Biggest Mistakes When Buying Built-In Furniture: Number 4

We’ve recently been running a monthly series on the blog – biggest mistakes when buying built-in furniture. This is aimed at people who are considering investing in fitted furniture, and want to make sure they do it right so they choose high quality products which last a lifetime.

If you haven’t yet decided on the company to entrust with the task, then we’re here to help. There are some sure fire ways to end up with a “cowboy builder” or learn the hard way that the cheapest option often isn’t the best. In our series we pinpoint these mistakes on the journey to buying custom furniture – so it’s a good idea to read all of them to make sure you don’t commit any sins! Luckily, all of the top mistakes are grouped together in one easy download, which you can find here. We’ll even tell you how to avoid the possible pitfalls, we love a bit of free advice here at Empatika!

These mistakes are very common – we’ve heard most of them off our clients who have experienced shoddy workmanship in the past. We want to make sure fewer people have a bad experience when commissioning fitted furniture for their home or business – it’s an exciting time which should be enjoyed, not something to get stressed about. We’ve already covered resisting the temptation of a discount and not making sure you get a guarantee – so what’s next in the big list of mistakes?

Faux pas number four is rushing the design procedure – which in one sense is the most important stage of the job. Professionals should be asking you for a detailed brief of what you want, sketching potential designs and constantly communicating with you in the run up to the fitting. After all, failing to plan is planning to fail!

You may think, if the company doesn’t seem to be too interested or asking many questions at the design stage, that they have fitted a similar wardrobe/shelving cabinet/home office numerous times before. But wait – isn’t this a bespoke service? Aren’t you paying to get exactly what you want? Yes! So a final design must be discussed and agreed on before any work takes place.

If the furniture designer is relying on verbal discussions and memory, there is room for inaccuracy, miscommunication and mistakes. This is why you need a hand drawn sketch, or even better a realistic image created by intelligent computer software. This way there is no room for misunderstandings, and you can see how your furniture will look – even with your personal items placed in. A 3D image or photorealistic pictures offered by forward thinking companies such as Empatika is the best option, so you can see exactly what you will be getting and request any changes to the design beforehand.

When discussing the design brief, a good furniture company will be able to offer you practical advice on what to do and what not to do. Don’t be fooled by a company which apparently bends over backwards to your every request – experienced carpenters will know what won’t last over time, and advise against certain elements of the design. This demonstrates care for the customer and knowledge of the materials and processes used – after all, when investing so much in furniture you want it to be functional and looking fresh for years to come.

A reputable built-in furniture company will also make suggestions that you probably haven’t thought of. If someone stays on top of design trends and has a thorough knowledge of carpentry, they will be able to take your initial design and make it even better. Now that’s good service.

At the design stage, don’t just think “They’re the experts, they know best!” They don’t know what style you are going for or what you plan to be storing on your shelves – so they need to be asking you these questions to ensure you are happy with the end result. Any built-in furniture needs to look exactly as you imagined, and be practical for your requirements.

Stay tuned for our next instalment of biggest mistakes, and how to elude them altogether.