If you are tired of your old, beat up, ratty furniture, it may be time to head to the furniture store and do some shopping. However, you do not want to end up spending an arm and a leg for furniture that you don’t really like. For some great furniture shopping tips, keep reading.
When you are getting older furniture, check out its undercarriage to be sure it is stable. Furniture may look to be in decent shape, but that may not really be the case. A lot of old pieces of furniture have rust or dry rot on them.
If you are trying to shop for furniture made in either fully or at least partially environmentally responsible manners, look out for three possible certifications. Scientific Certification Systems uses an SCS label. Also look for SmartWood certification by the Rainforest Alliance. The Green Seal organization also verifies furniture, simply saying Green Seal on the label.
If the piece of furniture you are buying has doors or drawers, test them out. Drawers should slide smoothly and open completely. When you close them, they should line up evenly. For cabinet doors, once you open them, they should stay open. You should also make sure that they close and latch securely.
If you choose to purchase a reclining chair or sofa, be sure it works at the store. This will ensure that it functions properly. Obtaining a replacement can be difficult; therefore, avoid this problem by ensuring your furniture works correctly before buying.
The depth of an upholstered chair is important. Taller persons should look for chairs that offer a deeper seat that affords ample leg room while sitting. If you are tall, but have weak or bad knees, then look for less depth to afford easier standing up from the chair. If you are shorter, test the depth so as not to “flounder” when rising.
If you are shopping for an entire room of furniture, ask about quantity discounts. Many stores will offer them. If they are not willing to discount the price, ask if they will throw in small extras, like a lamp or end table, to make the deal a better one.
It’s a good idea to talk to friends and family about places to buy furniture from and places to avoid. Their experiences can help steer to you away from dealing with a store that will ignore you after it has made the sale. Customer service after the sale can be vital so be sure you are comfortable with the store that you buy from.
Visit furniture consignment stores when you want gently used furniture at a great price. A lot of furniture in these places were used to stage model homes. After the models are sold, the furniture usually end up in consignment centers. If you look hard enough, you can sometimes find high-end furniture at a very affordable price.
Now that you have read the advice in this article, you should be well-prepared to venture into a furniture store. As with any shopping trip, the more that you know ahead of time, the better. Keep these useful tips in mind so that you can find good deals on great furniture.