When it comes to updating the look of your living space, nothing changes it up quite as dramatically as new furniture. Buying furniture can be fun at any time of year. It even accounts for about 19 percent of retailers’ sales during the holiday season as owners look for ways to dress up their homes for the holidays — or decide to treat themselves to a holiday gift.
Even though the process can be fun — possibly even exciting — buying furniture isn’t always the right thing to do. In some cases, it doesn’t make sense to buy new — or even to buy at all. The trick is knowing when to splurge on something new and when to save your hard-earned money.
The Furnishing Factors
Part of knowing whether to buy a new piece of furniture depends on your life stage at the time. For example, if you’re in your first apartment or home and are just starting your career, it’s natural to want to buy the furniture of your dreams, but remember that the place you’re living in will change — and your tastes might change along with it. Spending a great deal of money on furnishings is a decision you could regret later.
Until you have a more permanent place, consider renting furniture instead of buying. Moving your furniture is not only expensive, but it’s also hard on your prized possessions, and you could end up with scratches, dings, and other unwelcome — and costly — additions to your furniture every time you move. Renting allows you to choose looks and styles that appeal to you and then easily change the look when your needs change. You never have to worry about the cost of moving items from one place to the next or the potential wear and tear.
Going Big
If you’re in a home or apartment that you plan on living in for at least two or three years, furniture is an investment worth considering. One way to create a great looking environment that doesn’t break your budget is to choose which items you want to focus on, and then build the rest of the room around that.
For example, a stylish, high-quality couch is a worthy purchase, and it’s probably one of the biggest investments you will make for your living room. That means you could scale back your budget on items like side tables, lamps, and area rugs to accommodate a bit of a splurge on the couch you want. You could also buy secondhand items that complement your sofa. This allows you to update the look as your tastes or design trends change without feeling like you’ve wasted money on a piece you no longer want to use.
Prioritizing how you want to spend your furniture budget can make you much happier in the long run and ensure you’re filling your home with high-quality items. When you’re looking for the right furniture to dress up your space, CORT Furniture Rental offers a large selection of styles for every room, every style, and every budget.
