Not only is buying new furniture expensive, but you are also less likely to get a quality item built to last. Whether you’re restoring a heirloom packed with sentimental value, fixing a find at a flea market, or just repairing old furniture, renovating furniture is a great way to save money in your pocket and reduce waste. Read on for 7 great tips and steps that will teach you how to restore furniture to save money.

1. Make sure furniture is structurally sound.

Remember, no matter how many times you sand and repeat a poorly constructed piece of furniture, it will still be poorly constructed. Before repainting any item, make sure it is structurally sound.

Perform any structural repairs, such as re-gluing wood joints or tightening loose screws before beginning the repainting process.

2. Remove the old finish.

Probably the trickiest and most difficult part of restoring furniture is removing the old finish. The easiest way to remove old varnish and paint is by using chemical strippers and sanding. When using a chemical stripper, always do so outdoors to minimize inhalation of fumes and wear protective safety equipment. Additionally, you will need to follow up on any chemical stripping with a final sanding. First, go over the part with 120-grit sandpaper and finally with 220-grit fine sandpaper.

3. Fill the grain.

Some woods do not require you to fill the grain, but woods like mahogany and oak have a wider grain structure that must be filled in before refinishing the furniture.

You can get grain caulk in most wood tones and colors, and it can be applied before or after staining.

4. Apply sanding sealer.

Sanding sealer is applied to wood not after sanding, but before sanding. While not a requirement, you can make the wood soak up the stain in a more uniform pattern and thus avoid over-staining.

5. Stain the wood.

If you are repainting a piece of wood, you will most likely be using stain to repaint your furniture. There are four different stains you can use: oil-based stains, water-based stains, gel stains, and one-step stain finishes.

When applying a stain, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

6. Varnish the wood.

Seal all your hard work and keep your wood safe by applying a few coats of polyurethane or lacquer finish.

7. Install new hardware.

Finally, put the finishing touches on your furniture by updating it with new drawer pulls or hardware accessories to give it a fresh, new look.