6 Mistakes To Avoid While Buying Furniture

Buying furniture for your new home or office is a fun experience. That’s especially true if you’re a novice and never had the liberty to choose your furniture before. But since furniture is a potentially long-term investment, you want to get it right the first time. So here are 6 mistakes to avoid when you’re on the hunt for some furniture.

       1.) Forgetting to measure everything

Easily the worst mistake you could make when buying furniture is forgetting to measure your space first. What often ends up happening is that your furniture is too big to pass through your front door or your hallway. 

Keep in mind that most furniture places have a no exchange policy, so better to be safe than sorry.

Here are a few essential things you need to consider before buying furniture:

• Measure the height, width, and breadth of the furniture piece and check whether it will fit where you want it to go. 
• Measure the dimensions of your room where the furniture will be placed, whether it’s your bedroom, living room, or dining room. The best way to go about this is to map out your potential new furniture arrangement. You can use masking tape or washable chalk to help you estimate the measurements of the piece you’re considering. 
• Check if the piece will easily pass through your doorways, room, the narrow portions of the hallways, the staircases/elevators, and anything that it will have to pass through.
• You should always add some space to your measurements for the people who’ll be carrying your furniture. 
• Lastly, write everything down. Even if you’re blessed with a photographic memory, there’s always room for error. 

If you can’t seem to find furniture that fits your space, you can consider setting up a custom lounge in Sydney using bespoke furniture. You can also try some of these simple updates to make your home cosier.

        2.) Not considering your lifestyle

Yes, design magazines, catalogues, and Pinterest are great places to get furniture ideas. However, don’t let yourself get swayed by somebody else’s design schemes and arrangements.

Always ask yourself the following questions before you invest in a furniture piece: How will it serve me? Does it fit with my lifestyle? Will it do the job I want it to do?

Keep in mind that something might look good in theory but may not serve you effectively in practice. 

For instance, a glass coffee table might look modern and sleek in a carefully designed furniture setting. But if you have kids in the house, it’s not really a good idea. For starters, the hard edges will create a safety hazard. Secondly, the surface will show every single touch of sticky little fingers. 

The same goes for furniture trends, novelty items, and unconventional and bold designs. They might look great at first but take a moment and imagine having to look after them every day. Are you still going to stay satisfied with the piece? 

If you’re unsure, it might be a better idea to move over that impractical dainty little desk and consider investing in a more timeless item. Here are 20 furniture pieces that’ll stay in style forever.

       3.) Buying on impulse

Impulse buying is a big mistake when shopping for anything in general but it’s especially bad when it comes to furniture. 

Sometimes the prices seem irresistible; other times, the pieces are too good to pass. Or you might be in a hurry to amp up your place for an upcoming dinner party. Whatever the reason may be, always resist the impulse to make hasty decisions or you’ll end up regretting them. 

Because let’s face it, furniture doesn’t come cheap. And if it’s not worth it in the long run, it’s not worth it at all. 

       4.) Giving yourself too many options

Having too many choices makes it extremely difficult to pin down what you like the best, especially because many furniture pieces are only slightly different from each other and the investment is relatively high-stakes.

So make sure not to ask the salesperson to show you everything that a store has. Almost all major furniture stores have websites now, so it’s a good idea to narrow down a few pieces online before visiting a store in-person. 

Similarly, make sure not to consult too many people for furniture advice. People have widely varying preferences and it will be very difficult to extract anything useful out of all that advice. 

      5.) Making a big purchase at once

We understand that you want to get furniture shopping over and done with as soon as possible. However, it’s better to take your time and avoid buying all your furniture in one go (and from a single store). 

You should divide your furniture shopping into different portions. Consider looking for furniture pieces one at a time and buy those you’re absolutely in love with. Yes, it will take time to finish your dream home but it will save you the trouble of returning your pieces later on if you change your mind. 

      6.) Not trying out the furniture you’re about to buy

Imagine buying an expensive sofa set online only to realize that it offers no leg room. Just like you wouldn’t want to buy an outfit without trying it on first, the same goes for all your furniture. 

We often buy on-sale furniture and forget to try it out (which is difficult if you’re buying online). Not every sofa, study table, or couch is designed for all. For instance, if you’re tall and have long legs, you’ll need a higher sofa for sitting. Similarly, if you’re short, you’ll need a low-floor sofa. 

So don’t wait for your furniture to arrive and return it later. Always try furniture before buying it. If you plan to buy something online, contact the manufacturer for accurate dimensions. 

Furniture shopping doesn’t have to be complicated!

When shopping for furniture, remember to consider your lifestyle and measure dimensions of the furniture piece and your space. Also ensure you don’t buy furniture on an impulse and avoid giving yourself too many choices. Finally, make sure to try a piece before purchasing!