Im new here - so please forgive any ignorance.

But I need help on furniture buying!!

I just bought a new house and have begun furniture shopping locally. I want a sofa, loveseat, 2 chairs, ottoman (not a set - but seperate pieces), dining room chairs, a bed, outdoor furniture, living room rug. Locally, I was expecting to spend around 8,000. There are some manufacturers that I like, and someone suggested that I shop in North Carolina! (as the prices are supposedly better).

My question is...is it worth it? My mother and I like shopping...so we were thinking of taking a long weekend trip down there to shop.(we have a free place to stay, but I need to factor in taking time off of work, gas to drive down etc.). We want lower prices and a lot of selection. Can anyone give me more information about this. What is the TRUE savings - percentage wise - if any?? (some manufacturers I like, Rowe, Bernhardt, McCready, Robin Bruce). We would be coming from Connecticut. Does anyone know what the approximate shipping costs would be and also about sales tax? Has anyone done this - recently??

Any and all information about this would be SO welcome.