With the average person spending $4,500 on their home furnishings, before you swipe your card, you need to find a store to fit your style. Whether you’re moving into an apartment or a house, there’s no wrong time to start building your collection. Building a relationship with the right furniture store will ensure that your house feels like a home.
Whether you’re just looking to have a home to relax in after work or if you like to entertain, furniture sets the tone for how people feel at your house. If you have kids, pets, and a family, your furniture could get a lot of use. If you just want something that feels great, you have hundreds of thousands of choices.
To narrow some of the choices down, you should find a furniture store that suits your needs. Look for these 10 characteristics for one that you can stick by for years.
1. Location
You should find a store that’s centrally located. Having to transport furniture for many miles is expensive and time-consuming.
If you’re in the market for something new, you might want to check back to your local store frequently. A store that’s over an hour away means you’ll have to set aside the time you wouldn’t have to if your store was down the street.
Be on the lookout for a place that’s easy to get to for those moments when inspiration strikes.
2. Brand Choice
While there are plenty of stores that offer several options at a low price, you should find a place where you feel like you’re getting the best of the best. If the items on the showroom feel cheap or like they won’t stand up to use, you should see if there are other options available.
A great furniture store should offer furniture from all of the top brands in all of the latest styles. If you feel like your choices are limited, then you should look for another store to patronize. Limited choices mean you’ll end up feeling obligated to buy something you don’t really love.
3. Quality
If you’re going to spend thousands of dollars on furniture, you need to know that what you’re buying is going to last. Cheap materials aren’t just less attractive. They’re also more liable to break easily.
Quality materials are indicative of a quality store. No self-respecting furniture shop would put out those particle board coffee tables on their showroom floor.
4. Pricing
At the end of the day, you need to shop at a place that offers great deals. Even when you’re buying from the top brands, you want to be able to get a great price. Having a relationship with a good store means that you’ll know when sales are on the way.
You might even get inside tips on something that’s about to go out of stock. Stores offer deals on floor models all the time as well.
5. Delivery
Free delivery is the best kind of delivery. While not every store offers cheap delivery options, you should look for one that doesn’t gouge you.
If you’ve found a place that’s close by, you might even be able to haggle for a delivery discount. No matter what you pay for delivery, remember to tip your delivery workers.
6. Special Ordering
If you don’t see what you’re looking for on the floor, the staff at the furniture store should be able to help you find what you want. Even when you don’t know what you want, a smart staffer can make a few clicks and pull up something that works for you.
If you go into the store, dead-set on shopping for one of Modern Digs’ favorite platform beds, a store that doesn’t have them should be able to help you get one.
If you know of something special that’s not in stock, just mention your interest and staff should leap at the chance to get it for you. Furniture store staff get just as much of a kick out of getting you what you’re looking for as you are to own it.
7. Financing Options
If you’re about to lay down several thousand dollars on a limited budget, see what kind of financing the furniture store offers. They should have an option that suits your needs to allow you to pay off your furniture over the course of the year.
If you’ve just moved into a new home, no one wants you sitting on milk crates. Financing allows you to make the transition with less stress.
8. Warranties
You should be on the lookout for a furniture store that believes in their products. If they’re selling quality furniture, they should be willing to offer a warranty. This gives you that extra bit of reassurance that you’re getting a great deal.
Even if they don’t offer warranties, furniture manufacturers often offer a variety of warranties. The staff should be comfortable walking you through how they work.
9. Installation Services
If you purchase something for your new home that needs to be assembled, you might not even have tools for that yet. In that case, the store of your choice should be able to help out. If you’re just not that handy of a person, you might want to have a professional handle it.
Following delivery, the store’s staff should be able to help you to assemble and install your new furniture. Again, don’t forget to tip.
10. Great Staff
On top of everything, the staff is who is going to keep you coming back to the store. A helpful, friendly, and honest staff make the difference between a good and bad furniture store.
Most of us don’t know how much this or that couch should cost. If you become a dedicated customer, the staff can tell you why something is a good deal and whether or not it fits your style.
Find A Furniture Store, Love Your Home
The difference between a place to lay your head and a bed you love to hang out in can make a huge difference in your happiness. The way to find that perfect piece of furniture is to have a furniture store that has everything you need.
If you’re looking for more ways to get even more comfortable inside your home, check out our other articles on how to make your home unique.