Furniture shopping can be a stressful experience. It forces you to ask a lot of questions. How will the new furniture fit in with the existing pieces and decor? Will you get tired of the furniture? How much are you willing to pay? Are you getting the best deals? Where to look for furniture pieces?
It is important arm yourself with as much information as you can and shop wisely. Remember, unlike your mobile phone, your furniture is going to be around the house for a very long time.
Tips to make furniture shopping easier and more fun.
1. Measure your room or space
It is amazing how many people will set out to buy furniture with out knowing the dimensions of their rooms or the space they have available for a furniture piece they want. Make sure that you measure your room or space before you set out. This will save you loads of time. You can eliminate the furniture that don't fit your space requirement and zero in on the ones that do.
2. Match your colours
You want to make sure that your furniture colour matches your rug and wall colors. If you can, take samples of the colours in your room when you go out furniture shopping. Bring along paint samples, swatches of carpet and fabric of other furnishings. This will allow you to properly match things up and make the process much easier in the long run.
3. Long term room planning
Try and think long term about the room. What type of look and feel do you want the space to have? Once you have determined that, you can go out and choose pieces that fit in with your desired look and feel. You may want to buy pieces off collections that match your look and feel. Collections allow you to buy the pieces you can afford now and add to at a later date.
4. Maintain a consistent style or theme
Suppose your bed room is furnished with all wood furnishing and you see a very modernist looking steel shelving. You buy the shelving on impulse and bring it home only to find that it doesn't fit. Resist buying on impulse. If an item doesn't work with your rooms scale, style or colors, you may be forced to live with the mistake for a long time.
5. Work out your budget before you go furniture shopping
In these uncertain financial times, it is best to live within your means. If you come across a piece of furniture that is fantastic but way out of line with your budget, you should walk away. It is better to keep on searching until you find something that you can afford.
6. Bring along family members on your furniture shopping trip
Make furniture shopping a family affair. You and your family members will have to live with your furniture for a long time after you have purchased it. So it is best to make sure that other occupants of your home have a hand in choosing the furniture that you bring into your home.
7. Look around before buying
Make sure you have seen a large selection of furniture before buying. The very first piece of furniture you see may very well end up being the best that you can find, but then it may not. Looking around helps you make sure that you have not missed out on your dream piece. Fortunately, There are many interior design magazines that can quickly help you review the furniture pieces and prices.
8. Avoid last minute furniture shopping
As you can see, buying the right furniture takes time and effort. So don't wait to till the very last minute before rushing to buy because you have guests coming in a few days. Not only will you increase your chances of making the wrong purchases, the dealer may also not be able to deliver your furniture in time because of the festive season rush.
9. Test the furniture before buying
Some dealers have intimidating signs on their display sofas and beds forbidding you to rest on it. When it comes to beds, sofas, or chairs, always insist on testing them out before buying. You are going to be spending countless hours laying or sitting on it.
10. Asking for help
Most people like to avoid asking salespersons for help in their shopping process. In doing so, they fail to take advantage of the wealth of information that the salesperson can provide about their merchandise and special promotions in the store. Also note that salespersons are often empowered to give customers discretionary discounts. So if they like you, you can get additional discounts.
11. Best time to go shopping
Furniture stores are busiest during the weekends and public holidays. If you want the undivided attention of a salesperson, plan to visit a store during the weekday.
12. Avoiding paying too much
If you can, you should plan to make your purchases during a sale. Most stores have special promotions before festive seasons or long week ends. If that is not possible, you should still try and to negotiate. Most stores are receptive to negotiate on price, delivery, or assembly charges.
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