As life goes things change and we often times find ourselves needing to move from a smaller place to a larger home or downsizing from a larger home into a smaller tiny house. When these life changes happen we sometimes need to either get more furniture or we need different furniture. It really doesn’t matter why you need new to you furniture, just that you get it and get on with the next chapter in your life!

I am hoping this post will give you some guidance and things to keep in mind when you are buying new to you furniture. I call it “new to you” because it could have belonged to someone else for 100 years before it came to you, as in an antique, or it could come straight off the factory showroom floor to your home, so it’s new to you.

1. The thrift shop, ReStore stores, ASPCA thrift stores are THE place to start! It may have been a long time since your last visit, or maybe you haven’t ever gone before. But you are able to find some really good furniture in them. Just remember the way you see the furniture in the shop doesn’t need to be the way it presents itself in your home. You an always paint, refinish or reuse it in some way to make it work for your home. If you buy a chest of drawers for a bedroom, you can repurpose it to be a dining room buffet with placemat, platter and flatware storage.
2. When you are getting older furniture, check out its undercarriage to be sure it is stable. Some pieces look great from the top, but they are really lacking in quality and workmanship. A lot of old pieces of furniture have rust or dry rot on them.

You can generally get small pieces, but sometimes they have larger pieces like couches that will work for your needs. Purchasing a tile table top table may be the answer to for families that eat their meals at the kitchen table. These tables are quick to clean and disinfect.

Depending on the size and age of your family, choose the seating options that best fit your needs. Be ready to haggle when purchasing your furniture. A lot of stores mark up their pieces and are able to negotiate a lower price by up to 20%. If you hate to haggle, enlist the aid of someone who likes it.

When buying home office furniture, search for items that can be used for several purposes. For instance, you can purchase an armoire to hold your printing supplies and printer. When you aren’t printing, the room seems neat because you are able to close up the armoire.

When you are looking for furniture, check out the clearance section first. Such stores often have large selections of clearance items and overstocks. You may find a wonderful bargain when browsing through these sections. Only buy solidly built pieces.

Dressers and nightstands should be made from solid wood instead of pressed wood. Seek out a plywood back, and avoid pieces made with a heavier cardboard or composite wood. Put pressure on both sides of each piece to ensure there is no movement.

Buy long-lasting furniture made from quality materials. You need to maximize your buyer power by choosing pieces that will last. The cost of furniture is high, so buy pieces that last. Sticking with strong materials will give you the lifespan you need. If you use a credit card with zero interest to buy furniture, make sure to pay it off before the term expires. Otherwise you may be charged all of the free period’s interest. If you choose this option, be sure to read the entire contract before signing off. When purchasing furniture, you need to avoid pieces that are very trendy or unique. You’re going to end up realizing the style you chose is not going to last as long as you need to keep the furniture to mitigate the price that you paid. Think of your own personal style as you choose pieces to buy. Always inspect the drawers on pieces of furniture that you are thinking about buying. Figuring out whether or not you’re working with a quality piece should be obvious. Each drawer should easily open and close with no jiggling. They’ll last longer if they fit better. Inexpensive furniture with poorly fitted pieces will fall apart much sooner. When buying new furniture, look for pieces made without glue or nails for the highest quality. Check for this by looking at where the wood is joined at ends and corners. Those joints are more expensive and take more time to construct, but outlast nailed and glued pieces. You can help the environment by buying from manufacturers who are part of the green movement. However, beware of misleading advertisers because they are there. To simplify the process, see if the furniture has been certified Oeko Tek or FSC. This will help you determine if it’s green friendly. As you are now aware, it isn’t that difficult to purchase furniture. If you’re smart, you can get great deals on furniture. The tips in this article will help you gain great pieces of furniture.