MAINTAINING A HOME

Why you should shop for quality furniture – Ep 2

01 August 2019

Channel Nine’s The Block judge and Suncorp ambassador Shaynna Blaze presents a series of tips and tricks that can help you save money and add value to your home.

If your home is looking a bit dull and dreary and you want to inject some personality into your home décor, it can be tempting to fill it with cheap items that may need to be replaced regularly.

Though this may seem like the cheaper option, over time, it usually isn’t. Shaynna’s view is that by investing in beautiful, quality furniture, not only will your home look better, but your bank account (and the environment) will more than likely thank you in the long run. That way you can budget better today!

Episode 2

There’s a trend these days to purchase low-cost décor items and furnishings to bring a room to life. But sometimes less is more.

It’s smarter to hold on to your money and invest in a few key quality pieces to add value to your living spaces.

Quality takes time to produce. It’s better to hold out, waiting 8-12 weeks in the grand scheme of things isn’t a long time.

While cheaper furniture can be ready immediately, you might end up having to replace it sooner, so you’ll pay more in the long run.

We spend a lot of time on the couch, so invest in a quality couch that you can complement with more affordable armchairs.

You don’t always have to make these purchases at the same time, but make sure the materials complement each other to give a cohesive, finished look.

Invest in a good dining table with comfortable chairs - especially if you’re a big entertainer.

Want to see how a lot less is more?

Watch on.

The next episode is about minimalist interiors in your home.

Patience will pay off

Just because you can afford cheap furniture now, that doesn’t mean you should rush to the shops immediately. Give yourself some time to save up for a better quality piece that’ll last you a lot longer.

Though waiting a few weeks may be frustrating, your patience will pay off in the long run as you won’t have to regularly replace your furniture.

If you’re looking for a way to focus your savings then you might want to consider ‘bucketing’, where you can split your pay into sub-accounts to budget for a different savings goal or everyday area of your life. For example, you may name one sub-account ‘holiday’, another ‘renovations’, and one ‘happy money’ for when you want to treat yourself.

Suncorp’s Everyday Options Account lets you have up to 9 sub-accounts, each of which can serve a goal like the ones listed above, which could help you focus on buying those new items.

Explore the Everyday Options Account

Sitting in style

Your couch isn’t something you should be cutting costs on – it’s where you relax, entertain your friends and binge watch your favourite shows (maybe all at once!). It should be durable, stylish and above all else, comfortable.

If you’re running on a tight budget and want to fill a larger area, invest in a great couch that you can complement with armchairs that are a little more affordable.

If you want to avoid budget blowout and fill a larger area, invest in a great couch that you can complement with armchairs that are a little more affordable.

Wining and dining

If you have a big family or enjoy entertaining with a few mates, a quality dining table is a must. Cheap dining tables and chairs can wobble, scratch or be extremely uncomfortable.

A quality dining table should be able to tolerate heat and wear and tear, and encourage conversation – not distract diners trying to hold onto their glasses.

Though many come in sets, if you decide to purchase chairs separately to the dining table, make sure they go together and are comfortable. Think about the size and height of the table to make sure your diners won’t be hitting their knees on the bottom of the table.