Spring has finally sprung here in the Midwest, and folks are spending every spare moment soaking up the long-awaited sun. In today’s guest post, you can learn some things to consider before you buy furniture for your outdoor spaces…
If you’re planning to buy outdoor furniture there are several things to consider, including the climate where you live, the type and size of your outdoor space and many other factors. If you’re buying online there are things you should keep in mind. There is also an argument to be made in favor of pre-owned furniture.
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, yard, patio or even a veranda, you should make the best use of it by picking the right furniture. This helps create an inviting outdoor space for you and your family to spend time together and it also adds to the overall look and feel of your home. Here’s what you should keep in mind about buying outdoor furniture:
Consider your outdoor space: You need to make your purchases according to your needs, but also according to your limitations. Do you have a large outdoor space? Is it an open area like a garden or a deck or a covered patio space? Buy outdoor furniture that will fit in terms of dimensions. Also, if your furniture will be staying outdoors largely, make purchases accordingly.
Keep the climate in mind: Buy furniture that will be able to withstand the elements. Consider weatherproof woods, or other materials such as rattan, wicker, or even plastic (a lot of which doesn’t even look like plastic). If you have extremely sunny weather where you live, or if you get a lot of snow or frost, your furniture must be able to withstand all of this, or you will need space in your home to store it during the really inclement weather.
Photo courtesy Amazon.com
Are you buying online? There are several things to keep in mind about buying furniture online. You cannot get a real sense of the furniture from looking at the picture – its dimensions, how comfortable it is, even the colors. Photos can be misleading, so if possible try and get a look at the real thing before buying. Remember that shipping can cost a lot and returning items can be very difficult; keep all this in mind if you’re buying furniture online.
Fix a budget and keep to it: Stay within your means and don’t get carried away. Also, rather than several cheaper pieces, buy fewer quality pieces; you can always add and enhance when you have the money later.
Take your time and shop around: Take a look at the bricks and mortar stores, look online, and look at furniture catalogues. It always pays to take your time before buying furniture. As you look at more stuff, more things will become clear to you; about what you require and what you can do without. Also, read plenty of user reviews. Not only will they be revealing in terms of the quality of a product, they will also provide useful pointers.
Photo courtesy Amazon.com
Look at the guarantees/warranties: What about returns, breakage, manufacturing defects and so on? What are the guarantees that the manufacturer offers? If you need to return or exchange for some reason, who will pay for shipping or transportation of the items?
Don’t disregard pre-owned furniture: Not only is pre-owned sensible in terms of lower cost, it can also be good quality, durable stuff. Look on eBay, Craigslist, flea markets, consignment sales, antique stores and even your neighborhood garage sales. If friends or relatives are looking to give away or sell stuff on the cheap, take a look at that as well.
Sarika Periwal is a home design and decor enthusiast and has written several articles for blogs and ezines. Click here to see some dining tables and chairs she highly recommends for their design and quality of craftsmanship. Here you can find durable and classic outdoor furniture for your patio or garden.
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