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How Much Should You Invest In Your Next Furniture Purchase?
Column author Leslie Carothers, furniture industry sales, design and education expert
When it's time for you and your family to make a furniture purchase,
how do you decide what the "right" price to pay is? How do you make
sure you're getting the best value for your money?
The following tips should help:
1. Decide how prominent a place this piece will play in your overall
decorating scheme. Is it going to go in a back room or is it front and
center in your living room?
2. Decide how much wear this piece of furniture is going to get. Is
it a sofa that will be sat on only when company comes over or is it
what your kids will be playing on every day? The sofa that your kids
are playing on will wear out faster so it should either be very, very
inexpensive -in which case it will need to be replaced every year or
so(expensive)- or it should be the most expensive piece you purchase so
that the leather or fabric wears for a very long time. If it's leather
furniture, you'll virtually never need to replace it-just have it
cleaned periodically and, if it's fabric, you'll need to plan on
re-covering it once every seven years or so. Buying the very best
quality you can afford for your family area is actually much less
expensive for you over the long run. Don't be seduced by the 495.00
leather couch or fabric sofa. All you're really doing is signing up for
a yearly purchase commitment!
3. Decide how often you think your family will be moving over the
next 10,15, 20 years. Do you need a piece that can stand up to the
rigors of moving men and trucks or would you prefer a piece that can be
discarded without guilt?
4. Decide if you think your entertainment needs will change shortly.
Do you need a less expensive piece now- knowing that you're going to be
buying a big screen TV in the next year or two and so you'll need a
piece of plasma TV furniture? Or do you already have your dream TV and
need not only space to showcase it properly but also storage space for
your kid's toys and electronic components? A quality piece with lots of
functionality might be a better investment for you in the long run if
this is your situation.
5. What type of warranty makes you feel comfortable? It costs money
for manufacturers and retailers to provide warranties, so decide ahead
of time if you're willing to accept a limited warranty or if you really
need the peace of mind that comes with having a more extensive warranty
and, if you do, be prepared to invest a bit more for that coverage.
Decide what services you require from your retailer. Do you need your
retailer to provide complimentary design services to you? Do you need
to see several room settings and "touch and feel" certain pieces before
you make your final selection? Do you need the reassurance of excellent
customer service after the delivery? Do you need to know that the
people delivering your furniture understand how to put it together. Do
you need for your retailer to have a good website so that you can shop
from home? If you answered yes to most of these questions, be prepared
to invest more to get the service level that provides these benefits as
the retailer must cover the cost of all of these services and make a
profit to remain in business to serve you.
7. Educate yourself as to what indicates quality in a particular
piece of home or home office furniture. There are so many resources
over the web now for this type of information. Once you have done your
preliminary educational research, walk into your local retailer, ask
for a sales consultant knowledgeable about furniture construction and
ask them to show you the differences in person. You will be amazed at
how well some pieces are made and how poorly others are made-even if
they look the same from the outside.
8. Ask yourself, "Does this piece of furniture make me happy?" "Does
it evoke a feeling or mood or serve a very specific function that I
need and want in my home?" If the answer is yes, the investment you
make could be worth it.
9. When discussing your furniture budget with your significant
other, make sure to do two things. Listen carefully to their past
experiences with buying furniture and, secondly, make sure you are in
agreement about what constitutes "value" to each of you. Recognize that
many times this is an educational process and is not something that you
can decide ahead of time. Take your time to make sure it's right for
both of you.
10. Lastly, go back to when you were a small child. Can you remember
almost every piece of furniture in your home? Most people can. So,
think about this next time you're deciding how much to invest in
furniture:
The quality, beauty and comfort of your furniture are the very
first and longest lasting visual and tactile memories that your
children will ever have of your home. What is that worth to you?
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