Yahoo Finance 6 Ways To Save Money on Furniture After Buying Your First Home
The excitement of buying your first home may begin to wear off as soon as you realize you need to buy a bunch of stuff to fill it. Whether you upgraded from a smaller apartment or are finally moving out of your parent’s home, you will likely need to purchase a substantial amount of furniture in order to turn your house into a home.
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A few trips to local furniture stores will undoubtedly leave you with sticker shock. The reality is that furniture is expensive, and if you have just bought a home, you might not have a lot of extra money lying around. We asked experts how homebuyers can cut costs on furnishing their new place. Here are their six ways to save money on furniture when buying your first home.
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Update Your Address
Mukul “Micky” Lalchandani, a licensed real estate broker with over 15 years in the New York City market and founder of Undivided, suggested first-time homebuyers should, “Update your home address on USPS. They will send you coupons from major furniture retailers, often up to 15% off furniture, when you move.”
Get on Mailing Lists
Lalchandani also recommended, “Sign up to be on your favorite furniture brand’s mailing list. You will often get a coupon code towards new furniture — typically 10-15% off.”
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Buy During the Holidays
“Be patient, and buy during the holidays,” said Lalchandani. “Thanksgiving through New Years offers the best deals, up to 40% off your favorite furniture brands. Furniture sellers always offer a discount during public holidays throughout the year.”
He also suggested that first-time homeowners could be patient. “Buy at the end of the season. If you want outdoor furniture, buy it in the winter, you will save a ton.”
Take Advantage of Floor Samples
Lalchandani added, “Take advantage of floor sample sales that occur during seasonal changes. Often, you can find floor samples up to 60% off.”
Shop Outlet Stores
“Purchase from your favorite brand’s outlet store,” Lalchandani continued. “In 2022, I was furnishing my short-term rental in Upstate NY and visited the West Elm outlet store in Brooklyn. I was already saving 60% off the retail price and signed up for a store credit card promo that saved me an additional 10% off.”
Buy Secondhand
Seamus Nally, CEO of TurboTenant, said, “Buying secondhand is always a great option for saving money on furniture. These days, you have lots of ways to do this, too. You can check out thrift stores, go to garage sales, go to estate sales, and look at the handful of different online marketplaces we have now — like Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist, etc.”
He continued, “Just make sure to check out a piece of furniture in person first before paying for it, just to make sure there isn’t any damage or problems not clearly shown/described in the listing. And don’t be afraid to negotiate! People are often just trying to get their furniture pieces off their hands as quickly as possible, so you can negotiate an even cheaper price for yourself a lot of the time.”
Final Considerations
While it can seem daunting to furnish your first home, it doesn’t have to put you in debt. There are ways to save big as long as you are willing to think outside the box and scope out the discounts.
The most important thing to remember is that your home doesn’t have to be perfect from the day you buy it. You can start with one room and work from there to turn your empty space into the home of your dreams.
Going into huge amounts of debt, however, is not advisable. Remember, you will have to make a mortgage payment each month too. Set a budget for your new furniture and stick to it. A little patience will ensure that your finances are in order for years to come.
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