Hi all,

It's going on 3 months for me in the furniture business, so I thought I'd share what I've learned to help make your shopping enjoyable. I wrote the following essay for all of you who like being informed.

Stress Free Furniture Shopping

Copyright 2006, Yvonne Cleveland

People purchase furniture on average every seven years, so if you fit into that average then it would stand to reason that unless you watch a lot of HGTV, you are not up on whats new in furniture. For that reason amongst others, it is a good idea to do some preparation, just like you would before making any kind of major investment such as a house or a care.

Here are the steps that I believe will help you and your furniture salesperson have a pleasant visit with each other, whether you make a purchase with them or not.

Steps to Purchasing New Furniture:

1. Know your budget-if you can afford an $800 sofa, no sense in looking at 1,500 models

2. Measure your room-borrow your neighborÂs tape measure if necessary, just do it.

3. Make two copies of your room measurements or floor plans

a. Put one copy in the glove compartment of your car

b. Put the other copy in your wallet

4. Research your style

a. If you donÂt subscribe to your local newspaper, start buying it on Sundays

b. Pull all the ads from the Sunday paper starting a month before youÂre ready to buy

c. Splurge, and go to the bookstore and buy some decorating magazines

d. Research on the cheap at your local library-maybe pickup some used magazines in their book sale(if you like classic styles, they never go out of style, so age of magazine is irrelevant)

5. Clip out pictures of what you like and put them into a folder or a big envelope or get creative and paste them on some cardboard

6. Look over your photos and sleep on it

7. Ask people who you think have good taste, where they bought their furniture, and get a referral for a salesperson to ask for.

8. Watch the newspapers starting on Wednesdays for ads, and pull all the ads from the Sunday paper. You can tell the quality of furniture by price and how itÂs sold. If it looks too good to be true, it is. You can save a lot of time, headaches and gas money by reading the ads.

9. Figure out a color scheme and paint, replace carpet and/or install new hardwoods first.

10. Go shopping and take your credit card or checkbook to take care of any down payments.

11. If you take a long time to make decisions, go shopping on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday (unless there is a big sale on those days). You will not get the time and education that you need if you go at noon on Saturday or the first day of the "really big sale."

Understand that salespeople work on a revolving system and on commission, so unless you donÂt like whom you talked to the first time, ask for your salesperson if you have to return to the store to make a purchase.

12. If you see something in clearance during "the big sale," buy it, because you are not the only person who can spot a hot bargain, and your salesperson will be as disappointed as you when you come back only to find that another person bought your hot bargain(and another salesperson got the hot commission).

13. DonÂt be afraid to special order furniture, if people can purchase furniture off of the internet without sitting on it, your can purchase the couch that youÂve sat on in a different fabric.

14. DonÂt forget to purchase window treatments, wall hangings, area rugs, plants and new lampsÂthey make your room look warm and inviting and they showcase your personal style.

a. If you need help decorating, take advantage of any free services offered at your local furniture store. YouÂd be surprised how an expert can help you bring your dream room to life, even if you have to do it on a two or three year plan--at least you will have a plan to work from.

15. DonÂt be cheap-buy the stain treatment program if you have pets, kids, or your like to eat in your living room.

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