Delivery is something that is easy to take into account when evaluating a furniture purchase. Not only should you as a customer be concerned about the quality of the furniture product that you are buying, but you should also take stock of what kind of service you are getting from the furniture store. Each store has its own policy about delivery. Some are able to provide very fast delivery, some require more time to deliver. Some are able to offer free shipping, while others charge a fee for delivery. When making a choice between buying furniture at one store versus another the delivery terms may just be the deciding factor.

If you live in the Houston area, you are lucky to have so many furniture stores and retailers where you can choose to shop. Whether you live inside the loop or outside the loop odds are very good that there are one or more furniture stores close to you. Houston, TX is also home to some of the largest furniture retailers in the country. But that should not be so surprising since Houston is not only the largest city in Texas it is also the 4th largest metro area in the US.

The delivery tips in this article apply to pretty much any location in the US. While not all areas will have the same selection as Houston, TX, the general ideas and principles discussed can be very helpful.

There may be an attraction to carrying your furniture item to your own car and taking it home yourself. This is a feasible option for small furniture items like end tables or lamps, but for something like a large sectional leather couch you are going to want it to be delivered on a large truck with a lift gate by professional delivery staff. This will eliminate the chances of damage to your furniture during the moving process. For electronics items like flat screen TVs, LCD screen, etc. warranty terms dictate that for a warranty to be valid the TV must be professionally installed. This is always the best idea!

Even for items like futons, desks, or shelving units the delivery fee also includes the service of assembling the furniture item. This saves you time and energy and proper furniture assembly ensures the longest lifespan for you home furnishings. It saves you from hurting yourself putting something together or from having something fall, break or collapse unexpectedly later on.

When faced with an array of delivery options, you will most likely have to choose what is your personal priority, fast delivery, flexible delivery times, or inexpensive or free delivery. For stores offering same day delivery or next-day delivery there is almost always a service charge. This is the most expensive type of shipping that a store can offer, since it requires more staff for the store and higher inventory levels. If you have the patience and can wait for the next delivery slot then free or low priority delivery will save you from a few extra bucks up to perhaps a few hundred extra bucks. Another suggestion along those lines is that if you plan to purchase multiple furniture items, you might consider planning your purchase to buy all items at the same time, since many stores offer free delivery for purchases above a certain dollar amount. The other bonus of having a whole new bedroom set, dining room set or living room furniture delivered at once is that dramatic overnight change that you will feel getting a whole new update at once.

Buying custom home furnishings will add to the delivery time, but getting exactly what you want will pay off in the end. Buying from a showroom that carries a limited inventory will also add to you delivery wait time, but if you can bear the wait it might save you a few dollars.

Those intimidating mega-warehouse stores can be a little off-putting, but they can also be places to find good deals on quality furniture. Places like that use large buying power to get lower prices from suppliers and pass on lower prices to customers to ensure that the inventory is sold and “turned over” at a good pace. Since these type of stores do so much volume they can often provide very good delivery as well. Warehouse furniture stores are not without their downside, however. These stores are usually not in the most convenient location (by opting for non-prime real estate they keep overhead low.) Also, the furniture in these stores tend to be traditional styles or mainstream furniture designs. They are focus on selling a good volume of merchandise, so if you have very specific tastes in home decor, then a warehouse store may not offer you those unique furnishings you like.

As always, no matter, where you live compare prices and services and shop around to make the best choice you possibly can. If you live close to the Houston area or live in Houston, TX you can benefit from the fact that a large number of furniture retailers serve metro-Houston and surrounding neighborhoods. Shopping close to home may help you save on delivery charges. But shopping around will help you be sure that you have the best overall value.