A Guide for Buying Furniture in Australia
When moving for the first time in Australia, buying furniture could be a really daunting task. Some people may choose to go for a fully furnished home rental, however for those who decide to get a unfurnished house, Australia offers many choices when it comes to buying furniture. The costs can vary a lot between shops and types of furniture bought.
Shipping your Furniture
Shipping your furniture can be an option, however moving your entire home half way round the world is an expensive decision. A full shipping container could cost around $8000 to $10000 with some transport companies providing door to door services including packaging, pickup and delivery. Container sharing is also possible, however could take a lot more time depending upon the booking of the rest of its space. Make sure to enquire with different shipping agencies and ask for full quotes that include shipping, handling, customs etc. Its better to choose a company that has operations in both the home and host country.
Cheap Furniture options
Australia has large value furniture chains like Fantastic Furniture, Super A Mart and Ikea that offer furniture starting from the entry level. All of these shops publish their products and prices online and could give buyers an idea on how to plan their budgets.
All major cities in Australia have stores for the above furniture sellers and charge a small fee for home delivery. For new starters its a good idea to also look at packages. These packages will have all needed for first time buyers like furniture for dining, bedroom and drawing room/lounge etc and are priced at a discount when compared to adding up all the individual items.
Most of the furniture shops will offer good discounts when buyers club their purchases and buy all they need from a single shop. In some cases they will offer free delivery as well.
Online Furniture
Australia also has furniture sellers who are completely online These sellers are usually cheaper than retail furniture, however they don’t have an option for buyers to look and feel what is being bought. In some cases, however, buyers can request to have a look at the seller’s warehouse. Some of the online retailers are furnish.com.au and furnitureonlie.com.au. Ebay Australia also provides some good options.
Custom Furniture
Custom furniture is usually the costliest, however its the best when it comes to personal choices and quality. A lot of options in each city are available for getting it. Custom furniture usually takes time to build and ship, in some instances it could take 8 to 12 weeks before the furniture arrives at your place.
Buy Used Furniture
Australia is a country full of short term visitors who stay in Australia for duration like 6 months or an year. In most cases they sell the furniture before repatriating and could provide a good value for money. Gumtree is a good place to look for second hand furniture. Ebay also could have some options. Pickup and delivery of used furniture is usually the responsibility of buyer.