How to Buy Furniture: Tips from Real People

How To / July 31,2013

Reddit recently provided some tips from readers on how to buy the best furniture for the least amount of cost

  • Avoid those 0% interest deals at furniture stores. They have priced the cost of finance in, so you are paying for what sounds like a freeloan. One commenter lamented that they could have saved more money by accruing second-hand furniture over a longer period.
  • Buy the best you can afford. If you are recently out of college or moving out of home for the first time then the odd IKEA piece is unavoidable, but quality can last a lifetime and always looks good.
  • Avoid any veneer pieces. Keep expenditure low on upholstered pieces because they do not last as long.
  • Buy second-hand from estate sales. Old furniture is usually solid and durable, and can be much cheaper than buying new.
  • Negotiate strongly at a floor model sale, particularly when it is worth more to the vendor to make way for new stock than to snare the highest profit. Go in at 50% off the sale price, not the regular price, and work up to a 30-40% discount.
  • Tap sofas to feel for a wooden frame inside, and check their cushions are ?bagged and baffled?. Back cushions should be inside a bag (bagged) that is stitched (baffled) to stop the filling shifting up or down. Seat cushions should be inner-sprung to prevent a permanent dip.

Source: Huffington Post