The idea of fast furniture has been on my mind lately. Mainly because I’m furnishing an Airbnb, so really paying attention to quality. I do this for clients as well, of course, I look at price, materials, warranties, reviews etc. So here’s how to buy quality furniture for your budget.
Country of manufacture of furniture
China is known as the world’s factory. For good reason, factories in China produce products in vast quantities. This economy of scale means that we can buy products at budget prices.
But when two similar items are made in China but have very different price points how can you be sure of the quality?
There are other countries that manufacture furniture and furnishings. Such a Vietnam, Indonesia and of course Australia.
Australian made a bit like made in Italy, it’s synonymous with good quality. We are more comfortable with quality when we see the made in Australia logo but we’re not always able to wanting to pay that price.
Furniture quality markers
I recently bought two iron beds. One double sized bed from Fantastic Furniture and one queen size from Early Settler. Size difference aside the price difference was $300.
The Fantastic Furniture bed was certainly easier to assemble. The more expensive bed from Early Settler was harder to assemble. I think this will compromise the quality.
But I’m too lazy to attempt to return the bed from Early Settler. I think the retailers secretly know that some customers will take this approach.
Assembling a piece is a quality marker. If it assembles easily you know that the manufacturing process is more precise and the piece will remain stable and solid for longer.
Other quality markers are the warranties. If the retailer or supplier is prepared to offer a considerable warranty period to the product this can help you decide.
For sure there are somethings you can get from Kmart that are good value for money. This includes some, not all, but some of their furniture. The only caveat is how much of this furniture will end up in landfill.
So a good question to ask yourself is how long do you want to keep this furniture for.
Furniture quality and your budget
Aim to buy forever pieces. If for nothing else but to reduce land fill. But ultimately for most people the key driver when buying furniture is budget. So always try to get the best quality piece within your budget.
With the intention of buying for a long time you will save money in the long run. When buying furniture, research is important. It’s not always the case that budget furniture won’t last. I’ve had a tallboy from Ikea for 10 years and still love it.
Research is a good way to be sure of the quality of furniture for the price you pay. Avoid impulse purchases and purchases of furniture that don’t suit your interior style goal. This way you still keep low cost furniture for a long time.
