I, Mark Roemer Oakland, believe that shopping for furniture online can be an exciting experience since you have complete freedom to research and compare different furniture from multiple online vendors. However, you should exercise caution and carefully consider your options before you hit the order button. This would help you to avoid online furniture buying mistakes that can cost you time and money.
The Mistakes
Let’s look at the mistakes you must avoid when purchasing furniture online:
1. Not conducting proper research – You should never purchase any new furniture online or offline before conducting some research to make the best purchase decision. For instance, always read reviews and check the ratings of popular furniture products, even though they are from a reputed brand, or you are getting them for a discount.
It is also important to compare the prices of a specific brand or model of furniture on different websites, and even offline stores so that you can know where to find the best deals. There is no salesman to rush you when purchasing furniture online. So, if you lack patience and purchase a piece of furniture without doing the necessary research, you can end up paying more or choosing furniture with bad quality material and construction.
2. Not measuring the dimensions – Before you add that multipurpose couch or cupboard to your online shopping cart, you have to ensure they will fit in your house. Never make the mistake of ordering furniture without knowing the dimensions of your house since, without this knowledge, it is impossible to determine whether the furniture will fit in the house.
Ensure you measure both the available horizontal space and the vertical space in the room where you want to keep the furniture. There should be enough space in the room to let you walk around the furniture without any problems. It is also important to measure the doorways, passageways, stairways, and other such sections to determine whether it would be possible to move the furniture through them.
3. Not reading the return and refund policy – Always double-check the return policy on the specific furniture model that you intend to purchase before you order it online. Furniture returns are not always free and usually come with a replacement or return delivery cost, unless it is a manufacturing defect.
This is fairly common knowledge. What most people don’t realize is that the return or refund rules are often changed when you purchase discounted, clearance, or custom items. Those specific items might be non-returnable or non-refundable. Or, you might have to follow a fairly complicated process such as emailing pictures of the defect and returning the furniture at your own expense before you are eligible for the partial refund.
4. Not considering your lifestyle – It is necessary to be practical and consider your lifestyle before you order any new piece of furniture. Sure, you want to purchase a luxury sleeper sofa or recliner with extra-soft fabric, an elegant color scheme, and a popular brand name.
However, you have to consider whether it will match the overall decor of your house or will it look out of place among the cheaper options. Can you really afford the cost of purchase and fulfill the maintenance requirements on such a peace? Do you have pets at your home that can damage the furniture or make a mess on it that will be difficult to remove?
On the other hand, it can be a great idea to invest in an ergonomic chair if you work from home and suffer from back pain.
5. Not expecting the need for assembly – When you purchase furniture from an offline brick-and-mortar store, you don’t have to worry about assembling the furniture since they usually come pre-assembled, or the store employees assemble it directly at your home.
However, when you purchase furniture online, you have to consider whether you would be able to assemble it yourself or require an extra set of helping hands. This is because furniture is ‘flat packed’ when it needs to be shipped over long distances since it is a more practical way to ship, reduces the risk of damage, and saves the company a lot of money.
6. Purchasing the whole set – When you move into a new house or apartment, it can be tempting to fill the empty space in the rooms with complete furniture sets, especially if they are available at a discount. However, that is a mistake that can ultimately lead to buyer’s remorse and overspending.
Designing the interior of a house requires suitable planning that takes time. Only a careful combination of different furniture pieces that helps to express your personality and blends seamlessly with the overall theme and interior decor of the space will bring out the best results.
7. Ignoring the budget – Overspending is one of the worst habits of online shoppers, especially when they have access to credit cards that offer card-specific discounts on selected products. No matter what you purchase, it is recommended you create a suitable budget and stick to it regardless of the deals and offers you have access to.
8. Not waiting for the sales period or ignoring discount coupons – The best time to purchase new furniture online is to wait for holidays and events where you can enjoy attractive discounts. These include Amazon Prime Day, New Year’s Day, Cyber Monday, Black Friday, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and more.
Purchasing furniture during these holidays or events will allow you to shop for good furniture even if you have a low budget or get many more pieces if you can stretch your budget a bit. You can also look for store-specific discounts, model-specific discounts, clearance sales, and search for discount coupons. However, ensure you purchase the products from a reputed online vendor to avoid having a bad purchase experience.
Conclusion
I, Mark Roemer Oakland, suggest you avoid impulse buying, trends, and fads to prevent disappointment and buyer’s remorse in the future. It is crucial to carefully consider your needs and requirements, determine your budget, and what type of furniture would be suitable for your home before you make a purchase.