Our top tips for buying furniture online

The events of the past year have meant that many of us have bought things online for the first time that we would have previously only considered purchasing in store. Even if you’re an avid online shopper for clothes or electronics, you may have never thought you’d be placing an order for groceries or toiletries. And in response, retailers across a wide variety of industries have stepped up their eCommerce games to provide an online shopping experience that mirrors a visit to the store. 

But what about buying furniture online? For many of us, shopping in-store for furniture is essential. We want to see how comfy that couch is by sitting down on it or chatting to sales staff about which dining chairs are the perfect match for the table we’ve picked out.

Can buying furniture online really compare? The good news is, yes! At Corcoran’s Furniture and Carpets, we can help you feel right at home as you shop for new pieces for your home.

Here are some of our best tips for finding the perfect furniture and buying furniture online.

Say hello!

Many people prefer to shop in-store because they get the chance to talk to sales staff, ask questions, and learn more about the products they’re considering. But just because you’re buying furniture online doesn’t mean you can’t get in touch! We have a myriad of ways to contact us—and we’d love for you to drop us a line.

Whether you’re reaching out through our Contact Form or via our social media, you can get the same expert sales and design advice for buying furniture online as you would in-store. We even have virtual shopping appointments if you’d like to see even more products or colour selections than our website currently offers.

Buying furniture online, like our bestselling Kilshanny Bed, can be an easy and fun experience

Know your measurements

When you’re in store, you can eyeball a product to get an estimate as to whether it will fit in your home (although we still recommend measuring to be sure!).

But when you’re buying furniture online, it’s important to compare the measurements of your room with the measurements of your purchases to make sure they’ll suit your space perfectly.

Interior design blog The Spruce has a great guide to measuring your space for buying furniture online, but here are some quick tips: 

• If you’re replacing existing furniture, compare the dimensions of the piece you already have to the dimensions listed on the site.
• Don’t forget entryways. Often, people gravitate toward products that arrive fully assembled, but if you’re short on space to get your new furniture into the room, assembling once it arrives can be much easier.
• Using paper or masking tape to create an outline on your floor based on the measurements listed on site is a great way to determine the ideal layout for a room and make sure everything will fit before buying furniture online. 
• Similarly, a stack of books or boxes can help you figure out if your preferred new furniture piece is the right height for your comfort and design vision.

Have a plan

Online shopping often offers a wider selection than in-store buying because retailers are not limited by showroom space, but things can get overwhelming when you’re buying furniture online and you’re faced with dozens of pages of dining furniture.

While it can be fun to browse through a seemingly-endless selection, if you’re buying furniture online then having a good idea what you’re looking for in terms of fabrics, finishes, and functions can help you quickly narrow down the best items for you.

Making a list of must-have features and nice-to-have, wishlist details can make it much easier to choose your ideal furniture and furnishings.

The Francisco White Combi Wardrobe might have all the must-have features on your list!

Find a match

A few pieces from our gorgeous charcoal and oak Charlie range

Even among products with the same colour, there can be variation between different items, especially if they are from different manufacturers.

While we show our products as accurately as possible in our images, there may still be slight differences that may not be picked up by a camera or your monitor settings, and it’s good to keep this in mind when buying furniture online.

Many people love to choose pieces that are coordinated but don’t perfectly match for a more relaxed, naturalistic feel, especially when it comes to natural wood finishes.

But if you want the colours to be as close to exactly the same as possible and you’re buying furniture online, we recommend sticking to products from the same range.

We have plenty of options for ranges in living, dining, and bedroom.

Look for quality keywords

We’ve all heard—sometimes hilarious—horror stories about ordering a piece of furniture at a steal online and getting a sofa that’s sized for a doll house or buying a ‘designer’ dress that turns out to be made from plastic.

We guarantee quality from our products, but we don’t expect you to just take our word for it. When you’re buying furniture online, read the product descriptions for keywords indicating high-quality construction like kiln-dried hardwood and high-density foam. Then you can be sure that you’re buying pieces that will stand up to years of everyday use and create a fabulous look for your home.

Our mattresses promise high-quality comfort thanks to features promoting airflow and spinal alignment

If you want more specifics on buying furniture online for certain types of furniture, we have extensive buying guides for mattresses and dining sets, with more on the way!

And we’re always here to answer any other questions you may have, to help you enjoy an online shopping experience for buying furniture online that is just as pleasant as shopping in-store.