Did you know that Americans spend on average $8,176 on furniture for their apartment?
Moving house can be costly enough, so there are ways in which you can cut your costs when buying furniture.
Keep reading to discover more about how you can find your furniture on a budget.
7 Furniture Buying Tips
Furnishing your home needn’t cost too much and there are certain tips and tricks you can use to ensure you get your furniture for a cheaper price.
When starting out in a new apartment or home, the first thing you need to do is work out what furniture you already have and what you’ll need. Then you can implement our furniture buying guide tips to find your ideal home furniture.
1. Buy from Budget Stores
There are many budget furniture stores both online and on the high street that offer furniture at a cheaper price. These furniture stores often buy in bulk and so can have lower prices of their stock. Alternatively, they might have last year’s furniture or brands which aren’t as well known.
2. Purchase Used Furniture
One way you can reduce the amount you spend on your furniture is by buying it second hand. There are a variety of used furniture places you can look and most of the furniture is in good condition or even in some instances nearly new.
You might want to look on websites such as Freecycle, eBay, Craigslist, or Krrb. These websites will give you a description of the item of furniture, what condition it is in, where it is, and it might include some photos of the item too.
3. Look in the Sales
Research online to find out when to buy furniture, a lot of retailers run sales, offers, and deals throughout the year. For example, some furniture stores might have special sales after or before Christmas. You might also want to consider buying furniture when students go to college, as a lot of furniture stores have sales then too.
You could sign up for emails and newsletters of your favorite furniture stores to find out when they have sales and even get money off when you spend a certain amount in store.
4. Visit Your Local Stores
Buying nationally and internationally can sometimes be cheaper, however, you might also want to consider visiting your local furniture stores. These stores might be able to give you a better deal than other big furniture brands and you might also be able to haggle a better price.
Independent local stores might also be able to offer you more advice about your furniture and find out how you can look after it better so it lasts longer.
5. Make Your Own Furniture
You could always make your own furniture. For example, you could make your own coffee table, as these are fairly easy to make and you’d have a bespoke piece of furniture. Those who are particularly gifted in design could even fashion other pieces of furniture.
You might be able to use pieces of furniture that you already have and make them into something else. For example, if you have some old t-shirts you could sew them together and make a blanket or a throw for your sofa.
Alternatively, you might want to consider fixing your old pieces of furniture. If you have a sofa that needs re-upholstering then this will be cheaper than buying a new one. Or if your table chairs need varnishing or painting, then you might be able to do this yourself.
6. Buy Bundled Packages
At furniture stores, they often combine furniture items together, such as sofas and a coffee table. These bundled packages often cost less than when you buy the item individually. These packages are ideal if you’re on a budget and need a lot of furniture.
However, sometimes mix and match furniture might be cheaper. The best thing to do is to have a look at what you like and then calculate the different costs of the furniture. Use comparison websites or just do your own research before you buy anything to make sure you are getting it at the best price.
7. Check out Flea Markets
Don’t be a stranger to flea markets or garage sales, sometimes you’ll be able to find perfectly good pieces of furniture at these places. These are similar to buying used furniture, but instead of buying them online, you can look at them in-person first before you buy them.
Often furniture at flea markets is quite cheap because people want to get rid of them, and with a quick clean and polish they will look brand new again.
Other Ways to Get Cheaper Furniture
You might also consider asking family, friends, and neighbors if they have any items of furniture that they no longer need or want. This is a great way of ensuring you are re-using items and it also saves you money and your friends and family valuable space.
Another way to get buy furniture for less is by going into furniture stores and asking about their floor samples. Floor samples are the items of furniture that they have displayed in-store. These often get discounted when the stores want to design a new set-up. They might have a little wear and tear, but you will be able to negotiate the cost down if you think that they aren’t in a good enough condition.
Find Your Furniture on a Budget
Buying furniture doesn’t always have to be expensive, there are many ways in which you can reduce your spending costs.
Follow our guide to find your furniture on a budget and see how much money you could save.
Want to reduce your spending? Learn more about how you can save money with some of our money-saving articles.