Nice furniture is not usually cheap. In some respects, you get what you pay for, and if you want truly high-end furniture, you need to be prepared to pay a decent price. At the same time, however, there is no reason to over-pay when shopping at a furniture store. Here are some handy ways to save.
1. Shop at the end of the month.
In some stores, furniture salespeople work on commission, and they have sales goals that they need to meet each month. If you visit at the end of the month, they may be able to offer you a better deal because they are under pressure to meet their sales goals. At other furniture stores, the salespeople do not work on commission, but the end of the month is still a good time to get deals since stores tend to try to clear out their existing stock and bring in new things at the end of the month. If there are sofas or tables sitting around that are about to be taken off the sales list, the store may sell them to you at a discount rather than going through the hassle of sending them back to the distributor.
2. Buy the store models.
When you buy furniture from a furniture store, the assumption is that you will get a brand new, still boxed piece of furniture delivered right to your door. The pieces actually displayed in the store can't be sold as new since people have touched and sat on them. If the idea that others have already sat in your chair or laid on your bed does not bother you, then you may be able to buy these store floor models at a discount.
3. Buy sets.
Buying furniture sets is almost always cheaper, in the end, than buying pieces one by one. For instance, you will typically pay less for a dining room set with a table and four chairs than for an individual table and four individual chairs. Also, ask the furniture store if they offer a volume discount. They may, for example, mark 5 or 10%o off the bill for any customers who buy more than three pieces of furniture in one visit.
Nice furniture comes with a decently high price tag, but there are still ways to get discounts on these items. Visit your local furniture store, and strike up a conversation with a sales associate. They can give you more insider tips to help you save.
