When Is the Best Time to Buy Furniture?
Indoor and outdoor furniture styles go on sale at different times of the year.
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Shopping for furniture that suits both your style and budget is a tough, but not impossible, task. One strategy that can save money: Never pay full price for a piece.
There are plenty of opportunities throughout the year to buy sofas, chairs or a new patio set on sale.
Best time to buy furniture
The best time to buy depends on the type of furniture you’re after. Indoor furniture is a bargain in the winter or summer months, while the best outdoor furniture sales happen between the Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Indoor furniture: Winter, summer
When: The end of winter (January and February) or the end of summer (August and September). Presidents Day and Labor Day weekends are especially good times for furniture sales too.
Why: The furniture industry tends to operate on a biannual schedule. New styles of indoor furniture hit retail floors every spring and fall.
What to expect: Retailers will be discounting their old stock during these months to make room for the new styles.
Looking for custom furniture? The sale cycle doesn’t really apply so there’s no need to wait, says Jerry Epperson, a prominent consultant in home furnishings research.
“It’s not that much more expensive to get something made just for you,” he says. But since custom furniture is made on-demand, you won’t find the kind of discounts retailers apply when they need to move their older pre-made stock.
Outdoor furniture: Summer, fall
When: Between the Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Why: New outdoor furniture usually hits retail floors between the middle of March and the middle of April, and stores are looking to clear out their stock by August.
What to expect: Use late summer and early fall to take advantage of clearance sales when demand for outdoor stuff drops.
3 tips for furniture sales
- Take your time. Furniture can be expensive, so be patient if you can't find that perfect sofa at the right price right now.
- Expect sales often. If the frequent advertising you see and hear is any indication, there’s almost always a furniture sale forthcoming. If what you’re looking for isn’t discounted yet, it might be soon. Take a look online every couple of weeks, and tell your salesperson you’re only buying the bedroom set when it goes on sale.
- Consider used furniture. While a 15-year-old couch may not appeal to you, older items made of solid wood might. Online marketplaces, flea markets and yard sales are good places for vintage furniture finds. It won’t hurt to look.
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