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A used wardrobe is cheap to buy and expensive in effort: the price is low because it has to come apart, go down stairs and fit under your ceiling. Measure the height, the tilt-up diagonal and your stairs first, check the doors and back panel, and plan how you will dismantle and transport it before you agree a time.
Height alone isn't enough. A wardrobe is assembled lying down and tilted up, so its diagonal (depth and height) must fit under your ceiling. A 236 cm Pax needs at least about 240 cm of ceiling height to tilt up. In older Dutch homes and attic rooms, ceilings and sloped roofs often decide what is possible.
See it standing and closed before anything comes apart. Open and close every door, check the hinges line up and the doors don't sag or rub. On sliding doors, slide each door end to end and check the top and bottom rails for bent sections and missing wheels. Look inside at the back panel and shelves for moisture stains and mould smell, especially if it stood against an outside wall. On particleboard wardrobes, check the cam lock holes, as a well used Pax can be loose after a second move.
Agree with the seller who dismantles. Many sellers prefer you do it, and that is better anyway: you learn how it goes back together.
Panels of a 2 metre wardrobe need a van, not a car. Carry panels flat on stairs and protect the corners with blankets. When rebuilding, put it up near its final place, tilt it up with two people, and secure it to the wall with the included bracket. A tall wardrobe without wall anchoring can tip over, which matters a lot with children in the house.
Old solid wood linnenkasten usually come apart in two or three sections and a top cornice, which is easier than it sounds but heavy. On vindje.com you can ask for a wardrobe no higher than 220 cm with sliding doors, and it reads the measurements in each listing so you only see ones that fit your room.
| Item | Typical asking price |
|---|---|
| Simple 2-door wardrobe | EUR 20-80 |
| IKEA Pax 100-150 cm with doors | EUR 100-250 |
| IKEA Pax 200 cm with sliding doors | EUR 150-350 |
| Schuifdeurkast, other brands | EUR 50-200 |
| Antique oak linnenkast | EUR 100-400 |
Rough Marktplaats asking prices in the Netherlands. Condition, age and season move them a lot.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
White wardrobe with sliding doors, max 200 cm wide and 220 cm high, already dismantled or easy to take apart, under 200 euro, within 10 kmSearch Marktplaats like this
Check the tilt-up diagonal, not just the height. A wardrobe is built lying down and tilted up, so it needs a few extra cm of ceiling height.
Yes, it is designed for it. Photograph each step, label the parts and check the cam lock holes are not crumbled.
A simple 2-door wardrobe costs EUR 20-80, a Pax with sliding doors EUR 150-350 depending on size and doors.
It saves time, but you can't check doors and hinges in use, and missing screws are common. Ask for photos of it standing and a bag count before you travel.
Yes. Tall wardrobes can tip over, especially when children climb or pull drawers. Use the wall bracket it came with.