ThermonMermon

Hey guys, we just came out of atty review, and are scheduled to close end of July. It's been a real journey with this sealed bid / teaser asking price. Anyway, it is all behind us now.

We are moving from a 1 bedroom rental to a 4 bdrm house, and are in need of some furniture. Got some filler family stuff in storage, but still need at a minimum:
-Family room furniture
-Dining room set
-Some pendant ceiling lighting fixtures

Otherwise, we are going to go slow and steady over the course of time to get quality stuff. As opposed to filling up the whole house with IKEA crap, only to regret it down the road. I mentioned craigslist to the wife, but umm, that got shut down pretty quickly.

So far, we have found Joss & Main and One Kings Lane. For lighting, I came across lumens.com. The furniture websites have like $5k sectional couches for $2-3k, and similar discounts for dining room sets. Although, I dont know anyone that personally has purchased items from there.

Any other reccs?

Also, is there any standard protocol to do a side contract with the Seller to purchase any furniture they are willing to sell? It cannot be lumped into the settlement statement for tax purposes.

Thanks, guys.

oo7spy

Will Y.

I only buy furniture I've seen and tried in person.
For example, chairs and sofas have differing textures and firmness-- not something a website can resolve if you have preferences.

G/L.

doopstr

Do you need a contract for this? Have them draw up a receipt listing what you are buying and give them cash.

Have you looked at wayfair.com?

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

if the seller is cool, then just have a verbal agreement and give them cash... that's what i did with the lift in the garage and the furniture in my guest bedroom... i wrote him a check and he just left it for me at closing... you can confirm the items are still there when you do the final inspection before you head to the attorney to sign the papers...

CCColtsicehockey

I bought some Pottery Barn slip cover sofas 2 years ago and so far they still look new and they get used everyday in our living room. If you have dogs or will be having kids the slip covers are great since you can wash them if something gets spilled. If you buy anything big from them don't do it without a 20% off coupon. If you can't find one from someone you know you can buy one on eBay for like $5 most of the time from people.

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

agree

if you can swing it and you want quality, do what we did for our second house... i drove out to Amish County PA and had my dining room set custom built and delivered by the Amish... it will last forever and you can pick the wood, and finish... it will seem pricey but if you can catch a sale (we went 4th of July) it turns out to only be slightly more money than the most expensive retailer but at 100x better quality...

here is where i went

Snyder's Furniture | Lancaster County PA Amish Furniture Stores

dallison

they have really nice furniture.

We went to dutch selections. it takes about 8-10 weeks for them to make the stuff in Lancaster county, but it is great furniture that you will only buy once.

We just took delivery of a formal dining room set, executive desk, dvd case, and a queen size sleigh bed with nightstands, stand alone mirror, and two dressers. They also made us a vanity for downstairs. We're replacing the standard one with a maple one with a darker finish. It was only $450 compared to buying all the crap the big box stores sell. It was half the cost of the kitchen/bathroom stores too, and it's all wood.

There are ZERO veneers on any of the furniture.

They will deliver to NYC also for a fee.
When you call you will most likely talk with John, he is very easy to deal with.
I would recommend stopping in to see the quality.

dallison

Both of our stores get it from the same shop in Lancaster.

ThermonMermon

Thanks guys. PB has some nice custom sectionals. The Amish country furniture is unbelievable too. Both carry a long lead time however. This is good to know. Great reccs!

We locked rate today. Was holding out for the jobs report opportunity today, as it was advertised to be flat and thwart Yellens rate hike. Treasuries and bonds came screaming in 10+ bps and I was able to sneak in a 3.375 rate lock on jumbo 30 yr fixed before the market closed. Unreal. No wonder the housing market is going through the roof. This is super cheap money.

cM3go

For lights I usually look at:
overstock.com
bellacor.com
lampsplus.com
sometimes wayfair or allmodern

I've had good luck with these sources.

CCColtsicehockey

Another good place for lights I have found is Home Goods. Don't spend too long in there though or you can spend a fortune and come out with way more than you had planned.

ThermonMermon

Cool. Will look into all of this.

Is it a bad idea to buy some furniture and lighting prior to loan closing? I have read online that this is a big no-no, but the people asking are those that are opening up new lines of credit at furniture stores, or not planning on paying off their credit card bills immediately. Which is idiotic if you are protecting your credit score.

If I pay off the credit card immediately (basically paying cash, but getting the c.c. points)...and the change of liquidity (~$5-10k) is a non factor with the lender, does it even matter?

dallison

Don't open any lines of credit before closing. I would even wait a few days after.

ThermonMermon

I am saying to charge on my existing card, and payoff credit card bill promptly.

CCColtsicehockey

Don't not open anything new at all until after close.

Jakes_tl

Don't open anything new and don't put anything big on your credit cards until you close

UlsterBoy13

Agree with the comments about not running up any credit until after closing.

As far as furniture here is my based on my personal experience in the same situation the last year or two.

Bassett Furniture - Some of the best furniture around, often they have sales of 25-40%. can have a lead time on the custom made stuff. but the quality is outstanding and their shipping is like $99 no matter how many items are on your order.
we elected to go with bassett for our dining room, and bedroom.

Given that we have 2 kids under 3 we decided NOT to go with bassett for the sofa and living room furniture as we thought they would destroy it, so instead we went to Ashley...OMG worst decision ever. please stay away from ashley. sub par workmanship and quality.
We should have gone to Havertys for furniture that was cheaper than bassett but better quality than Ashley. w have a 2nd hand Havertys sofa in the playroom and that thing has stood up to a hell of a beating.

ThermonMermon

so should be good with some purchases, as long as it's paid within that billing cycle/immediately, i.e. no "hold" on the card between placing the order and delivery to the future address. told to take it easy and "not go out and get a car, or viking appliances". so maybe a sofa and a table wont be terribly scrutinized. lender actually also recommended Basset, by chance