Best Times to Buy Furniture to Save Money

Are you thinking about redecorating your bedroom or sprucing up the den? If so you’re probably in the market for some new furniture. To stretch your home makeover budget, plan ahead and buy furnishings during the times of year when prices tend to be lower.

New furniture models are released in February and August each year, so retailers tend to have furniture sales in January and July. However, the January sales often extend through Presidents’ Day weekend in mid February, when price cuts are particularly steep, says Sean Graw, of Brad’s Deals, a Web site that tracks deals and coupons. Furniture sellers including IKEA and Overstock.com slash prices as much as 70% on select items during Presidents’ Day sales, he says.

If a new mattress is on your shopping list, Memorial Day sales offer the biggest discounts and the best selection on mattresses, says online shopping expert Brent Shelton, of FatWallet.com, a coupon and deal site. Offers.com CEO Howard Schaffer says mattresses can be discounted 50% to 80% during holiday-weekend sales, though Shelton says you can usually count on getting an extra 10% off during Memorial Day sales versus other holiday weekends such as Presidents’ Day and Labor Day.

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Need a new television to go along with the new sofa and recliner in your redecorated family room? If price is more important than quality, the week of Thanksgiving is the best time to get a great price on a basic high-definition TV, says Graw. Most off-brand sets are discounted 30% to 50%. For big-screen TVs from name-brand manufacturers, look for sales that coincide with the Super Bowl, says Schaffer. Prior-year models will be discounted to make room for new models, which are released in February. Data from DealScience.com, a Web site that predicts the best times to make purchases based on historical sales, shows that sets are 30% to 40% off during sales in mid January through February.

And don’t neglect the outside of your home when redecorating. Rock-bottom prices on patio furniture can be found in October and November, says Schaffer, when retailers try to clear out the remaining inventory of summer merchandise. Shoppers can expect discounts of up to 85% then, he says. However, the selection will probably be pretty limited by fall. So if you’re more concerned with style than savings, try shopping in late summer, when retailers begin marking down patio furniture, says Kristin Cook, managing editor of Ben’s Bargains, a Web site that specializes in finding online deals. Discounts will be smaller, but choices will be greater.