MAIN Home Life Shopping Furniture Buying Guide

Shopping for furniture on the Web is fun and easy with huge inventories, and a wide range of prices - including huge discounts on living room, bedroom, kitchen and kids' furniture.

Picture galleries for home furnishings tell some of the story, featuring detailed information on quality, price, return policy, and furniture delivery charges.

However, up-close inspections are still the best way to know you're getting value for the money, say the experts, and are best done in person - for sizing up tailoring on upholsetery, leather quality, or wood veneers, and the general 'look' of a piece before you buy.

Having said that, you can easily balance the risk with the virtual ease of online furniture shopping by becoming familiar with the brand and its reputation. Online comparison shopping, or browsing a few furniture review message boards before you make an online purchase, also helps to avoid a 'lemon' and steer you in the right direction toward a satisfied purchase.

Check out what's on offer at the most popular furniture stores online along with consumer guides offering furniture buying tips next time your out shopping the outlets, or online, for the best furniture at the right price ...

More about buying furniture online around the Web:

Five tips on buying furniture - Helpful guide from BankRate.com with inspection tips before buying upholstered furniture, wood drawers and veneering, and what to inspect from a manufacturer's warranty.

Furniture General Tips and Buying Info - Tips on buying oak, pine or walnut furniture with specific guides to recliners, sofas, bedroom furniture and more, from About.com

Nine tips for saving money next time your buy furniture - Feature article with advice on full grain, top grain, antiqued and other considerations when deciding on leather furniture for your home.

Sofas - How to uncover value - Consumer Reports guide for what to look for in a quality sofa to fit your budget in terms of price and comfort.

Find Your Furniture - Trade association with consumer advice, the latest trends, and a tool that allows for comparisons between different models of sofas, recliners, dining room and bedroom furniture.

Overstock.com - The best we've found for rock-bottom discount prices, good selection, and on-time delivery. Also check out the bedding, and lots more in home furnishings.

Target Home Furniture - Hit the Bulls Eye with a huge selection of bargain home office, kids' furniture, bedroom, and living room furniture from the national retailer traditionally offering free shipping on selected items.

Home Depot - Probably the most popular overall home furnishing shops online, with a name you know and tops in customer service. Check out the cyber catalog boasting more than 30,000 brand name items including dining room, bedroom, bathroom & garden furniture.

IKEA - Pick your country, then start shopping online at this international low-cost shopping giant for discount kitchen, living room, bedroom & office furniture, plus browse for easy storage tips and space-saving guides, as well as decorative touches.

furnitureonline.com - Another great, extensive selection for every room in the house including kids' furniture, dining room and living room furniture, TV stands, bookcases and accents along with special sales and live customer support by phone.

Furniture Find - Complete bedroom and dining room sets from top name brands are the specialty here with an extensive inventory searchable by room, style or brand, including live chat with a rep to answer your questions.

Furniture.com - Slick, hi-tech navigation and tons of choices, so plan to spend a lot of time deciding on mixing and matching entire sets or pieces. The java-based room designer is a bit of a gimmick, but otherwise includes helpful guides, tips and advice.

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