Buying furniture can be a little intimidating, especially if you come across salespeople that used high pressure tactics. Don’t be talked into something you don’t want.
One of the first things you should consider is taking someone else with you when you shop for furniture. If you aren’t married or your spouse happens to be unavailable, take a friend or a family member. If you have another person with you, you can simply say, “Give us a minute to talk about it,” so you the salesperson will leave you alone and give you a chance to think.
Also, when it comes to protective coatings for furniture, ask as soon as you walk in which furniture is treated with the product. Otherwise, you may end up paying extra for the protective coating, even though it’s already been applied. This happened to me once. I was wondering how that stuff could have dried so fast, but a friend that works at a furniture store told me that most items are already treated. Some salespeople just take advantage by telling you it’s an extra and charging you more money.
Another good idea is to talk to people you know to see if a furniture store is reputable. Ask people that have purchased there in the past about their experiences, and always shop around in order to get the best price. If there aren’t many furniture stores in your area, look online so you’ll have a good idea of the going prices. Furniture is one item that has one of the highest markups and prices can vary greatly from one store to another, even if you’re looking at identical pieces.
I found this out when we were shopping for a set of wooden bunk beds. The same set, same brand, same style, same size, varied in price by nearly $200.00 per store. The first store wanted $425.00, the next store wanted $650.00, and the store we ended up purchasing them from sold us the set for $199.00.
Don’t forget to check clearance items either. You can often get a great deal on lines that are to be discontinued.