The Best Times to Buy Furniture, According to the Experts

Realizing you need to buy a new furniture piece is exciting. You get to redecorate! You’ll have a new, plush piece to replace the worn-down one! You can finally say goodbye to the piece you’ve always secretly resented! But buying furniture can also be intimidating, especially when you consider the cost. If you’re looking to save, you often wait, thinking that you’ll know when it’s the best time to buy furniture.

But finding the best time of year to buy furniture isn’t a game of guts. Furniture sellers have nailed down their sales schedule to a fairly strict calendar. And in doing so, they’ve made it easy for us to find the best time to buy furniture. So instead of relying on your gut, listen to the experts below to learn when you should buy furniture. 

The Best Time to Buy Furniture

The right time to buy furniture varies depending on what you are looking to get, but there is a general good time to buy. Erika Bodine, a Decorator, Interior Planner, and Sales Manager at LuxeDecor thinks the right times are easy to find. 

“Since the furniture industry adds new styles to the retail floor in the spring and fall, you should shop during the months before the new styles reach stores to get the best deals. The last half of winter and the first half of summer are prime furniture shopping times. Prices are reduced ahead of new furniture hitting the showroom floor to make room for the newest items.”

That would mean that the general best time to buy furniture is in late winter (February or March), or late summer (August or September). You’ll want to avoid key shopping times–around the holidays and early summer–to get the best combination of selection and deals. 

Get affordable, same-day furniture delivery with Dolly. 

The Best Time to Buy Furniture On Sale

Sure, there’s a best time in general to buy furniture–but there’s also a best time for sales. The biggest sales–the ones that are on all furniture–happen over two major holidays, according to Bodine.

“Though your window for finding great deals is big, the very best deals typically hit during President’s Day and Labor Day, as retailers are especially pushed to open up space for next season’s incoming items.”

You’ll notice that most major furniture stores, from West Elm to Macy’s, have huge President’s Day and Labor Day sales. These are the ones to look out for if you’re looking for a fast deal. But bear in mind that because of their wild price drops, stores will be crowded with like-minded buyers, and inventory will disappear quickly.

The Best Time to Buy Furniture for the Lowest Price

When buying furniture, there are going to be some times when it’s cheap, and some times when it’s on sale. But there is one time when your furniture is guaranteed to be going for less. Bodine let us in on the secret: “Because furniture takes up a lot of space, retailers are forced to regularly create big sales events. If the piece that you like isn’t for sale right now, check back next season and you might find the price in your budget.”

So when should you buy that dreamy patio set? A season after you see it for the first time, the price will be reduced, and a year after you see it, the price will be at its lowest. But this is a gamble: there’s no guarantee the piece will still be there by the time you come back for it.

When to Buy Built-to-Order Furniture

Pre-made, showroom furniture, or even the flat-pack IKEA furniture, has its rules of sales and discounts. Custom-built furniture is a completely different matter.

For advice on when to buy (or rather, order) made-to-order furniture, Liesel Rickert, Sales Associate at Chilton Furniture, offered some key advice. “If you’re purchasing furniture for a new home or renovation, the first thing to take into consideration is your timeline. Most built-to-order furniture requires at least a three month lead time.” 

While a three-month lead time is a general rule, Rickert coaches that summer renovators should order even earlier. “If your end date is mid-summer, you may want to add a few more weeks, as everyone is rushing to get their orders in during the spring.”

Once you’ve found the perfect furniture, leave delivery to Dolly. Our Helpers can bring your furniture home the same day you buy it at an affordable price. It’s always the best time to use Dolly.