How I Scored Quality Furniture for Less Than 50% Retail Price

At the end of last year, we made the decision that we needed a new couch.

We knew for a while that it was time to lay our old one to rest, but we weren’t quite ready to buy a new one. Then after many uncomfortable evenings sitting on tough sofa springs, we decided to start actively looking.

Within a few months we located an amazing deal. We paid less than half the original price for the couch we settled on. Here’s how we scored quality furniture for a steal.

Staying patient and shopping carefully.

What really helped us find a couch for the perfect price was staying patient. We shopped around for nearly three months before we found the right sofa at the right price. But we refused to settle. Store salespeople and even your own ego can push you into thinking you need to make a purchase urgently. No matter what hold out, especially if a deal sounds too good to be true.

There’s a lot of furniture on the market that we’ve come across from discount retail stores that have both cheap price tags and cheap quality. We made the mistake of falling into the discount trap with our first couch and it only lasted us three years. That’s unacceptable in my book. So this time around we shopped carefully. And I’m thankful we did because we could have missed out on a great sale.

Shopping discontinued and floor stock furniture.

The sofa we ended up falling in love with was a product that was being discontinued by the retailer. Because the retailer was pulling it out of stock they were attempting to get rid of the merchandise, hence the sale for 50% off. So the $1,000 sectional sofa was on sale for just $500. We were elated.

Why shop discontinued items over cheap ones?

They’re usually worth the quality of a higher price tag because stores are just updating their product line and need to clean house. You can shop discontinued items before they go on sale by speaking with the store manager. They’re usually well aware of what the brand is preparing to discontinue before it happens.

Another opportunity to secure a deal is by taking the floor model. We decided to take the floor model of our sofa on sale because we were worried that if we waited someone else might swoop in and take advantage of the deal. It was just too good to pass up. You may also run into situations where the floor model is the only piece left, but it’s not on sale. Use that opportunity to barter with the store manager. They may offer a discount between 10% to 20% depending on the piece just to sell it.

Getting an employee discount.   

My husband and I received an additional 20% off of the sale price because I work part-time at the store for side money. Working at stores specifically for store discounts is something I’ve been doing since high school. And it’s worth it. (I don’t think I could have bought my first suit without my Ann Taylor discount :). )

If you’ve considered taking up a side job and you’re also in the market for new home decor it’s something I recommend. Altogether we spent $400 plus tax on a couch that was $1,000. Not bad right?

Have you scored deals on furniture? Have you bartered to get a discount on stock? Share some tips with us.