Whether jazzing up your rented apartment or making your new house feel like home, shopping for furniture can be costly. Fortunately, there are many ways to save money when buying furniture.
The first place to start is online. They have everything from brand-name furniture to do-it-yourself pieces.
Look for Clearance Items
One of the best ways to find deals on furniture is to shop for clearance items. These pieces may be scratch-and-dent, floor models, or even returned items offered at a discounted price. In addition, these pieces are sold as-is, so what you see is what you get. This makes them an excellent choice for those who don’t want to deal with the hassle of returning furniture or prefer to avoid the potential damage that can come with shipping a new home.
If you’re looking for clearance furniture, you can often find the best deals at local (or online) independent retailers. Larger corporate stores and big-box retailers often must clear out older designs to accommodate newer furniture. Still, smaller independent shops might hold sales because they need to move their inventory.
Department stores are another excellent place to shop for furniture clearance. They offer various furniture brands and styles, home decor, and accessories at great prices. They also carry several exclusive brands you can’t find at other stores and may offer discounts to groups like first responders and educators.
Ask for a Large Discount on an Accessory
Regarding furniture, retailers have a lot of wiggle room with the pricing. This is because furniture stores purchase items directly from manufacturers. They then mark them up to a “retail price,” which is usually 2 to 4 times the wholesale cost of the piece. This is how they can afford significant furniture sales events and still make a profit.
When shopping for furniture, ask the salesperson if any discounts or coupons are available. They can offer you a discount on an accessory or even the whole piece. This way, you can have the furniture of your dreams without spending a fortune.
There are also many ways to find discounted home and office furniture online. Sites like RetailMeNot make it easy to filter furniture options based on your decor style and other criteria. They provide great deals for buyers. They also offer reviews from other shoppers, and their in-house brands have their distinct styles.
If you’re ready to buy, add your desired pieces to the cart and enter the promo code at checkout to save. These codes often exclude specific customers, such as military members, seniors, or students. If you don’t see one that applies to your situation, check the retailer’s website for year-round sales or a specific promo code section.
Shop at Different Times of the Year
Furniture retailers often offer sales on indoor and outdoor pieces of furniture at various times of the year. This is especially true for significant furniture stores. Depending on your needs, this can mean that you can score significant discounts on a new sofa in February or a modular office desk in May.
Shopping at different times of the year can help you get a better deal than you would have earned during other sales. For example, in spring and fall, new styles of indoor furniture typically arrive on store floors, and retailers need to clear out the old tables to display the new ones. This is the best time to score deals on indoor furniture.
Other big furniture sales are offered around holidays. For example, furniture retailers often provide Presidents Day sales on various items. They will also have massive promotions around Memorial Day and Fourth of July. These events are an excellent opportunity to buy outdoor furniture and home accessories like bookshelves and desks.
In addition to seasonal sales, some furniture retailers hold special events to move out older inventory and make room for new designs. For example, some have a two-day sale event which is a great time to find outdoor furniture at a reasonable price.
Look for Holiday Sales
Buying furniture on sale is the best way to save money. Savvy shoppers know furniture dealers often have deals based on holidays and long weekends, such as Presidents Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. This is because retailers want to move older inventory and introduce new styles in the spring and fall.
Suppose you’re looking to buy pre-made furniture. In that case, the best time to score a deal is toward the end of winter (January and February) or the end of summer (August and September), when retailers discount old inventory to make room for new styles. This is also when many manufacturers introduce their new collections, so you might be able to find the latest styles.
You can also score some good deals by purchasing furniture as part of a larger bundle. This is often the case for office furniture, where a desk, chair, and filing cabinet are sold together as a package. Similarly, you can get a more significant discount on an entire bedroom set than on individual pieces. This is because manufacturers and retailers want to sell their merchandise, and the more they can convince a buyer that a set is worth purchasing, the more likely they are to get the sale. This is especially true during holiday sales, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.