to learn your preferences and in the future you can find things you like faster.
   

2. Be courteous to the seller. Once you've found something you like on marketplace the next step is to reach out to the seller. Many sellers get multiple messages about the same item. I have had really good success when reaching out to the seller to include when I can come pick up the item. I typically will send something like " Hi, I am interested in this item. I could come pick it up later today after 5pm. Would that work for you?"
   

3. Save items on Marketplace. This is a great tool to use if you are wanting to compare multiple items. For example, I was trying to find some nightstands for our guest room a couple months ago. There were numerous ones I was interested in. I ended up saving the ones I liked and was able to go to my saved items section and easily look at my options I had saved. This saved me so much time instead of searching for the items over and over again. Again, your saved searches also teaches the algorithm to show you items that may be similar to what you have liked.
   

4. Ask about quality and dimensions. I almost always will ask the seller about the condition and dimensions of the listing. Depending on the response I get tells me a lot about the seller and that can sway my decision to purchase an item or not. I remember asking about the dimensions on one of the nightstands listings and the seller came back with "Not sure" a couple days later. Not only was the delay in response a red flag for me, but not being able to assist me with the dimensions didn't give me assurance that this seller cared much about the item. In my mind not caring about the item means it may not be in good condition.
   

5. Take your time and be picky! I spent so long looking for our patio furniture. I knew I wanted something in great condition, with cushions, a side table, and a neutral color. I almost went with a couple different things, but kept waiting to find exactly what I was looking for. I am so happy that I was persistent in my search!
   

So happy with our outdoor space! It is definitely Maui approved!