Thinking of Buying Furniture BEFORE You Move In? Don't Do It!

The title says it all.  Do NOT (repeat after me) do not buy furniture before you move in. 

Even when you know there is room for more furniture, you are not going to be sure how it will fit or where exactly it should go until you are living in the house.  Okay, you likely have a few months between when you buy the house and when you take possession.  The temptation is HUGE to get some new stuff.  I think you should do the shopping and scouting and make your lists BUT only buy furniture after you have been in the house a bit.  

Also know that you are going to want to buy furniture because delivery is often 6 - 12 weeks after you buy some pieces.  Unless you have been working with an interior decorator or designer or can return everything, resist getting things until you can measure twice and diagram where you will put your new things. 

For example, I bought a simple little armoire to put in a large bathroom to act as a linen cupboard.  We have a few months before possession and I was keen to start decorating.  When we moved into the house, the armoire did not fit.  It did not fit in any other room and we had it too long (waiting for possession) to return it to the store.  It sat in the garage until a friend took it.  She told me that it is still in her garage (almost a decade later) because she thought when she took it that it would fit in her home.  Some furniture is cursed.

So even though you are moving, hold back on moving too quickly on purchasing new furniture.

Measure Twice.   Move In.   Buy Once.

Photo Credit: Big chair or small house? by http://flickr.com/photos/davemorris/3834941/

Valerie Zinger  email: vzinger@royallepage.com  (613-723-5300)

Royal LePage Gale Real Estate,  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada