Furniture

The average person who buys furniture from a retail store or interior designer spends over $25,000 to buy furniture for an entire home.

They all paid 2-3 times what they should have.

Virtually any major brand of furniture can be purchased at 50% to 80% off the prices charged by retailers without sacrificing quality or settling for anything other than the exact brand and product you really want.

Check out Kimberly's advice on how to get the best bargains and the best quality on any brand of furniture:

Factory-Owned Furniture Outlets
Save 60% to 80% off retail on new, first-quality furniture at factory-owned factory outlets. These are the *real* factory outlets for furniture--frequently located next to or even inside the furniture factory itself. Almost every major brand has a factory outlet, so you never have to pay retail for furniture!

Special Sales At Factory Outlets
Find out the best times of year to buy furniture. When you shop *does* make a difference!

Ordering Furniture Over the Phone
If traveling to North Carolina isn't practical for you, you can still save 40%-50% off retail on almost any brand of furniture by ordering it over the phone. Although they aren't allowed to advertise outside of North Carolina, there are legitimate companies that will take your order over the phone and ship your furniture at big discounts.

There are also some scam artists lurking out there, so be sure to read Kimberly's guide to making sure you're dealing with a reputable order by phone company.

Registering To Be Your Own Interior Decorator
You can be your own decorator. It's just like being your own building contractor when you arrange to have your own home built. You get your decorator credentials (usually for less than $100), and then you can buy your furnishings directly from manufacturers and make your own direct arrangements with custom laborers, such as custom window treatment workrooms and upholsterers.

In most cases, half of the money you pay to an interior designer or decorator goes right in her pocket as a commission. The standard commission charged by interior designers is a whopping 100%. That's not good value for money. Check out Kimberly's guide to being your own interior decorator.

Getting the best quality
How can you tell if the furniture you want to buy is well manufactured? What woods are the best? How can you inspect a piece of furniture like the pros do? Find out how to recognize quality furniture when you see it, and spot shoddy furniture you'd be better off without.

Hiring An Interior Designer
While Kimberly never recommends that you buy your furniture or home furnishings through an interior designer, some consumers would benefit from hiring a designer to give them advice on furniture placement, room design, color schemes, and other design issues.

If you do decide to hire a designer, be sure to read Kimberly's tips on working with them. Avoid scams, rip-offs, and common mistakes that cause consumers to waste money. Make sure that any designer you hire is properly licensed and accredited. If you go to the expense of hiring a designer, be sure you are hiring them for the right reasons and you get all the services and expertise you are paying for.

Furniture Scams and Rip-offs
Every year, tens of thousands of consumers are ripped off by furniture retailers and interior designers. It's gotten so bad that one major furniture store chain was recently sued for false advertising by the attorney general of California. Find out what pitfalls you need to watch out for.

Furniture Industry News
Did you know that many furniture retailers are in Chapter 11 bankruptcy right now? Did you know that there is no law that says they have to tell you they're in deep financial trouble before you give them your hard-earned money for furniture that is supposed to be delivered a few months later. They know they might not be around a few months later, but unfortunately, the public frequently doesn't--until it's too late.

Check out Kimberly's guide to furniture industry information, including bankruptcy information on several major furniture retailers that are still out there taking customer deposits.