Your furniture can actually make or break the general look and comfort level of your home. You need to know about furniture if you want yours to be comfortable and look great in your target room.
When you arrange your furniture, make certain that you don’t place it too close to any heat sources. This shortens the life span of these items and could damage the material. You need to avoid setting furniture near air-conditioning units also, because the extreme cold may have a bad effect on the material. However you do it, try to keep it out of known draft areas – vents or similar.
Watch out for furniture that’s poorly made as well. It should pass the furniture compliance requirements. To ensure that you are purchasing a couch for instance, which will hold up to your family use, turn the sofa upside down and take a look at the structure of the couch.
TIP: Auctions can be a GREAT source of furniture that is in great shape. Many people are NOT aware of the bargains and quality that can be found at local auctions. Here in the Raleigh area, there are several local auctions including the Hoy Auction in Wake Forest and the Four Oaks Auction in Four Oaks NC. Both of these places hold regular auctions and carry a lot of various items – including some incredible furniture. Sometimes the furniture will be newer, but in many cases, the furniture will be older solid wood construction that HAS held up well over the years. Getting solid pieces of furniture at a fraction of the cost of new is great if you’re on a budget or particularly if you like the older styles anyway!
Examine the legs of any furniture you’re considering to buy. Those legs have to support weight,and also consider how it will make contact to your floor. Should they appear like they will do damage to your flooring because of the type of material used (like metal), then you certainly might want to choose a style that is different. If nothing else, you may want to grab some feet protectors – the little vinyl pads that can be placed under the furniture feet to spread out the weight. They often are used to allow easier movement of furniture across floors, but there’s surely no issue leaving them under the feet long-term!
It’s crucial that you buy furniture that is built to last. Instead of a credenza made of pressed wood, choose for one made from solid wood. Plywood is always exceptional to particle board or cardboard. Give the furniture a good push from either side and make certain that it does not move or wobble.
Need to get rid of your old furniture? There are so many ways to do that when the time comes. In our family, we often ask around to see if it might benefit anyone. Should that fail, then some great options are your local Facebook marketplace group. Currently (as of this writing), the marketplace only shows up reliably on true mobile devices, but there are a number of local city swap/shop groups that you can use to advertise it. Craigslist is another great option. You could also approach a used furniture store to see if they are interested. Finally, if you just don’t have any other options, a junk removal company can usually assist. Our local favorite is McJunk here in Raleigh. Besides being able to get it out of YOUR hair, they also usually will have connections to do all of this in a “green” fashion. They will donate it to places like Goodwill or some other charity where it goes back to the community at a great savings.
When you are furniture shopping it is worth it to see if you CAN get a better price. Once you locate the piece or pieces you want, ask your salesperson if they could offer you a better deal on them. Sometimes you can get a bit shaved off – sometimes not. Either way, you won’t know until you ask. Sometimes the store has been holding on to the furniture for a while and would happily knock off a few bucks to get it gone!
Having the right furniture can make a house feel comfortable and look great. The best way to ensure you have the very best furniture is by doing your homework. Research and, if possible, haggle your way to getting the best deals.