A British expat has revealed the Australian habit he wishes existed back home after discovering he can furnish almost an entire house during his ten-minute walk to work.

Jack told the Daily Mail that seeing perfectly usable furniture and household goods left on the side of the road was one of the unexpected differences he noticed after moving to Australia.

'This is not a thing at all in the UK and if it is, it is very rare,' he said.

'I can go on a ten-minute walk to work here and find a TV, bed frame and chest of drawers.

'I will definitely say that as an expat or someone moving here it is super useful and genuinely you can find some amazing things.'

The practice, often referred to as 'street bounty' or kerbside treasure hunting, is familiar to many Australians, with unwanted furniture routinely left outside homes ahead of council collections or simply offered up for someone else to take.

It has even spawned dedicated Facebook communities where locals post photos and locations of promising finds, allowing everything from sofas and dining tables to mirrors and appliances to find a new home before ending up as waste.

But to Jack, who grew up in Britain, the sheer volume of furniture sitting on Australian streets was initially remarkable.

Jack recently documented his morning commute on TikTok, showing just how much he could find without straying from his normal route to work.

'One man's trash is another man's treasure,' he said.

'Going on a walk in Australia is rather fun because you could pick up a full house on the way past.'

Within minutes, he had passed enough discarded belongings to make a decent start on furnishing a home - including a suitcase, a baby chair, wardrobe, drawers, and more.

While stumbling across a free wardrobe on the morning commute may seem extraordinary to a newcomer, hunting for kerbside finds has become an established pastime in parts of Australia.

Council clean-ups regularly result in piles of unwanted household goods appearing on suburban streets, and eagle-eyed residents often rescue useful pieces before collection day arrives.

Neighbourhood Facebook groups dedicated to 'street bounty', 'curb alerts', 'pay it forward' and free items allow people to share the location of furniture they have spotted, or to offer items they no longer need.

Buy Nothing groups operate on a similar principle, connecting neighbours who want to give away household items rather than sell or discard them.

For an expat arriving in Australia with few belongings, Jack said that makes the local habit surprisingly practical.

A sofa, set of drawers or dining table that one household no longer has room for can sometimes be in somebody else's living room within hours.

The appeal of street bounty has only become more obvious as the cost of setting up a home has risen.

Furniture can quickly add hundreds or thousands of dollars to the cost of moving, while renters may also need to repeatedly buy, sell or give away pieces as they move between properties.

Taking home unwanted furniture gives usable pieces another life while allowing the new owner to avoid buying something new.

There are, however, a few practical considerations before hauling a kerbside sofa home.

Upholstered furniture and mattresses can carry pests or be difficult to properly clean, while electrical items may not be safe simply because they appear intact.

Council rules also differ between areas, including when residents are permitted to leave bulky items outside for collection.

For Jack, Australia's enthusiasm for passing on unwanted belongings has turned his ordinary walk to work into a constantly changing free furniture store.

As he put it: 'Need a new sofa? You'll find one.'