You’ve found the perfect house or apartment to buy or rent, and you’ll be moving in soon.

You’ve already started furnishing the place with a bunch of wonderful new pieces from local furniture stores – in your mind, that is.

Soon, reality sets in though, and you remember that you have a lot of other financial commitments (such as the mortgage or rent) and there’s no way you can afford all those fabulous items right now. So, what do you do?

Cheap Furniture

There are a number of ways you can get some of the furniture items you want without spending an arm and a leg or getting stressed out about it.

You might be surprised to learn that a good way to save money in the long run is to avoid buying cheap furniture. Low quality, poorly constructed items might not cost much to buy, but you’ll only get a few years’ use out of them. If you can spend a bit more for a good quality piece you’ll be able to use it for a long time, and you won’t have to worry that it might fall apart if you move it!

Here are some things to consider & avoid as a wise furniture buyer:

1. Rent-to-own: If you have poor credit or no credit, or you just don’t have enough cash to buy that beautiful leather sofa, you might be tempted to sign up for one of those deals where you pay “just” twenty dollars a week for the next year or two, and the couch is yours. Stop and think about the amount of interest you’ll be paying, and you’ll see that the sofa could cost you twice as much as it should.
2. Buying cheap stuff: There’s a lot of inexpensive pressboard furniture on the market. Remember, though, that the quality is so poor that it will fall to pieces if you move it, plus it marks easily, looks old quickly, and frankly just looks like a cheap piece of furniture.
3. Going overboard: Plan ahead and buy only what you need right now, and possibly – if you have the money – what you know for sure you’ll need at a later date. For example, if your bedroom set is about to be discontinued, you might want to pick up another matching chest of drawers and vanity that will fit in the master bedroom of the house you’ll be moving into in a couple of months. But don’t go wild with your credit card just because something’s on sale or catches your eye. If you’re shopping for your daughter’s room, focus on that and don’t go buying dining room furniture at the same time.

Furniture Shopping

Now that you know what not to do, you can concentrate on ways to find well made, reasonably priced furniture to suit your home. Be prepared to spend a bit of time – possibly a few months if you can – making a plan and shopping around.

If you’re in a hurry, start by purchasing the bare essentials, then adding things once you’ve decided what you really want and compared prices from different retailers. Always keep in mind that you might be buying furniture that will become heirlooms in future years.

Search Online

Start your search on the web to save yourself the time and hassle of driving around town. Online furniture retailers have a broad range of items along with detailed photographs and descriptions of each piece. In most cases, they also offer lower prices than traditional stores as they buy in bulk or directly from the manufacturer, plus they have lower overheads.

The internet is also a quick and easy place to compare styles, colors and trends before you decide what to buy. Call each online furniture store you are thinking about buying from and speak to a customer service representative. This will give you an idea of their level of service and integrity, in addition to answering your questions about shipping and returns, and anything else you might want to ask.

Furniture Outlet Stores

Another way to get good prices is by visiting a factory-direct store. Many of these stores have a good range of quality items at discounted prices. Don’t forget to go to other large furniture outlets within easy driving distance of your home too. Let the salespeople know that you’ve been looking online as well, as this shows them you know the market in terms of both variety and price. Take photos of items you like, and make a note of the store they’re in, plus the prices and delivery costs.

An increasing popular option these days, and one that helps keep costs down, is buying unfinished furniture. There are entire stores (sometimes known as “naked furniture stores”) that sell nothing but unfinished furniture items to people who take them home and wax, polish or paint them to suit their own décor. The quality of the unfinished hardwood chairs, tables, beds, dressers etc. tends to be good, and you end up with a piece that feels that bit extra personalized because you finished it yourself.

Used Furniture

Maybe you like the idea of picking up pre-owned furniture, whether for environmental reasons or because it suits your budget or style. Auctions, estate sales, garage sales and used furniture stores are all good places to hunt for pieces that could work in your home. Keep an eye on your local classifieds and online ads for people selling pre-loved furniture that can range from nearly new to genuinely antique.

Unless you’re prepared to repair or refinish the items yourself, it’s best to go for things that are in good shape. That said, if you buy upholstered chairs or sofas that need some work, it’s easy to find local businesses that can repair or re-cover them.

Furniture Sales

Watch out for sales, liquidations and other special deals. If a furniture store goes out of business, or simply moves to a new location, you’ll often be able to pick up good items at bargain prices. Online furniture stores usually have a page where they sell off discontinued lines and items that have been slightly scratched or nicked during shipping or storage.

Do you live near a military base, university or other place that has a lot of people moving in and out every year? If so, be aware that many of them will probably sell their furniture and other household goods rather than drag it across the country to a new location. You can snag some nice pieces at good prices, if you can beat the crowd.

Free Delivery

Unless you buy from a retailer that offers free delivery, it’s good to have a friend with a truck to help you bring your purchases home. This also saves you waiting around for your stuff to be delivered. It’s also possible to rent a pickup or truck for less than $30, but don’t forget the beer and pizza for your buddies who help out.

Friends & Family

Your family can also be a good source of furniture – and you probably won’t even have to pay for it. If your parents are buying a new couch, ask if you can take the old one off their hands. So maybe it’s seen better days, but at least you know where it comes from, plus now you can afford to buy a coffee table to go with it. Any time you buy or take over a piece of upholstered furniture, be sure to use upholstery cleaner on it, wait for it to dry and then apply a sealing spray. This will guard against spills and stains for at least a year.

Lastly, let your friends and co-workers know you’re in the market for affordable furniture. Maybe one of them has something to offer you, or perhaps they can keep an eye out for you. One of your friends might call you from a furniture store they happen to be passing, or your sister might have spotted a cute dresser in a charity store. Just be patient and keep at it, and you’re bound to find some great things on your travels.

Once your home is furnished, don’t forget to say thanks to all your friends and family who’ve helped you by inviting them over for dinner. That way everyone can admire your new purchases and learn all about how you came to acquire them.

Related Posts

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2. Your 20 Year Furniture Buying Plan
3. Upholstery Cleaning: Protect Your Furniture and Your Health

If you can’t find exactly the item of furniture you’re looking for to complete the décor in a room, perhaps you would consider buying an unfinished piece and finishing it yourself.

What is Unfinished Furniture?

Unfinished furniture is exactly what it sounds like –  an item that has been manufactured almost to completion, with only the finish on the wood missing. As long as you’re reasonably handy you can get the look you want with relatively little work, and at a price that’s far lower than you would pay for a finished piece.

Some finishes such as shellac or marbling aren’t so easy for beginners to master, while others like paint or stain can be applied by virtually anyone.

Home Decor Trends

In the old days, people tended to decorate their homes according to the prevailing trend, without too much thought to their own tastes. These days, we’re usually more inclined to put our personal stamp on our living space, while still drawing inspiration and ideas from interior design magazines and TV shows. That’s a major reason why a growing number of people are now purchasing tables, chairs, dressers, beds, kitchen cabinets and many other furniture items in an unfinished state, and personalizing them to fit their existing décor and color scheme.

With unfinished furniture, you can easily match a newly-purchased item to those already in the room. You can add pieces gradually over time without having to worry about a particular range being discontinued, since unfinished furniture tends to come in basic shapes and models that won’t go out of style quickly. Naturally, you can also change the look of your home at any point by re-doing items you’ve had for a while in a different finish or color.

Is it really solid wood?

Most unfinished furniture on the market today is made from solid wood, although it’s also possible to find items labeled “all wood”. This is not solid wood, rather a woodchip and resin composite such as plywood or chipboard that is covered with a thin wood veneer. While “all wood” unfinished furniture will cost you less than the solid wood equivalent, it won’t last as long or be as sturdy as the real thing. Since you’re paying a relatively low price for your unfinished furniture anyway, you should go for real wood if possible.

The great thing about buying unfinished solid wood pieces is that you can see exactly what the wood looks like, and there’s no way for the manufacturer to hide knots, weak points or other defects that weaken the structure of the item. What you see is what you get, in other words. For guaranteed top quality wood, look for furniture that’s certified by the Unfinished Furniture Association.

Some solid wood unfinished lines are made from hard woods like oak, maple, eucalyptus or beech, and others from soft woods such as pine, cedar, redwood or spruce. As you would expect, hard woods stand up well to the rigors of family use, while soft woods can scratch or dent fairly easily. However, this does make soft woods ideal for finishing in a distressed or antiqued style.

Finishing your new purchase

Unfinished furniture needs only a minimal amount of prepping before you apply your choice of finish. Just wipe all surfaces with a slightly damp cloth to remove dust, and you’re ready to go. The only exception is if you want to paint the item, and then you simply brush on a coat of primer and allow it to dry before applying the paint.

You have a wide range of choices when it comes to finishes for your new furniture. This is your chance to express your creativity and personality and produce a one-of-a-kind piece that’s your very own handiwork. The most popular finishing methods include painting, staining, waxing, shellacking, lacquering, mosaic inlays, stenciling, and faux effects such as distressing, marbling and crackle-glazing.

Ideas to get you started

You can paint bedroom furniture such as beds, nightstands, dressers and vanities to tone with the wall color or draperies, and maybe apply a stenciled design or distressed finish to truly make it your own. How about staining your dining room set to go with the window frames and baseboards, for an elegant, put-together look? A milk wash or limed finish can transform an ordinary kitchen table into a rustic farmhouse table in no time.

Get your children involved in creating fun furniture for their rooms, or attractive pieces for the den that the whole family can use. If you get really good at finishing your own furniture, why not use your skill to make delightful gifts for family and friends. They don’t have to be big items – an imaginatively decorated newspaper rack or key cabinet can make an excellent personalized present. Or you could even turn your hobby into a lucrative small business making fabulous hand-finished pieces to order.

Now that unfinished wood furniture has become so popular, many schools and colleges are offering classes in finishing techniques, so you have no excuse not to jump on to this trend. Alternatively, you could speak to a professional wood finisher to try to get some tips on achieving the look you want.

Above all, enjoy the process, and you’ll have some wonderful pieces you’ll treasure long into the future.

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These days, people just seem to want everything at once, not least when they’re furnishing their homes. Most of us can’t afford to buy all the things we need to fill a whole house, let alone a room, in one fell swoop.

The trouble is that if you buy a few items here and there without a clear plan, over time you’re going to end up with a mishmash of furnishings that don’t go together, and that you might not even like any more.

Start Slowly & Cheaply

Although you will need to have a certain number of basic pieces like a bed, table and chairs, sofa and so on from the outset when you’re setting up your first home, you can always start with stuff inherited from family and friends or purchased from garage sales, Goodwill stores and inexpensive furniture outlets.

Over time, you’ll buy more items to fill up your living space and gradually replace some of the earlier pieces. A lot of people trade up to a bigger home as the family – and, in many cases, their income –  grows, so they’ll naturally need to buy extra furniture.

Have a Strategy

As you add to your inventory of furniture and home accessories, the trick is to do so with a long-term plan in place, so that you’re constantly working towards a unified look that you know you’ll be comfortable with for a long time. A 20-year time purchasing plan is likely to work best, as this tends to get you from your first rented home, through starting a family, to a time when your earnings are relatively high and stable.

But before you rush out and spend your hard-earned cash, here’s what you need to do to map out your furniture purchases over the next 20 years:

1. Figure out what you want
2. Make a realistic plan
3. Buy at least one large, quality furnishing item every year

Nothing hard about that, is there?

Figure out what you want:

Sit down and consider what you use your home for in terms of habits and hobbies, whether you want to change the way you use your space, and what kind of furniture you need.

• If you play a musical instrument, you’ll need a dedicated area for that, while someone who sews will want a counter or table for cutting and sewing, plus storage space for all their fabrics, machines and accessories.
• If you’re an avid reader, a comfortable chair or sofa, good lighting and a big bookcase are essential for you.
• A person who enjoys cooking will want a practical, stylish kitchen with fabulous cookware and appliances.
• Of course, if you have children, you must have adequate areas for them to play and do their homework, crafts and sports.

Whatever your family circumstances, your lifestyle or your aspirations, take the time to think through what really matters to you. Then you’ll be in a better position to draw up a “wish list” of furniture, accessories and appliances that can make each room in your home more attractive and functional.

Make a realistic plan:

Now it’s time to take your wish list and turn it into a workable, 20-year plan. Be prepared to be practical and maybe scale down some of your dreams to fit your budget. Still, this is a way for you to achieve the comfort and style you love without breaking the bank or suffering from buyer’s remorse later on.

First, set your priorities. Perhaps you feel that the cheap, knock-down dining table you bought for your first apartment is really too small (not to mention too ugly) for your current entertaining needs. So a new dining table will be your big purchase for the first year. Get the family together and brainstorm some ideas. Think about the style you’d like to see in your dining area. Do you prefer a modern glass-topped table, a country pine, or a formal mahogany dining set? Round and intimate, or rectangular and stately?

Will you use the table for all your family meals, and will the kids do their homework and craft projects there – or do you plan to use it only for formal dinners and celebrations? How about chairs – could you use your existing chairs or do you intend to buy new ones to match the table? Last but not least, would the new furniture fit into your space, and would you need to rearrange existing pieces to make room for it?

Next, you need to do a bit of time travelling. Let’s say you go ahead and buy that rectangular, sculptural wrought-iron and glass table you’ve had your eye on. Fast-forward 20 years and imagine how it’s worked for you. Have you found it a chore to polish the glass top after every meal? Has the glass held up well, or does it have chips around the edges or even on the surface? Or, if you went for a formal polished mahogany table, has it seen as much use as you’d intended, or does it just look old-fashioned and a bit intimidating? Perhaps you regret not opting for something more family-friendly like an oak farmhouse table, after all?

The point here is to pick pieces of furniture that will work for you and your family for many years to come, and that you’ll still love in a couple of decades’ time. So don’t rush into any decisions, or buy something just because it’s on sale or in fashion right now. You’re making a long-term commitment here, so don’t settle for second-best.

Buy at least one large, quality furnishing item every year:

Take a look at your annual budget and reserve part of it for your large furniture purchase. With any luck, your spending ability will grow over the years as you get older, so you might be able to make more than one major acquisition per year.

If you find yourself a bit short of cash one year, go for a fabulous accessory like a rug or lamp instead of the sofa you were planning to buy. Keep referring back to your original 20-year plan, but remember that it’s OK to make adjustments to it as you go along.

Just make sure you buy pieces you love. Take the time to find items that fit your plan and your style perfectly. If you buy just one large, good-quality piece of furniture, or painting, or fantastic accessory a year, you’ll soon have a gorgeous home that reflects your personality and feels comfortable to live in every day for many years to come.

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Here are some tips to get that 5-star ambiance you want without paying an arm and a leg for it.

Affordable Kitchen Fittings

(1) Granite countertops: Granite, marble and other natural stone looks classy as a covering for your kitchen counter, and it’s very durable too. Big, solid slabs of stone are very expensive, however.

Money-saving trick: You can have the same look at a bargain price if you go for pieces of stone instead. The stone squares or rectangles are laid on a wood or plywood board like tiles and fixed in place with grout. Another advantage is that a stone section can be replaced easily if it gets damaged. Alternatively, you could place thinner stone pieces directly on top of the existing countertop.

(2) Stone backsplash: Whichever stone you choose for your natural stone countertop, you’ll want to complete the look with a backsplash made of stone tiles. Again, though, you’ll have to spend a lot of cash.

Money-saving trick: Instead of making a normal horizontal backsplash, try placing the stone tiles sideways so the points are top and bottom like a diamond. This way you won’t need so many tiles, and you’ll have a unique look to boot.

(3) Custom-built cabinets: If you have your kitchen cabinets build to order, they will fit perfectly, and you’ll have an endless choice of trims, finishes and colors. You can create a one-of-a-kind room and personalize it just how you want it.

Money-saving trick: Save a big chunk of your hard-earned cash by opting for semi-custom cabinets instead. They come in many different heights, depths and widths, so you can still get a good fit. Try mixing a range of cabinet heights for an even more customized look.

(4) Wooden floors: Any home will look fabulous with wood flooring, but it might be out of your price range.

Money-saving trick: There are some nice laminates around these days. It’s a very economical alternative that’s available in many different wood grain patterns. Most people won’t be able to tell the difference anyway.

(5) Crown molding: A room with fancy crown molding instantly holds a lot more fascination that one without. The more ornate the molding is, the more you’ll have to pay for it, though.

Money-saving trick: Economize by buying several smaller pieces of molding and stacking them together to make a larger arrangement.

Affordable Bathroom Fittings

(6) Brass or nickel fixtures: These are the most luxurious materials for bathroom fixtures and fittings such as faucets, mixers and towel hooks, but they’re also the priciest.

Money-saving trick: Pick fixtures that combine brass or nickel with chrome for a two-tone look that’s both fashionable and economical.

(7) Jetted tub: Transform your bathroom into a retreat from the busy world with a jetted, or whirlpool, tub or a Jacuzzi.

Money-saving trick: Instead of the usual two-person whirlpool tub, think about putting in a one-person model. It’s a lot cheaper, and it’s also a similar size to a normal bathtub so you won’t need to spend money on rearranging or enlarging your bathroom to make room for it.

(8) Underfloor heating: On a winter morning, a warm bathroom floor is a Godsend. Install radiant floor heating under your bathroom tiles and you’ll start the day with a smile on your face.

Money-saving trick: For a warm, comfortable bathroom that costs a lot less to achieve, place infrared heat lamps around the walls.

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When money is tight, the saying “If it aint broke, don’t fix it” rings truer than ever. Actually, though, “If it’s slightly broken, fix it now” could be more appropriate when it comes to home improvements.

“If it’s working fine, but it’s costing you plenty to operate, get a better model” might apply in many cases too. Although you always run the risk of going over budget when remodeling, some measures will undoubtedly increase the attractiveness of your house, in addition to cutting its running costs in the long term.

In today’s difficult economy, you might feel cautious about spending money on big projects when you don’t know what your financial situation will look like next year or even next month. Your home still needs regular maintenance, however, especially if you’re putting it on the market.

Here are five renovation projects that do pay off, in addition to making your home more livable:

1. Siding updates

One of the best ways to invest in the condition of your home is to upgrade the siding. Even when the economy is struggling, you should try to keep the exterior or your home in good condition. This not only makes it look more attractive, but also protects the materials behind it. If you buy good quality siding, your building materials will last longer, and you’ll save money in the long run.

Remodeling Magazine’s 2007 Cost vs. Value report showed that you can get more than 88% of your outlay back when you sell your home if you opt for fiber-cement siding. In other words, if you upgrade your siding from aluminum or vinyl to fiber-cement, you can greatly improve the resale value of your home, and get most of your investment back when you sell.

2. Bathroom renovations

Even though it’s usually the smallest room in the house, it’s important to have a practical and pleasant bathroom. If you’re trying to sell your home, the condition of your bathrooms can determine whether it’s a quick sale or sits on your realtor’s books for many months or even years.

A recent survey found that most people spend less than $10,000 on remodeling a bathroom. Of the 3,000 homeowners surveyed, 9 out of 10 were so happy with their bathroom renovations that they would advise others to have their bathrooms remodeled too. Once your “smallest room” is updated, you won’t have to waste money on leaking pipes and faucets, ancient toilets or clogged shower heads. You’ll also be able to enjoy hot water whenever you want it, excellent water pressure and mirrors that don’t steam up. No wonder a new bathroom brings joy to so many people!

3. Inspections

Although a home inspection isn’t really a renovation, it is an excellent investment, particularly when the economy is down. An inspection can save you a lot of cash – and hassle – by identifying a potentially bad situation before it gets out of hand. If you get your chimney inspected and cleaned, for example, you’ll pay between $100 and $200, whereas a chimney fire would set you back thousands in damage to your home and possessions. You can have any part of your house (roof, foundation, electrical system, plumbing etc.) inspected. Depending on the outcome, you can then get the necessary repairs done, or rest assured that your house is in good condition.

4. Flooring upgrades

An attractive floor can give a room a whole new lease on life. A floor makeover is also a great investment in your home. If you switch to a longer-lasting flooring material, you can get a lot of value for your dollars. Did you know that while carpeting is a cheap floor covering, it only lasts for 8-10 years with normal wear and tear and maintenance? In contrast, a hardwood floor has a life expectancy of at least 100 years, although it is admittedly more expensive to install. Even so, the extra upfront cost more than makes up for the fact that your wood floor will be around a lot longer than you will!

5. Minor kitchen renovations

Just as it almost always pays to get your bathroom fixed up, you usually come out on top with small-scale kitchen improvements as well. A lot of people spend far more than they had planned when undertaking a complete revamp of their kitchens. It’s better, and cheaper, to tackle specific kitchen areas that need attention, and leave other parts alone. According to Remodeling Magazine, people spend an average of $55,503 redoing the whole of their kitchens, but only $21,185 on “minor” kitchen remodeling projects. What’s more, a smaller kitchen renovation should allow you to recoup 5% more of the building costs than a major renovation would.

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