Considering getting new furniture? Maybe your morning coffee just slid off your tilted kitchen table. Or there’s a constellation of stains on your living room couch. Or you’re planning to move and can’t imagine taking the hand-me-down furniture you have in your current place.
Furniture is one of those big-ticket items we tend to keep for a long time. But whenever your furniture is no longer fulfilling your needs, suiting your tastes or is just plain past its shelf-life, it’s probably a good idea to replace it.
So when is the best time to buy furniture?
We’ll let you know the best time of year, and even the best months to buy both interior and exterior furniture. And we’ll clue you in on other ways to save money on new furniture for your home.
The Best Time to Buy Indoor Furniture
It’s true: there are certain times of year that are better for buying indoor furniture.
Why?
The furniture industry rolls out new interior home products and new styles in the spring and fall. So whether in-person or online, furniture retailers look to clear their showrooms and catalogs in the prior months.
This means you’ll probably see markdowns at the beginning of the year and right before fall on everything from kitchen dining tables to bedroom furniture.
When is the best time to buy living room furniture?
Like other indoor furniture, living room furniture is typically cheapest at the end of winter (January and February) and the end of summer (August and September).
While online furniture stores often have items on sale at certain times, brick-and-mortar retailers may offer additional savings on the floor model of sectional couches, chairs and other living room furniture. So, if you don’t care that other people “tested out” your furniture in the store, you could save more money buying the floor model.
But be sure to inspect the floor model before purchasing it. Check for scratches and dings on wood and other hard surfaces and stains on upholstery. Sometimes, imperfections are already figured into the price of each piece of furniture. But it doesn’t hurt to point out an obvious flaw in a piece of furniture and ask for an additional discount.
When is the best time to buy office furniture?
With more people working from home in remote jobs, office furniture has become a more important sector of the furniture industry.
Office furniture generally follows the same buying timeline as other interior furniture. The best time to buy is at the end of the summer and the end of the winter (or even just past the new year) as retailers gear up to offer new product lines. However, you may be able to snag extra bargains on office furniture at the end of April after tax time.
If you work remotely and are looking to furnish your home office, remember that you may need more furniture than you might have had in previous iterations of your home office. The furniture needs to be sturdy and suitable for a full day of work rather than just a few weekend hours of email or organizing your photos.
Plus, you might need a place for a printer or other equipment. Other considerations might include a comfortable chair, sit-stand apparatus or other pieces that will help you upgrade your home space.
The Best Time to Buy Outdoor Furniture
The best time to buy outdoor furniture tends to be between the Fourth of July and Labor Day. Like indoor furniture, outdoor furniture (think patio furniture or deck furniture) has a selling season, which is in the spring to early summer months. Stores like to clear their stock of outdoor furniture in August.
When looking for outdoor furniture, focus on durability. It has to withstand whatever mother nature can dish out. This is especially true if you live in a snowy region and keep your furniture outside all year rather than storing it during the winter.
If you’re a remote worker and use your outdoor space as a warm-weather office, make sure your exterior furniture will be comfortable and support your working activities.
The Best Holiday Sales to Buy Furniture
You could get great bargains by shopping furniture sales on Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. Other sales might be good times to purchase as well, such as if a store is going out of business and has slashed prices to get rid of inventory.
Pro tip: you can pick out a few pieces of full-price furniture you love and set a price at which you’d purchase them. Then, watch for furniture deals. If any of the items go below your set price, you can buy it, no matter what time of year it is.
When to Avoid Buying Furniture
Is there a time of year, month or holiday when you specifically shouldn’t buy furniture? As we’ve discussed, there are times when buying furniture tends to be cheaper than at other times. That being said, there’s no universally bad time to buy furniture.
But making a big furniture purchase during the holiday season may not be the best idea, even if a sale is advertised (and even on Black Friday or Cyber Monday). Remember, furniture sales happen at the beginning of the year. So if you can wait a few weeks or aren’t hooked on one particular item you have to have no matter what the price, you’ll save money by waiting for a better sale.
Shop Around For the Best Deals
If you can wait to make a purchase, you can save money by furniture shopping at certain times of the year. Your best bet is to shop around and take the time you need to make a decision. This way, you can get something you really like, that will give you years of use and won’t break the bank.