Think Budget When Shopping At Furniture Stores

| Saturday, July 9, 2011
By Adriana Noton


For most people, the days are longer over for simply browsing through shops and choosing whatever strikes one's fancy, especially when shopping at furniture stores. Effective household shopping requires setting up a realistic budget that's based on the consumer's needs, use and space.

The key to any successful shopping adventure, especially for big-ticket items like furniture, is to plan ahead. Have a clear understanding of what you're seeking. For example, a crib for your new baby would be considered "short term" furniture, unless you plan to get a quality crib that can be converted into a toddler bed. So in this instance, the first question to ask would be: Do you need to invest in a child-sized bed that can last until your child is ready for grammar school?

When planning, consider your needs carefully. Are you outfitting an entire house, or only one room? Are you re-doing an entire room, or do you need to replace one or two items, such as end tables in the living room? In other words, don't simply go "window shopping" in furniture stores. Think carefully about what's needed and how long you'll use it.

Knowing who will use the furnishings, and how they're expected to be used, are factors as important as deciding what decor to pick. Families with growing children and a pet should think about the durability and strength of sofas, chairs and tables, along with how well the upholstery stands up to lots of wear. If at all possible, opt for fabrics that are easy to clean or can be treated to resist stains. On the other hand, singletons and mature couples with limited exposure to children can select furniture styles and fabrics that don't have to stand up to the stresses of an active family.

After needs and use, the next important element in a furniture buying plan is space. Homes and apartments are smaller today than in years past, so there's less room for massive couches or chairs. Consequently, it's crucial to measure a room's dimensions with a tape measure and to write these measurements down on a floor plan. Measuring a room is a task that takes two people, so be sure to get a spouse, a roommate or a friend to help. Be sure to take into account the width and height of doorways, hallways and stairways as well. Otherwise, it may be impossible to get that gorgeous new sofa into the living room because it's too wide for the entry.

The simplest way to draw a floor plan is with a tape measure, a pencil and some graph paper. However, home decorating or room planning software for computers can be of enormous help. It's still necessary to take measurements manually, and then input the dimensions of the room and the proposed furniture into the software. The program then can generate several ways to arrange the room along with alerting users if their potential choices are too large for the space.

The final step in a successful buying plan is establishing the budget. Many a sad consumer can tell tales about being seduced by a beautiful, but expensive, living room suite only to be saddled with enormous payments for years to come. In these days of global economic uncertainty, the wise consumer makes up a budget and adheres to it when looking for big-ticket items.

Remember these keys to shopping at furniture store Canada: Needs, Use, Space and Budget.




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