4 Important Things to Consider When Buying Furniture Parts

Frequent readers know: I’m frugal. Frugal enough to be a consistent contributor to the site All the Frugal Ladies. When it comes to saving money, it’s a chosen lifestyle for me and I’m constantly challenging myself to come up with new ways and ideas to spend less.

So when I see beautiful furniture thrown out on the sidewalk long before its real expiration date, a small part of me weeps. How can people throw out great furniture without thinking outside-the-box on how to salvage it?!

Perhaps it can be repurposed, upcycled or better yet – maybe it only needs a minor replacement of its damaged parts. After all, a table shouldn’t be thrown out if a leg breaks… rather, you can find a replacement and fix the table quickly and for far less money than buying a whole new replacement table.

But alas, most people don’t know that this option exists… so I’m here to let you know: you CAN and should look into replacing furniture parts long before throwing out your furniture.

Let’s take a look at a few tips to find and pick the right part – and consequently, saving lots of money and hassle!

1. Does the part match the furniture item you are trying to repair?

Obviously, it would be very disappointing to buy furniture parts only to discover that they don’t match the piece of furniture. When you’re starting your search for the right furniture parts, you need to be as prepared as possible.

First, take a picture of the piece of furniture that needs replacement or repairing. If you’re going to a brick-and-mortar store, this will help you visually compare to the furniture parts on display.

Second, measure your furniture and replacement parts to ensure that measurements and dimensions are similar.

Third, think about the look of both parts. You don’t want to buy new modern table legs to curate an antique look.

Let’s take a look at a great example. Below is a site that specializes in selling table legs. These type of sites are your best bet at finding the appropriate replacement item since they stock a wide variety of options. Rummage through until you find the type that looks appropriate and then look through the designs, sizes, and colors available.

2. Think about the company that made the furniture part

The manufacturer is an issue that many people do not consider when they are buying furniture parts. However, they later regret this decision because the company that makes the furniture part will dictate how well it is made.

Not all companies have the same standards when it comes to making furniture parts. Never assume that all manufacturers create and sell high-quality parts – nothing could be further from the truth.

Go online and find out which companies have the best reputation when it comes to making furniture parts. This will help you make an educated decision when doing your shopping.

3. What is the return policy?

Unfortunately, until you have the furniture part at home, you won’t be able to fully ascertain that the furniture part is exactly what you’re looking for. Often it’s not until the moment of installation that you can judge if the furniture part fits perfectly.

It’s always possible that the part you purchased is not exactly what you need. Because of this, it’s vital to review the store’s return policy before making a purchase.

You also need to check shipping times regarding returns – make sure you will have enough time to ship the part back to the retailer and still fit within return deadlines.

4. Is it easy to install?

Some furniture parts will simply screw into place and only take a few minutes to put together. If this is the case, any person will be able to handle the installation. I recommend taking a look at some online tutorials before you try – you don’t want to mess up!

However, you might encounter a situation where you will need to have the piece of furniture professionally repaired in order for it to look good. You need to be aware of what you’re getting into prior to trying to DIY it.

Have you ever repaired your own furniture? Tell us about it below!

Thanks to Freepik for the unedited version of the featured image.