Houseworks

Nice older man helped make my first visit very enjoyable. Very reasonable prices and will be returning. They don't require masks after 1:00pm, so just go after that time if that's an issue for you.

Iowa City should be proud of their selection of consignment stores. This is a good one with amazing finds. I would recommend stopping by and taking a look.

I love this store! They carry quality items and I almost always find what I am looking for. I have resold items with them for nearly 20 years and have been happy to let them do the work and give me the cash.

I am dismayed by the number of people who complain about the personality of the owner. She is very straightforward and no-nonsense. They have rules very clearly posted on the door and if you don’t follow them, you should not be surprised to be asked to leave. I think some people interpret Sue’s directness as rudeness. She is not self-effacing or apologetic, but as an adult I can handle that, I can accept feedback and rules and don’t expect everyone to be sugary sweet and pushovers. I appreciate her directness. I also appreciate not having to listen to other people’s phone conversations in a shop.

Great selection and fair prices. I really appreciate how seriously they’ve taken Covid and the precautions they put in place. I’ve seen a lot of people saying rude things about the owner, and I think it says more about the customers than her. I’ve been going to Houseworks for nearly a decade and have only had pleasant experiences with her. She’s always been kind and informative. Maybe evaluate your tone and behavior before coming for someone that has every right to run their business how they see fit.

Reasonable prices for th7ngs you might need.

i love this store. And to all the people that say the owner is rude - it is all about mutual respect. If you go into the store and respect the place you will receive respect back. Lets preach about storeowners being able to refuse service to certain classes of people but get all up in arms about a shop owner having rules in HER place of business like don't have a loud conversation on your phone while shopping!

I've been a loyal customer since I got my first couch there in 1997. I've never gone in without finding something I like. Yeah, it's a little more expensive than some of the other stores, but there's always a great selection and everything I find is in good condition.

As for employees being rude, I've never seen anything like that, other than the owner getting mildly annoyed at people who come in just to ask if there's a bathroom they can use. (and I've seen that enough that it annoys me too).

This is also the best place for used books in Iowa City.

I've shopped at Houseworks for over twenty years. It's great fun, as I always find nice collectible stuff and nice practical stuff like kitchen stuff, books, dishes, linens, etc. The selection of books is the best of any thrift/consignment store in town. Probably half the stuff in my house came from Houseworks. I've consigned there numerous times, my stuff always sells, and I make money. I've never witnessed the staff being mean or rude to customers. Maybe it happens, but I've never experienced it. I think what might throw some people is that the owner talks in a loud voice and is very direct. That might be perceived as rude, but really it's just how she talks and it's not a bad thing. So if you've never tried Houseworks, go shop there. There is no dragon waiting just inside the door to spray you with fire.

I really like housework because you can find old products there that they don't make anymore to use. I wanted an old percolator coffee maker, and I found the kind that you just put on your stove top to heat it up, instead of one with an electric cord.

I absolutely LOVE this store and all of the staff-management included! She is fair when pricing items for consignment and very organized. The store is well kept and it is easy to see all of the items on the shelves. I love how she dedicates larger space to seasonal items. I have been taking items there for years for consignment and I get PAID every two weeks! They are picky about items they choose to sell, but that's okay by me. I hate looking through junk! I have seen the owner ask people to get off of their phone- and I also know to bring cash if I intend on spending less than $10 dollars... I see nothing wrong with a small business owner asking that a few respectful considerations be made in HER establishment. If you want to do whatever you want...Walmart is down the road.

This is one of my favorite thrift/consignment stores. They carry better quality merchandise than others, there's lots of variety and things are clean. Staff are generally helpful. Prices tend to be higher than thrift stores but that's to be expected at a quality consignment store. I definitely recommend.

Best thrift shop in Iowa city. Vast selection of cheap, useful things. So what she's rude, she's not your dentist. Buy some old stuff and get out.
The mask situation is ridiculous though.

I love this place! Where else can you find an entire collection of rolling pins and electrical insulators in the same store. Found pristine Fiestaware dishes for less than 1/2 the price across town at Artifacts. Never had any issue with staff who were friendly and helpful.

I love Houseworks! They do a great job of organizing merchandise. They always have variety that's different than Goodwill and Salvation Army. My favorite finds yesterday were green bottles for my bottle tree, a multipurpose tool, and two nice Iris starts of a color I don't have.

I love this consignment shop. I frequently visit more than once a week and often consign items here. Your return is 50% of whatever they sell and the money is available every 2 weeks after their bookkeeping has been done. Well organized. They are discriminating about which items they will accept, so be cautious about bringing anything too run down. Huge book selection. Vinyl. Furniture selection turns over very quickly. Kitchen and housewares. NO clothes or shoes. Experienced shop owners and efficient processing methods. NO CELL PHONE USE, FOOD OR DRINK PERMITTED in the store. This rule is STRICTLY ENFORCED.

If you love a good bargain or unique find, be prepared to spend your life savings. Not only sooo much to offer product wise, but also friendly and personable customer service. I'll be back again when I've got more funds for finds and time to explore 😍

This place is a treasure chest waiting for you to come rummage through it. I always find something to buy here. Prices are dirt cheap with half off sales by color. There are tons of books and kitchen stuff. I always find Pyrex and video games here. If you're on a budget like me and want cool stuff start looking here. Best deals early am weekdays.

If you are into anything that has to do with yarn, need some interesting picture frames in all sizes, are looking to decorate for the season or just need more coffee mugs and sports water bottles this is the place to shop. I appreciate its wide selection of odds and ends that I refuse to pay full price for. Staff is friendly and I almost always find what I was specifically looking for and more! I highly recommend Houseworks to the consignment shopper.

I've shopped at Houseworks since they opened, and I've always gotten along with Sue, and found good items. I've also brought in tons of stuff and gotten a fair return on the goods.

It's an incredible place to shop for books and records. You have to be willing to spends some time scanning the shelves -- they're not really sorted -- but it looks like several professors and local writers bring in their review copies, so there's usually a fair number of books there that you won't find anywhere else except Prairie Lights.

They do get good records in as well, again, you have to dig.

As for all the negative reviews, I'd take them with a grain of salt. I've never seen anyone mistreated or yelled at. Some people have nothing better to do than write negative reviews, and if you've ever worked retail, you know there's some people you just can't please.

I love this place! They always have a variety of items at reasonable prices. I come from davenport and always make sure i stop. Owner is always helpful, if shes not super busy. Love how clean and well organized they are- great place to shop.