The Real Reason You Should Never Pick Up a Couch Off the Street

Every once in a while you'll hear about a legendary street find involving a piece of rare or expensive furniture. (See: The TikToker who hauled home a blue Roche Bobois Bubble sofa that's worth roughly $8,000.)

But is it ever a good idea to bring home upholstered furniture pieces—even if they're designer finds? And free? And would make the best kind of statement in your space? The answer is probably: Nope. (Even the TikToker's score generated lots of controversy in the comments.)

While there are all kinds of fantastic street finds that are worth hauling home, you may want to pause—or abort the mission altogether—if you’re thinking about staking secondhand claim in upholstered furniture and other things that could lead to pest problems or are simply not worth it. To help you choose your battles, we asked a pest control expert and several interior designers which items you should never pick up from the street.

"I would be very leery of picking up a sofa from the side of the road or street corner," says Debbe Daley, a Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based designer. "I'd be afraid of bringing it home because of hygiene issues, bed bugs, pet dander, and unremovable stains."

Plus if the furniture's fabric isn't in good shape, you're looking at a costly project. Once you add up 15 to 30 yards of new fabric, your upholsterer's charges, and new cushions, the project could easily run you $2,500, says Caroline Kopp, an interior designer in Westport, Connecticut.

Just assume that the wool area rug you see on the sidewalk is there for a reason, Daley says. "It may be dirty, stained, or moth-eaten." Even if they look pristine, area rugs might also hide microscopic dust mites, a major allergen source that can also worsen asthma. Or, the tossed out area rug is possibly just worn or outdated, Daley says, and not worth the extra money it will take you to get it professionally cleaned.

Although free mattresses could save you hundreds or even thousands of bucks, they just pose too many risks, and could lead to some costly infestations. Bed bugs thrive in a variety of materials, but, true to their name, they really love hanging out in mattresses and bedding. "These small, parasitic insects can quickly infest a home and are notoriously difficult to eradicate," says Ricky Young, of UK-based Young's Pest Control.

Not only can free mattresses be hiding bed bugs, but they could also be infested with fleas brought to bed by a previous owner's pet.

While it may seem like a fantastic idea to grab an abandoned plant to add to your growing collection, it's possible the greenery out for the taking could be harboring pests, which you don't want to introduce to your yard or home, Young says. Beetles, leafminers, gall wasps, slugs, and other pesky invaders can all spell trouble for plant health.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts Interior Designer Molly McGinness has a few rules for a street find: Regardless of monetary value, it should be something that catches the eye and the construction should be solid. Mass-produced furniture made with particle board just isn't worth it, she says.

"I would never waste my time with pressed particle board furniture," she says. "It is just too junky, can't be refinished, and was never top quality in the first place."

On the other hand, solid wood pieces, like mid-century dressers, on the other hand, can be great finds.

Silverfish are primitive wingless bugs that get their name because of their metallic color and fish-like movements. They can live in most climates, Young says, but they like dark and damp areas in homes like basements or attics. Typically they get into homes through cracks, but they might also be hiding out in an old stack of books. "Silverfish are particularly drawn to the glue in the bindings of old books, and they love the taste of the paper itself," says Young.

Once in your home, these uninvited hitchhikers can feast on wool, cotton, and silk, leaving holes in your clothes and also make their way into your pantry, burrowing in opened boxes of dried grains and pasta. Other common places to find silverfish are in storage boxes, bookshelves, wallpaper, or under sinks, Young says.

Before you think about picking up a retro video gaming system or an old cassette player, consider this your warning: Roaches and other pests can hide in the crevices of old electronics, Young says.

"These items are particularly risky because roaches can lay eggs inside, leading to a sudden infestation when the eggs hatch," says Young, adding that electronic devices offer warmth and darkness, which are ideal conditions for these prehistoric insects. Of course, getting rid of cockroaches is no easy task because they are resilient, breed rapidly, and can become resistant to some pesticides, so the last thing you want is a family of roaches moving in and getting comfortable. Shudder.

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