It’s been nearly a decade since I shopped for furniture. And in this post, I’ll be sharing my current perspective and asking you for feedback.
Here’s the story…
On May 2, I moved into a new house. We’re renting it, just like we rented the last one, although this one is a little nicer and more expensive.
In the last house, I used the landlord’s office furniture. I don’t have any of my own. Plus, before we moved, we sold our bedroom furniture (to save the hassle of moving it, and because after 10 years we would like something new/different).
Bottom line: We need bedroom and office furniture, and we’ve been exploring our options.
After researching Craig’s LIst and visiting a few furniture stores, it’s clear there are three different approaches we can take.
Approach #1
- Buy cheap used furniture even if we don’t like it. (Most of the stuff on Craig’s List is ugly, in my humble opinion. Good stuff is hard to find.)
Approach #2
- Buy cheap new furniture. (Poor quality furniture at an attractive price.)
Approach #3
- Buy expensive new furniture. (Built to last with a price to match.)
I suppose each approach has its merits. My natural inclination is to buy something that’s going to last for a long time and hold its value better… something I could give my kids if/when I’m gone.
The only trouble with this approach is the cost. Of course, if you amortize it over the lifetime of the furniture, it’s probably not worth worrying about. But if we go this route, we have to pay for the furniture now — or finance it.
And financing furniture doesn’t really fit in with the goal of becoming debt free.
If there is zero-percent financing (as there often is with furniture purchases), then I might consider partial financing just to spread the cost over 3-6 months.
Unfortunately, with my business, I need furniture now, not later. Same thing with the bedroom. My wife will only tolerate our clothes being piled on the floor for so many weeks.
Ideally, all large purchases would be paid for with cash. And if we didn’t have the cash, we would simply save until we did.
But given the urgency of needing furniture, it’s hard to make a case for waiting. Which then brings us back to the question: Do we go cheap/used, cheap/new, or expensive/new?
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let me know…
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{ 6 comments }
A totally different option is a furniture rental company outlet store. We got a beautiful sofa set for a fraction of the price at a company that provides higher quality furniture to hotels and for business people who move to the area short term. Also, we got beautiful area rugs at another furniture outlet store very inexpensively. And yard sales and moving sales can be a good bet as well. People don’t want to take it with them or don’g have room in their new place.
Good advice, Joan. I hadn’t thought about renting furniture…
Ryan
My parent’s rented while on a 11 month assignment many years ago. My mom said it was ridiculous because she could have bought better stuff outright for the amount that the company paid for the rent. The only reason they did it was because the company would pay for rent, but not for buying it and they didn’t have to deal with moving anything because the rental company both dropped off and picked up. It probably won’t work for you.
My advice would be to mix approaches. For our office furniture we found some great stuff at Costco for only $400 that fit our needs and we could pay cash. They also had some really beautiful office furniture that would have been closer to $2500 that would not have looked out of place in a million dollar home, but we couldn’t pay cash for it so we passed this time.
But I do keep my eyes open and when I found a really great buffet cabinet that was just the right size, color, and style and also was 75% off I was able to get a very good deal because I knew what I wanted and I knew it’s value. We also paid cash then.
But waiting until you pay cash for something doesn’t always work out for the best. About 9 years ago, I found the perfect bedroom set on ebay. It was solid mahogany with some of the most beautiful hand carved detail I have ever seen. The King size bed frame alone was $1500 and I couldn’t afford to pay cash so we didn’t buy it. We still don’t own a headboard because $10,000 beds don’t compare to what I passed up and so I’m still looking. We have dressers that were given to us for free and look like it.
I guess my point is this: Know what you want. You got rid of your old stuff after 10 years because you were tired of it and wanted something new. If you are going to buy quality on credit, only get it if you know you will really like it for the rest of your life. Otherwise, try for the best quality you can pay cash for.
Also, if you are like most families, your wife will be able to get twice the furniture for the same money as you can. Each of you should find the best deals you can and then make a decision together.
Good luck,
BeckyB
Thanks for the advice, Becky. I just started looking at furniture rental yesterday; hadn’t gotten to prices yet.
It looks like I might be able to buy used office furniture from a furniture rental company — that might be a good way to save.
Anyway, thanks for your perspective and taking time to share.
Ryan
I would take just a little longer on Craigslist. I needed a china cabinet and buffet, and looked EVERY SINGLE DAY until I found what I liked and could afford. Alot of stuff is ugly, but it makes the hunt that much more satisfying when I am successful. Besides, it’s hard for me to choose a style in a furniture store, because everything looks good there.
Cathie – There is certainly something to be said for patience and persistence. Thanks for sharing your story!
Ryan
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