Before purchasing that new couch, consider how it’ll fit in with the rest of your furniture and whether it matches your lifestyle.
If you own a home, your house or apartment is probably your most valuable possession, with a car following closely behind. After that, you’ve probably spent the most on your furniture.
The stakes may not be as high if you buy an uncomfortable chair as if you buy a subpar house or a lemon car, but you’re likely spending thousands of dollars on furniture as the years go by. So the next time you’re getting new furniture keep these guidelines in mind.
You Can Never Measure Enough
It isn’t enough to measure the furniture to see if it’ll fit where you want it, though that’s a good start. If it’s an oversized or unusually shaped piece, you’ll want to examine the doorway, and perhaps multiple doorways – especially if you live in a building.
“A lot of people, and even design professionals, have dealt with a piece of furniture not fitting in an elevator,” says Mike Findley, an interior designer based in Miami, Florida. “Height, width and depth of the furniture piece are important to note when checking to see if it will fit in your elevator.”
Charlie Bolivar agrees, an interior decorating expert at Charlies Designs LLC, a company in New York City. He says many people forget to measure furniture, which can cost you a ridiculous amount of money if you have to return a piece to the store.
“Shipping furniture back to the retailer is usually on the customer’s bill,” he says.
Think About How The Furniture Will Look With The Rest Of Your Furniture
No matter how well you think you know your home, it can sometimes be hard to be in a store and visualize how an item will work in a room.
“A furnishing’s color may look gorgeous in the showroom, but may not look that way in your living room,”
I recommend asking the store clerk for a color swatch and bringing it home “to see how the color looks in your own home surrounded by your own furniture.”
Your Furniture Should Fit Your Lifestyle
I think that many people don’t think about the fact that maybe the furniture they want isn’t right for the people and possibly pets using it.
“Children and pets on silk chairs – not so great,”
But you also need to be thinking about how your furniture will fit your lifestyle, not only now but in the foreseeable future. I have a client who is buying a lot of new furniture because when she furnished her home three years ago – including some chairs with silk on them – she didn’t have kids or pets. Now the client has a little boy and a little girl and one dog and cat.
“She would have saved thousands of dollars if she knew prior to choosing her furniture what was going to stand the test of time with sticky fingers and muddy dog paws.
Don’t Rush When Shopping For Furniture
People typically spend months looking for a house and weeks searching for the right car. Don’t spend minutes buying furniture.
And this isn’t the time for an impulse purchase. “Walk away for at least a day, and then decide if you still want it before you buy it.
Think About Maintenance
Some high-end pieces of furniture may require more care than you would suspect.
If there’s wood involved – maybe you’re buying a table – ask about the wood finish’s durability.
“Know how it can be cleaned, and with what products and most importantly, what not to clean it with. A lot of the time, some cleaning products ruin wood finishes.
Stay Within Your Price Range
That’s harder than it sounds, a lot of consumers get lured into applying for a store credit card.
“You may go into a store only wanting to spend $800, but if you’re approved for $3,000, you’re probably going to spend much more than you anticipated, many stores get people with interest-free financing, but that’s only applicable if the entire amount is paid within the time allotted … This could potentially end up costing you hundreds more than you originally paid at 20 to 30 percent interest rates.”
And remember that more costs could be coming, like a delivery charge or maybe the store will offer you the chance to pay for an extended warranty. Either scenario could mean you’re spending more than you intended. Knowing that you spent far more than you planned could really make your head hurt – especially if your oversized sofa jams your doorway, and you have to rent power tools to chop it into smaller pieces. At least ibuprofen is relatively cheap.
I am happy to discuss with you any furniture you may be purchasing so you can make decisions that will be best for your needs and your home.
~ Charlie A. Bolivar – Charlie’s Designs LLC.