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- Ratings and reviews by surveyed Consumers' Checkbook and Consumer Reports local subscribers
- Undercover price comparisons
- Complaint counts from local consumer agencies and attorney general offices
- Advice to help you get the best service and value
Most of us have made unwise furniture purchases that a bit of planning would have prevented. Before shopping, evaluate your budget, how you’ll use the furniture, how it fits in with your other furniture and tastes, and other considerations.
Begin by carefully considering what you think you want and how you can get it. Weigh your wish list against what you’ll probably pay to fulfill it.
Buying furniture means spending lots of money and making lots of decisions. Style? Fabric? Pattern? It’s enough to make you want to keep your old stuff. Which might not be such a bad idea. A skilled upholsterer can make old pieces look new again.
A good piece of furniture deserves a second chance. But if you’re thinking of redoing a sofa, chair, or headboard, first take a dispassionate look and decide whether it will last long enough to justify the cost of reupholstering.
You’ll want to do your shopping at stores where you can get good advice, good selection, quality installation services, and honest business practices—at reasonable prices.
When it comes to decking out your windows, you’ll find so many choices, optional features, and price ranges that it’s easy to get blindsided by the process. Here’s our advice on how to buy the right stuff.
Plantation shutters. Roman shades. Good ol’ curtains. There are so many ways to cover your windows that it’s tempting to just tape newspaper over the panes and be done with it. Here are the best options to block light, keep prying eyes at bay, or just dress up the joint.
For many types and brands of window treatments, it pays to shop around. We report here costs quoted to Checkbook’s undercover shoppers when they sought prices for several types of window treatments at a sampling of local stores and online outlets.