Avoid These Common Furniture Buying Mistakes

Buying furniture is a BIG DEAL. Besides purchasing a car and home, furniture is one of the biggest items a person buys (not just size, but price). It’s also another one of those items that will (hopefully) be around for a very long time, so choosing just the right pieces of furniture for your home requires time and care. Whether you’re purchasing your first sofa or are on your third dining table, there are some common mistakes people tend to make that you’ll want to avoid.

1. Not considering your lifestyle and future. Sometimes we see a piece of furniture that’s just SO beautiful or SO cool that we immediately say, “Mine!” without stopping to consider how it will be to actually LIVE with it. Do you have kids and/or pets? Then you need sturdy furniture that can withstand anything that’s thrown at it (literally & figuratively). If you or your family are on the messy side, unfortunately, that white chair is NOT for you. See what we mean? You also need to consider how long you plan to keep a piece (especially if it’s a splurge). Most people buy furniture with the intention of keeping it, well, forever, but what does the future look like? Will you be adding children to your family? If so, that loveseat might be a bit on the wee side. Is there a chance you could be moving in the next couple of years for work? The future can’t be foretold, we know, but consider what your plans are before you purchase!

2. Not visualizing. Don’t just think about how a new piece of furniture will look in the room, period. Think about how it will look with the current furniture already there. Does it work? It can sometimes be hard to be in a store and visualize how an item will work in a room, so ask for color swatches to bring home. Some places, like Amazon, even have cool virtual reality apps so you can literally see the piece in your home before buying.

3. Not measuring enough (or at all). You know that eyeballing a space isn’t a good way to measure whether something will fit there so you’ll measure the space where new furniture will go. But did you remember to also measure the room to make sure everything else still fits with the new piece? Even more important, did you measure hallways, doors, stairs and elevators? Nothing is more disheartening than get a piece of furniture you love home only to realize it won’t fit through the door/hall!

4. Don’t just go with the set. It’s tempting to buy the entire set of furniture, we get it. It looks nice and it’s convenient. But design is about textures & colors and layering, as well as telling your story. Does all that matching furniture REALLY fit your style? Consider mixing tones, textures, and styles you wouldn’t ordinarily think would pair well together!

5. Not thinking it through. Sometimes impulsivity is a good thing – NOT when it comes to furniture buying though! Buying furniture may seem easier than, say, buying a car because you feel like, hey, just looking for the right color and size. Right? Nope. There are a host of other factors to consider that you don’t want to rush through (the “sit test” for one!). People can spend months searching for the right car, so why spend minutes buying furniture? Do your research, make sure it’s furniture you can live with, then walk away for a day or two to be sure. Otherwise, you might end up with chairs that look absolutely brilliant but are so uncomfortable you can’t actually sit on them or something similar.

6. Don’t forget maintenance. Getting new furniture is exciting and so long as that excitement lasts, you’ll be more than happy to clean your purchase each and every day if necessary. Try to keep in mind how you’ll feel when the “new” wears off though. That’s when cleaning your item will become a chore just like the rest so consider how much (or little) maintenance you’ll be up for doing!

7. Don’t forget your price range. You’ll go out (or online) furniture shopping with a price range in mind – don’t forget it! Keep in mind costs such as delivery or custom upholstery when making your purchase; otherwise you’ll leave your price range behind. Look for sales,online promotions, and various offers by stores that will save you money AND offer additional advantages (such as free shipping).

Keep these things in mind when your going to purchase furniture and you’ll make not just aesthetically pleasing choices, but smart ones! Furniture is a huge purchase – you should be sure you’re getting the best items for your lifestyle, ones that will last as long as possible. Need more help finding that perfect piece? Drop by our website or visit one of our stores and we’ll help you make the best furniture purchase possible!

One Great Sale!

Here at Suburban Furniture we’re fond of saving you money – it’s kind of our thing. We also know home fashion and design. So, once again we’ve combined our furniture know-how with our love of helping you guys out to offer One Great Sale! (No, that’s actually the name of it…) Our One Great Sale has prices up to 40% off storewide so you can get amazing deals on pretty much everything! Plus you can pay no interest for 3 whole years! How’s that for One Great Sale?

Want to take advantage of our One Great Sale but not sure what your design style is? We’ve got you covered there too with our online Design Style quiz that will ask a handful of fun questions to determine what kind of style would work best for you. Our incredibly helpful staff is also always available to give you a hand in determining the best look for your home; simply ask!

Our One Great Sale won’t last forever so hurry down to one of our locations to take advantage! You’ll be happy you did.