Visiting a furniture store can often be a daunting experience. Whether you are simply adding a new piece to revitalize a room or furnishing a home from the ground up, it can be easy to become overwhelmed by the choices and options available.
Confusing layouts, conflicting prices, and seemingly endless varieties of form and style can all work to negatively impact your shopping trip and hinder your home design progress. We have compiled a guide below with some helpful tips for making the most of your visit to the furniture store.
Know Your Budget
Going in with an idea of your budget limit allows you to quickly eliminate certain products from consideration. Furniture prices vary wildly, so it is worth setting financial limits to curb overspending.
In many smaller, independent furniture stores, prices can be up for negotiation. Don’t be afraid to haggle, salesmen will often be willing to reduce the cost if it means securing a sale. Make sure to ask staff about potential discounts or any upcoming in-store sales, or even furniture financing, as you’ll find at https://www.pricebusters.com/, and make use of price comparison websites to ensure you are getting the best possible deal.
Come Prepared
Preparation is critical when making the most of a shopping experience, and never more so than when purchasing furniture. While some large chain stores may provide things like measuring tapes and pencils to customers, it is always worth bringing your own so that you are not caught short.
A measuring tape is essential; space in a home is often a premium, while a pencil and notebook can be used to log measurements and product names. A mobile device is invaluable too, be it for taking pictures of pieces that catch your eye or making a quick online check of stock availability or competitor prices.
Know Your Space
Fine margins count when furnishing a home, and knowing the exact dimensions of the room or rooms you are planning on buying for will streamline your shopping experience.
A simple mock-up sketch of a room’s layout, complete with measurements (including doorways), can help you visualize how a piece will fit into an existing space. Taking photographs of the room ahead of time lets you assess compatibility with color, style, and light, as well as how a particular piece will interact with existing furniture.
Research
If the store you are visiting has an online platform, it is always worth taking a look before visiting in person. This can help get an overview of the products they sell, check stock availability, and assess prices. By noting pieces of interest ahead of time, you can make your visit to the store much more time-effective.
Furthermore, online platforms can give you access to more product details, including dimensions, materials, and color options. Information on materials, in particular, is crucial. It can allow you to evaluate an item’s value for money, as well as potential quality and durability. You can even organize the delivery of your items and gauge how much it will cost online.