Tips in Buying Furniture

I used to think that buying furniture is easy, until I tried it myself. We are about to settle to a new apartment and have to furnish it ourselves. We browsed both physical furniture stores and online stores in trying to get the best deal. In doing so, I learned a few tips in buying furniture, and would like to share it here:

Budget
Budget is perhaps the top consideration of most people. It is very important to first set a budget and stick to this no matter what. The wide array of selections in furniture stores is easily overwhelming but just remember to get only what you can afford. Do not be engrossed into buying pieces of furniture that look beautiful offhand but later on find out that it does not fit your house or that it has no use for you.

Also consider mode of payment. Will you pay in cash or credit? Will you pay in full or in staggered mode? Sometimes, stores offer discounts for cash payments, but if your budget could not afford it, it might be better to go for staggered payments. Avoid falling into the debt trap as much as possible. If you choose to swipe your credit card, think if you will be able to afford paying for the credit in the succeeding months.

Material

Prices are largely affected by the types of materials used. I was personally not into this kind of detailing. A wood was a wood, whether it's from China or Malaysia. It made no difference with me. But when prices are already concerned, I had to learn it. At the very least, ask the salesmen the pros and cons of each type of material. Do not settle and believe what one salesman will tell you. Ask around and get as varied opinions as you can. Sometimes, you will find out that two salesmen will say contradicting opinions. Be open minded and hear everyone out before you decide what to buy. Again, the material you choose should be relative to your budget. For the bed frame, we settled for mahogany wood which was not really expensive yet sturdy enough for us. It also fit the rustic feel that we wanted to create.

Lifestyle
At the end of the day, remember that you will be the one using the furniture so no matter what other people say, choose what you think is suited for your lifestyle. In choosing a couch for example, we were torn between a leatherette or cotton upholster. Some people discouraged us from buying a leatherette because in summer, the material tends to absorb more heat. But later on, we still went for a leatherette upholster thinking that it is easier to wipe it clean with a cloth. A cotton or suede upholster will be more comfortable but the thought of vacuum cleaning it was unappealing. Another thing we considered was that one of the users sweats heavily and a cotton material will easily absorb sweat and make the couch smell. It was easier to wipe off sweat in leatherette. Spills and stains are also easier to clean in a leatherette couch.

Size
Do not undermine the importance of getting the exact measurements of what you are about to buy. Consider the size of the furniture relative to the floor area and height of the wall. What other pieces of furniture will be placed in that room? Will there still be enough room for walkway after everything has been arranged? Will it make a room look stuffed or spacious? Many people also take for granted the size of their doors. Make sure that the furniture you will buy will fit through the door. Ask the salesman if what you are about to buy is collapsible. Many furniture stores offer free disassembling and assembling.

Color
This may seem trivial but the importance of right color selection cannot be undermined if you are concerned with the overall look of your interiors. Basically, you want to create a unified effect, making sure that the furniture pieces blend well with the color of the floors, walls, ceilings, cabinets and other furniture. In our case, we wanted a rustic theme and thus favored the earth colors. We went for wooden dining sets, coffee table and center table. We opted for a light mocha couch to highlight it among the other pieces and make it the focal point of the living room.

There will be times when your preferred color is not on-hand. Sometimes, it is just out of stock and you will be asked to come back in the next few days. You can also ask if the store accepts customized orders to manufacture the color you prefer.

Other Useful Tips
Watch out for sales! If you are not in a hurry, wait for mall sales because this is the time they sell furniture at big discounts to make way for the arrival of new stocks. This is also the time when slightly damaged pieces are being sold at bargain prices.