Best Furniture Stores

Always look for discounts and special offers when you’re browsing furniture websites. Buying several pieces of quality furniture at once may qualify you for package discount. For example, when you buy a bedroom set, it might come with the bed frame, nightstand, dresser and chest of drawers, all at a single, lower price point than the items would be if you bought them separately. You may also see special offers during holidays and storewide sales.

Watch out for hidden service fees, including delivery charges, shipping and handling fees or processing fees if you're applying for store credit. If you want to match existing upholstery or order replacement cushions, there could be a fee for this type of service.

The quality and materials used to manufacture furniture can play an important role in pricing. For instance, solid wood pieces tend to go for more than pressboard and plastic construction. How long you intend to keep your piece of furniture and how it will be used will determine when you want to invest in a better quality piece of furniture and when it is fine to spend less on a lesser quality piece.

Shop during off-seasons to find great deals on quality items. The best places to buy cheap furniture will have their own sales schedules, but a general guideline is that indoor furniture is least expensive during the late spring and early summer, while outdoor furniture is least expensive during the late summer and early fall seasons.

Where to buy cheap furniture

If you’re looking for the best places to buy furniture on a budget, you’re already on the right track—online discount furniture stores will often have the best furniture deals. Nice cheap furniture is only a few clicks away.

Stores like IKEA may have some great deals, but you could pay more for shipping and handling. Direct Buy has tons of cheap quality furniture available at wholesale if you join their membership. Hayneedle has lots of great options and runs frequent sales, promotions and discounts.

Other tips to find affordable furniture

Try not to get too hung up on brand names. You could find something you love at cheap furniture stores with words like “discount” or “value” in their names. Sometimes the best furniture deals are found at thrift stores and garage sales, where you could find unique, one-of-a-kind items that you could never find for the same price at a more traditional furniture retailer.

If you’re a DIYer, you’re sure to find real treasures that just need a little crafty refurbishing to look great in your home. You might find a gorgeous armchair that only needs to be reupholstered, or turn a vintage trunk into a coffee table.