Shabitat

Shabitat is a great cause; nobody can really fault that aspect of this enterprise. It does seem to have suffered a little from its’ own reputation though. Like many of Brighton’s so called retro or second hand stores, having become established and trendy seems to have undermined the point. The point in this case being that you should be able to get second hand goods at cheap prices therefore minimising waste and decking out many student pads and first time homes.
In my experience this can be done far more cheaply by picking up a copy of the Friday-​ad or getting on gumtree. But wait, this is all a little harsh and scathing — there’s more to it than that. Not everyone has the time or the means to move furniture round on their own. Single ladies may not want to visit the house of a strange man to go and pick up a sketchy second hand couch (remember «silence of the lambs»?). This is where Shabitat comes into its own, they are easily located, can be reached by bus, save you the time of checking out all the different bits of furniture and home wares you might need and yes, they deliver. I think that justifies their slightly higher prices.

I really wasn’t impressed by Brighton’s most infamous second hand warehouse, especially given the recent proliferation of things like Gumtree and Free Cycle.
I came here only free to find a large dusty room filled with items that I would generally expect to find at the local rubbish tip. Nothing here was really of any use, but then maybe those are just my tastes.
I would recommend searching harder and avoid paying over the odds for things you probably threw out 3 years ago.

I bought a sofa from here once: apart from the fact that it was cheap as chips, and yet delivery would have doubled the price (although double £20 was only £40… hey I was a student once), the selection on offer here is pretty good. If you’re looking for a nice cheap furniture alternative, Shabitat is a good place to start: just don’t expect anything of quality: these are all second-​hand, and yes, someone probably died in that bed.
If that doesn’t bother, Shabitat is full of useful furniture: a nice service for Brighton’s massive student population. Although their delivery is a flat-​rate, and quite a bit: that couch I bought ended up being carried by me and my roomate’s dad across the Vogue Gyratory, which is an experience I’m not soon to forget.
I also wouldn’t expect to find exactly what you’re looking for here: you’re more likely to walk away with something that’ll do over something you actually want. Still, at only £20, the sofa we got was fine, if a little stained and a bit big for the doo: also an experience I’m not soon to forget.

Perfectly based within one of the most student populated areas of Brighton, Shabitat ain’t too shabby and you will get more bang for your buck than at the habitual tat market that is its namesake. They are also greener than the thumbs of a 120 year old gardener, meaning that in terms of pioneering for the ethically sound they have laid much inspiration. I wouldn’t say that they are the friendliest staff in the universe, but who needs happy clappy when you have a handy andy to help you furnish your home and pick up the stuff you can’t shift… to add to that, the universe is vast. So vast that there is always going to be a vast amount of second hand furniture to keep this place worth a visit.

I’m quite ashamed to admit that I’ve lived in Brighton for over two years now, a year of that I went past Shabitat daily but have only this week actually been in. for a long part of time, I thought people were just talking about Habitat, but in a cool and derogatory fashion (you know what kids are like). Turns out it’s an amazing one part charity shop, one part street removals warehouse. Like a magpie, I headed straight for the shiny section, plates, candelabras and serving trays were all useless to me. But on the clothes rail, which is quite minimal, I found a Kurt Cobain styled lumberjack overcoat for £3 which I haven’t taken off since…£3!

If you’ve got some old stuff you can’t shift or if you just want to get some cheap furniture this is the place for you. If every city had an independent, well-​established second hand/​recycling centre like Shabitat the world would be a better place. For example, it recently provided me with a new bed frame for a mere £20, saving me the extra cost of shopping at a high street store. I recommend this place for students or for those not married about a bit of wear and tear.
Its founding ‘nothing-​is-​waste’ philosophy is one that every community should adopt. Shabitat provides at least part of a model for sustainable living so in my opinion it’s worth supporting.

Shabitat is a fantastic and unique local resource, which works as part of the Magpie Recycling Cooperative, doing up and re-​selling old furniture for super cheap prices. It’s great for students looking to deck out an empty house, as there’s really nowhere else I can think of in Brighton that’ll sell you a double bed from £20. Of course the quality varies — go inside the big warehouse and it can smell pretty pongy, with furniture piled up and some looking like it has been left unmoved and undesired for years. Always worth a visit though as you can find the odd bargain — I went past this place way to many times when getting the bus to uni, thinking ‘ooh that’s a cool name’, but left it years before I went to check it out — don’t do the same if you have an ounce of bargain hunter in you!

I love the name of this place, as it is the complete antithesis of Habitat! Shabitat is a great place to pick-​up cheap, secondhand furniture– it has been an infinitely useful resource to me over the years. As part of a Magpie Recycling Cooperative, their aim is to enable as much furniture as possible to be reused and thus prevent items going unnecessarily to landfill. They are also concerned with reaching all of the local community, by providing affordable furniture.
The shop is a large warehouse space, ideal for selling secondhand furniture. Inside you’ll find a mishmash of modern and old and items in all sorts of different conditions. They have sofas, clothes, books and more. It’s a great place to go if you’re decking out a student house or need a quick fix solution and aren’t fussy. They usually have a collection of chest of drawers, wardrobes and desks. It’s perhaps not the place to go if you have a really specific item in mind, as their stock changes rapidly and there’s no guarantees of what they might have. Having said that, I do think it’s always worth a look, as I’ve found some really great stuff here. My most recent purchase was a lovely 30s dresser, which cost only £25! Shabitat will pick up your unwanted furniture and will deliver your purchases for a small fee. If you see something you like, my advice would be don’t hesitate– things get snapped up fast in this place and if you snooze you will definitely lose!

Shabitat is a one of ind operation, it started out as a kerbside collection membership organisation and now with over 5000 subscribers it not only offer a second hand furniture and appliance store for Brightonians on low incomes but is also a recycling centre, green consultation service and corporate recycling services,
Everything about the organisation is green from the bio-​diesel used in their larger vehicles to the collection vehicles that are electric powered converted milk floats! The organisation is approaching its 0^th yea f operating and has been recognised by Lewes Council and Brighton & Hove Council for their imaginative green services. If your looking for furnishing and cant afford DFS then give Shabitat a call.