You are wondering how much you should spend on your furniture. When you ask designers, they will suggest that you spend anywhere from 10-50% of your home’s value on furniture pieces. This means that if your home’s value is $500,000, you spend at least $50,000 on furniture.
If you do not want to put more strain on your already stretched budget, you should know some tips for saving money on your furniture purchase. You can start with the following:
Evaluate your needs at the onset
If you are the type that appreciates the “less is more” approach, you just need to evaluate your needs before you head to furniture on sale. Remember that the less furniture you have, the more space you have to live. While you are at it, you should also consider the arrangement of the furniture. This is to optimise your space.
Consider repurpose or recycle
Before you head to thrift stores, you should check if you have anything that could be reused. For instance, if you have an old couch, check if it can be re-upholstered. Do not miss the basement or attic to make sure that you have not forgotten any furniture. The key here is patience and ingenuity.
Check thrift stores
If you are looking for great deals, you should start looking at thrift stores. However, these stores offer used furniture. With this, you should expect dents, scratches and other signs of wear and tear. On special days, you will get the best deals but at the onset, you should determine whether you can fix the furniture or not.
Pay attention to prices
You do not want to spend hours on online shops or classifieds (like Craigslist) for new items to be uploaded. This is a real bummer but there is one thing that you can consider – automating price checking process. There are many apps that you can consider. In the end, you will be alerted when new items are uploaded. What’s more, it is easier to compare online prices.
Know when to splurge
You should at least know when to splurge. There are some items that are worth buying new like mattress and living room sofa. While you can buy used ones, you should not expect it to last longer because these things wear out faster. In the end, it will be less comfortable.
You should also factor in the cleanliness unless you have them cleaned professionally. Just think that there are some furniture pieces that are like appliances – you end up saving money if you buy new.
Always ask for cash discounts
If you are buying something new, you should try asking for cash discounts. Before you make a decision, make sure that you scour all the area for the best deals. You should know that there are stores willing to negotiate on the price.