Buying Furniture

[edost]

I'll be moving in to my apartment in August, and won't be able to visit town before my move-in day. I'm a little worried that if I order furniture the day I move in I'll be stuck with no furniture for a week or two (I'm not bringing any with me). I thought of ordering online, but I don't like the idea of buying furniture without seeing it with my own eyes and checking how comfortable it is.

Any advice?

[booksnlooks]

Try ordering online through a store that you have in your town as well as in your new town, so you can check everything out before you order it. Win-win!

[Gneiss1]

I agree with booksnlooks. Go check out Samsclub, Costco, or a similar store that carries some of their furniture in store. You could go test some out at the store and then place an order for pickup/delivery in the city you are moving too. Sam's club has some really comfy mattresses, I don't know about the rest of their furniture but I got a great mattress from there for a decent price.

Or if that doesnt work, worse comes to worst you get down there and furniture delivery is a few days away you can buy a cheap air mattress or stay in a cheap hotel for a few days.

[rising_star]

I slept on an air mattress for a week or so when I first moved to PhD University's city. It gave me a chance to find furniture locally, and often at prices lower than I could've found via the internet or ordering in advance. That may be a good compromise since you're likely to have office space on campus and thus not need a desk right away.

[OregonGal]

Yeah you should also try visiting Ikea, Target, etc. Try out their mattresses and other furniture pieces, order online (usually something with that sticker price gets free shipping) and try to time it so your stuff arrives within a day of you.

[TakeruK]

My wife and I moved to MSc University via driving so we didn't take any furniture with us either! We did what the others suggested -- looked at what we would want in our local IKEA and had a list of things ready. But we also arrived in the town a few days before our lease started, so we had time to shop for a mattress and have it delivered from the local store to us by move-in day (my wife finds IKEA mattress too stiff for her back). We also got our couch this way too, but it came a few days after we moved in. We didn't actually end up making our IKEA run until later that week (it was a 3 hour drive away) so we kind of went with only a bed (and after a few days, a couch) for 1-2 weeks (2nd week was putting together IKEA stuff) but it wasn't so bad since we had a bed to sleep on at least.

I think we survived without our furniture for that long because the first day or two was filled with cleaning, then we shopped for and got our couch, and that big initial grocery run. Then, we had our IKEA stuff so we were busy putting stuff all together / unpacking our things! Going without things like bookshelf, coffee table, desk, dresser etc. wasn't as bad as we thought it would be but maybe it was because we had been living out of our suitcases for the past 3 weeks (we moved a long distance and combined the drive with a road trip vacation too!).

I would say that the bed is the most important piece of furniture! Make sure you have it soon, and make sure it will be really comfortable for you (i.e. definitely don't order without trying one out!). The way I see it, I'd spend 1/4 to 1/3 of my day there so invest in a good one!

For our next move this fall, to PhD school, we now have an air mattress so we'll probably use that until our furniture arrives via UHaul pods. If you have problems finding a decent mattress in time, and don't want to be rushed into buying something too uncomfortable/expensive, it might be worth it to invest in an air mattress (~$50 or less) for the first little while. That air mattress could be really useful if you have visitors too!

[aberrant]

I got to meet a few people from my program (a coordinator, and a few students) during my interview visit. I'm very lucky that a lady going to give me some of her furniture for free. Which is awesome! I AM an IKEA fan, but the closest one is 3 hours away so the only way for me to get any furniture from IKEA is buying online and ship it to my front door. Other than IKEA, I'm planning to get my mattress and other things online through Walmart -- even though there is one within 30 minutes (local) drive, since I don't have a car, I will, once again, have them ship things to my new apartment.

[edost]

I've finally found a chain that is both easy to get to here and exists in Bloomington - that would be K-Mart. I called to ask if I can order tomorrow and have things shipped in August, they said no. I guess I'll have to order no later than two days before I arrive to make sure it doesn't show up before I do, but then I might get stuck without some important stuff. For instance, I just organized for cable TV and internet to be installed the day after I move in. I need to make sure the TV (and whatever piece of furniture the TV will stand on) will be there when the cable guy comes.

[TropicalCharlie]

I would hold off until you can shop for furniture in person. Your investment is going to last you the duration of your program, so you should get to test/sample and make sure that you really it. 1-2 weeks without it isn't that big of a deal. You can always get a bean bag chair until you get furniture. Those things are comforatble for most tasks. Bring a sleeping bag and a pillow. That, and internet connection should suffice until you get other things.

[MinervasOwl]

I have the same problem- additionally, I'm not even in the US so I can't even go to comparable shops. Right now i plan on buying the cheapest bed, mattress i can find on walmart two days before I arrive, this means I might have to sleep on the floor for a few days but i don't have a choice because i don't have a car (or a US drivers license) so cant drive or carry stuff back, dont have too much money and i am very petite so I can't carry heavy stuff up to my apartment anyway and would have to hire someone to help me. I might go pick up a futon at walmart to tide me over if my furnitures going to take too long to arrive or I can't order it with my foreign debit card.

For starters I'm buying cheap stuff- just a bed and a couch because I havent decided what I'm going to do next summer- go back home / sublet my apartment/ give up my apartment and sell my furniture and start new next year..... I'll just figure stuff out as i go along depending on my financial situation and hopefully once I've made some friends it will be a little easier to figure out!

The way I'm dealing with the craziness is to deliberately re-frame it in my mind as being an exciting adventure and a great story to tell in the future- otherwise I was panicking and the move to a new country, culture, lifestyle, without any friends etc was really overwhelming and panic inducing

[OregonGal]

Yeah, I finally heard back from my new roommate--I was placed into grad housing with an existing tenant--and apparently I will be buying all new bedroom furniture and cookware (the previous tenant is taking her furniture with her, and my roommate doesn't want to share cookware, which is a first for me). So, I'll go to the local Ikea before I leave, test out the beds, and then order to be dropped off the day I arrive or the day after. I'll also be checking at the local Target.

[TropicalCharlie]

Yeah, I finally heard back from my new roommate--I was placed into grad housing with an existing tenant--and apparently I will be buying all new bedroom furniture and cookware (the previous tenant is taking her furniture with her, and my roommate doesn't want to share cookware, which is a first for me). So, I'll go to the local Ikea before I leave, test out the beds, and then order to be dropped off the day I arrive or the day after. I'll also be checking at the local Target.

Just curious, is your new roommie a vegetarian or vegan? I used to know a vegan who did not want to use cookware that has been used to cook animal products. Other than that, I have not heard of anyone not wanting to share cookware either.

[OregonGal]

She didn't mention being vegan, though that is pretty much the only reason I can think of for not sharing; she also said she only has two pots/pans, so at least there won't be a storage issue (I'm definitely the kind of cook who needs the 20-piece set)

[lydibird]

Ugh, I am not looking forward to buying a mattress! I feel like no matter what I do I'll be screwed over.

My orientation starts 4 days before my lease does, so I'll be in town a week before I need my furniture. I'm glad that I have time to shop around. I'm hoping that stores will be willing to wait a few days before delivery or that management will let me store stuff somewhere. It sounds like my roommate has most of the stuff we need (couch, coffee table, dinner table, etc) so I won't have to buy a whole lot.

[rising_star]

Okay, a small piece of advice. Don't just buy the cheapest mattress. Buy one that you will be comfortable sleeping on and that won't hurt your back/neck/joints. Seriously. I was going to get a cheap mattress when I started my PhD program but my mom wisely convinced me otherwise. I went with a slightly more expensive mattress that is perfect for me (in terms of firmness and whatnot). It was on sale, which helped, but was definitely a few hundred more than I intended to spend originally. And it's been completely worth it.

[wildviolet]

I second rising_star's advice. Basically, the advice I've heard about buying a mattress is to get the best one you can afford. After all, you'll be spending a good amount of time in bed, and it should be a refreshing experience. Luckily, my new apartment just got redone (wood floors, new kitchen appliances and bathroom), so the lady that manages my apartment let me send some things early. I just bought a new Sealy posturepedic mattress from Costco and hope that it will arrive before I do so that I will at least have a bed. The nearest IKEA is about an hour away, so I'm going to wait to buy other furniture.

As far as buying furniture online without first seeing it--I would buy from retailers that have good return policies. Also, I read all the reviews, and I've had a very comfortable Sealy mattress in the past, so I'm hoping it will work out fine.

Edited June 25, 2012 by wildviolet

[MinervasOwl]

I'm choosing my mattress based on user comments on Walmart's website. I was going to get a foam mattress in a box but am thinking of getting a spring one instead. On another note, does anyone know how long Walmart takes to deliver if you buy stuff at the store itself instead of online? I'm worried I might not be able to pay from outside the US with a non US credit card.

[imonedaful]

My first apartment I laid a mattress pad and a sheet on the floor until I was able to purchase furniture. Another place to get reasonable furniture is BigLots. They have couches, dressers, etc. and they deliver the same day. Most cities have furniture outlet stores as well. I would agree with most posters that said to wait until you can shop in person, you do not want the first time you sit on your new couch to be after you bought it! It should not be too difficult to find furniture once you get there. You can always call a few stores, inquire what they have in stock, and then go check it out once you are in town.

[Hank Scorpio]

Aye, I'm in kind of the same situation. I'm going to be driving to my new city in my little Kia Rio, and will therefore be bringing only clothes and books. My apartment will be entirely empty when I get there. I plan on buying an air mattress first thing, and just using it as a bed/couch/chair for a couple days until I can get some real furniture. Sadly, in Canada we don't have quite the consumer supply that the US has, so I can't take advantage of Target, Sam's Club, etc.. BUT, there is an Ikea not too far from where I'll be (woohoo!), so I'll drool over things online until I get there and then buy some furniture.

[edost]

I went to K-Mart and they didn't have what I was looking for. I guess I'll just get a good air mattress for the beginning.

[ANDS!]

Do people not use Amazon.com and their discounted (for students) Amazon Prime service? I think half of all my furniture (and a majority of all my new purchases) go through Amazon. Free two-day shipping, and 3.99 next day shipping. I'm not taking anything with me when I move, and I'll be using that service pretty hard for replacing things.

[OregonGal]

I'll probably look at Amazon's stuff; my main concern is buying furniture (especially something like a mattress or a desk) without trying it first. Dressers and bed frame will probably be ordered from there.

[TakeruK]

Thanks for the tip about Amazon Student -- can't use it yet (in Canada) but I will definitely sign up for it this fall!

[ANDS!]

I try what I can at a store, and then will go right to Amazon to order tax and shipping free. I've rarely found Amazon to be "beaten" by a price, and certainly when one removes tax, they can not be beat. It almost feels criminal to buy a 700 dollar TV for sticker value. Aside perhaps from a bed, I'll be purchasing everything through Amazon.

[lydibird]

Thanks for the advice about buying mattresses, rising_star and wildviolet! I guess I'll be laying on all the mattresses to make sure I buy a comfy one!

For the rest of the furniture I buy I'll probably look at second hand shops and craigslist. I'm tempted to go to IKEA, but anything I bought would lay around in boxes until I found someone to lend me tools and/or put them together for me!