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Top 10 Furniture Buying Mistakes

Your Guide to Preventing Mistakes When Buying Furniture

By Abe Abbas, About.com

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  • Not Testing Your Furniture Before You Buy:

    When buying a sofa, recliner or chair, you should always test it, and judge for quality. What if that very stylish sofa turns out to be so uncomfortable that you never want to sit on it? Your furniture should always make life more comfortable and easier. Try out your sofa in the store the way you would use it at home, and yes, that means lying down on it, too. If you are buying furniture on the internet, go to a store and try it out first. Also, open and close drawers and doors on casegoods to see if they function properly.
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  • Buying Furniture on Impulse:

    Impulse buying is one of the biggest mistakes people make when shopping for furniture. Sometimes the price seems irresistible, other times the piece looks just too good to pass up, or you might be in a hurry to make your place look good in time for the impending arrival of guests. Resist the impulse to make a hasty decision.

  • Asking for Too Many Opinions:

    When you consult too many people, you make it harder to narrow down your choices. Never take along an entourage when shopping for furniture. It drives the salespeople crazy and you don’t benefit from five different people offering wildly divergent views. If you don’t want to go alone, go with your significant other, or just one other person whose judgment you trust.

  • Not Asking for Help:

    The salespeople are there to help you, and they might be able to offer advice and suggestions which ultimately help you make a better buying decision. While the ultimate buying decision will be yours, but by not consulting them you might not even get a good idea of all the options you have. Incidentally, it is a better idea to go shopping on a weekday so that you can get a salesperson’s full attention. Weekends tend to be busy and distracting when you need a salesperson’s full attention.

  • Paying Too Much for Your Furniture:

    When buying furniture, there are plenty of ways for you to save. For instance, you always have the choice of waiting for special sales. You can inquire if the store would offer any special discounts, especially if you are buying several pieces. Avoid “Buy now, pay later” financing plans as you can end up paying very high interest rates if you can’t pay it all in a lump sum later.

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