by Heather Chase

Created on: May 29, 2010   Last Updated: May 30, 2010

Paying more for anything is a loss, no matter how you look at it.  It's a loss to your bank account.  My only two exceptions on quality are if you are looking to buy a genuine leather piece of upholstery or a precision item like a grandfather clock or recliner; those require great quality to last more than a few minutes in most modern houses and you'll pay for that either now or later.

The trick to buying furniture is to decide if the appearance or the structure is more important.  If the appearance is your deciding factor (as it is in 90% of furniture sales) then there are a few things you can do to correct that quality sacrifice. 

If your selection seems a bit rickety, block in the frame with a small piece of wood.  Angle it into the corner, select the proper size screws and VOILA!  It's better quality already. 

Shop for items that may be better quality, but used.  If the item is dinged or scratched, go to your local hardware store and pick up a stain touch up marker (it's what the pro's do, so why not?). 

Same thing applies for shopping at a higher-end furniture store.  Ask the salesperson if they have damaged items they want to sell at a lower price.

If your selection is upholstery and the fabric is torn or just plain awful, but the frame is good, then look into getting it reupholstered.  Depending on the fabric, this can be a great savings.  They can also retie and restuff while they're reupholstering.

Look into Garage Sales, especially if your city has a historic district.  Many items just need a fresh coat of paint or to be stripped down and refinished.  This is where your local home remodeling supply store can help, too.  They have people on staff that can walk you through the process or you can pick up a book or DVD.

When buying new furniture, keep in mind that while our economy is low, so are the furniture companies' sales.  Watch the newspaper and television, sign up for email notifications, ask around.  You'll find someone with an incredible deal on what you want without sacrificing the quality in the first place.

And never forget the world of antiquity.  Pieces of wonderful quality are bought and sold everyday at killer prices, thanks to the internet.  Antiques not your thing?  There is still no need to pay full price for what you want.  Remember, Mies Van der Roh and C.R. Mackintosh are considered antiques in the furniture world.

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