Where to buy furniture

[Guest janmoo]

Apart from freedom, nick scali ikea and le cornu is there anywhere else we need to look for beds and lounge furniture that isnt a rip off? Prices look grim from my internet search. We arrive 30 sept and need to find stuff pretty quick. As always your comments would be appreciated thanx xx:notworthy:

[Guest Tina P]

Hi,

 

Classic Timber Furniture had some really reasonable priced leather sofa when we looked the other week.

 

Also had a few good deals on girls beds.

 

I have bought dining furniture, sidebroard and tv unit from them and happy.

 

 

Its on Anzac Highway, across from Le cornu.

 

Tina

[mydearboy]

Fantastic Furniture, SuperAmart, both very cheap. :)I have also had some really amazing deals in Harvey Norman in sales but thats a day to day thing!

[Guest RichandHelen]

Super A Mart is great. We shopped around but couldnt beat their package deals.

[Riponian]

Don't forget Haggle they were really good when we got our bedroom furniture. Have to say that Harvey Norman are a huge rip off unless they have a massive sale.

Le Cornu are pretty good too I would not rush into buying things and if you can shop around we got ripped off with our sofa and yes it's lovelly but it's not worth what we paid for it! could of got it cheaper else where!

[Guest janmoo]

Thanks so much will def give them a go when we arrive on 30 september

[scooterdan]

yep....agreed on SuperAmart...... awesome deals!!

 

We found haggle to be overpriced...u just haggle the price down to where everyone else sells at!!

 

Harvey Norman = expensive!

 

LeCornus is ok and reasonably priced.

 

there is always Ikea!!

 

Dan

[Guest moonraker1959]

Does it have to be new or do you mind second hand?You could always try the For Sale section of this website,or the classifieds of the newspapers,might just get yourself a bargain!

[Guest janmoo]

Apart from freedom, nick scali ikea and le cornu is there anywhere else we need to look for beds and lounge furniture that isnt a rip off? Prices look grim from my internet search. We arrive 30 sept and need to find stuff pretty quick. As always your comments would be appreciated thanx xx:notworthy:

 

Ive looked at super a mart and fantastic furnitue they are excellent! Thanks guys. Just wondering do these places have the stuff for immediate delivery or do you have to order it and wait weeks? Dont fancy sitting on deck chairs for 6 weeks and sleeping on airbeds! Let me know.

 

We re packing up as we speak its actually quite theraputic getting rid of all the junk. OH is having mini breakdowns but im oddly calm! Wonder when i ll have my breakdown? Two weeks til we leave on sunday it will be worth it and im glad we ve been so many times at least i know what an amazing place adelaide is.

 

Will keep you all posted on my mental state. Thanks so much for all the help ive received on this site. See you all soon.

[ShouldIStayOrShouldIGo]

No one likes a rip off but you get what you pay for. If you don't need your furniture to last the above mentioned stores are great. Here is a handy product reveiw for A-mart you can also check reviews on other products and suppliers Super A-Mart Reviewed By Australians - www.superamart.com.au.

Nick Scali have been exposed on Today Tonight for bad quality furniture.

 

This is a really interesting article for those concerned with OH&S standards

 

China Furniture

 

Reporter: Gavin Alder

 

About this time last year we warned you about cheap and nasty furniture flooding the Australian market.

Imported furniture from Asia fails to conform to Australian safety standards and environmental targets that Australian made furniture has to meet. But soon you may not even have the option to buy Australian made because furniture makers here are being driven into bankruptcy by the big retail chains out to maximise their own profit.

"I only ever see the cheap stuff out of Asia. The only Australian stuff I see is usually a delivery fault so it's not actually a fault in the furniture" says a furniture repairer.

This furniture industry insider has built his business fixing the shoddy work done overseas.

"Pretty much 90% of our work is brand new furniture that's got defects and faults."

Australian furniture makers are going broke. When the massive Queensland based Super Amart chain ditched it's loyal local furniture manufacturers, five factories closed down.

"It's been a mortal blow to the industry. Four or five businesses have shut down completely, others have had to downsize considerably" says Kevin.

Kevin Feldman's Brisbane business survived but only just.

"Eight months ago we had 90 employees. We were running three shifts a day."

Now he's down to half that.

Jess Jandu owned the largest state of the art furniture manufacturing facility in the southern hemisphere until Super Amart pulled the plug.

"Totally betrayed. Totally devastated. No dialogue. No reason."

Now it's empty - 90 jobs gone and owner Jess Jandu is on the brink of bankruptcy.

Super Amart CEO Eddie McDonald was opening a new store in Perth so told me Today Tonight he didn't have time to do an interview.

In a written statement he says the company regrets having to make the move but it made business sense because products of the same or better quality could be sourced from overseas at lower prices.

But every time a local factory closes it's more than jobs that are lost .. It means less choice for consumers.

Australian made furniture has to comply to strict standards, limiting the amount of toxic substances like formaldehyde.

Imported furniture doesn't have to meet those standards.

The Environmental Choice Organisation tested 16 Asian furniture flat packs sold by major retailers. Seven of those had two times the recommended levels of formaldehyde.

South Australian Richard Wang imports flat pack kitchens from China made from who knows what.

Cabinet maker Nathan Wood says Nazri Bouris has a kitchen nightmare on her hands. "If I looked at it I would be scared. I wouldn't know if cutting on saw I'd be wondering whats in this stuff, am I going to get cancer from it."

The irony is that with the Australian dollar plunging by 30 cents compared to the greenback, the cheap imports are getting more expensive.

"If I was still in business I'd be able to supply Amart with product cheaper than what they can buy overseas" says Jess.

Kevin Feldman's last throw of the dice is this ... "I'd like to see 100% but at the moment we're running at probably 70%."

He's opened up his own furniture warehouse supporting Australian made furniture. It's just one store in Brisbane now but he's hoping to become a thorn in the side of the big boys.

"My thinking is if eventually we've got 20 or 30 stores then we'd be a significant factor in determining the future of the industry. I'd love to have 100" adds Kevin.

We should point out there are retailers that do strongly support Australian made furniture - the best way to find them is to go to the Australia Made Council website www.australianmade.com.au

The Australian Made Furniture Big Brands Warehouse is on Kessels Road McGregor on Brisbane's southside.

[Guest ste and cheryl]

I've heard that bed sizes in Australia are different to UK, someone told me that a queen size in oz is the same as a king size here in the UK.

 

I am confused ! Is this right?

[mydearboy]

I've heard that bed sizes in Australia are different to UK, someone told me that a queen size in oz is the same as a king size here in the UK.

 

I am confused ! Is this right?

 

Yes thats correct

[Guest Peachie]

we bought most of our stuff in classic timber on the anzac hwy bought it on saterday delivered the wed after and they put the beds together solid hardwood good price paid 8000 dollers for huge dinning table 8 chairs 2 x queen bed sets (bed 6 huge draws and mirror 2x 2 draw bed side tables in each set) one times king single bed tv bench coffee table lamp table large sideboard and that incl matteress for the beds!!!! good solid stuff (kiddy proof)

 

we when to good guys for electricals in mile end which were brill and bought a to sofas and a chair from nick scali that was over priced but was the only one we agreed on!! they also exchanged it with no fuss cos I complained about the quaility on delivery they ordered a new set for us and we used the old one till it arrived much happer with the new suite but still think nick scali are expencive there you go we shopped and filled a house in less than a week it put me off shopping for months!!!

[Diane]

.....k it put me off shopping for months!!!

 

That made me laugh - I so remember the feeling! When we were looking for a lounge suite (we ended up getting ours from Nick Scali too funnily enough and have had no probs with it) I lost count of the number of bloomin' sofas I sat on! Had to keep a notebook in the end as otherwise I'd forget where I'd seen what!

 

Shopping (for furniture) is hugely overrated as a pastime, in my opinion!! Nice once it's sorted though...

[Guest Grace6]

why not do an online price comparison? for example www.twenga.com I love this website, I find everything I look for.

You can see the pictures and the prices too, wouldn't be fair to buy expensive products knowing that it costs less elsewhere

[Jenny]

Early Settler on Grote Street - nice furniture and not bad prices.

[salvadordillon]

I would try to avoid Freedom, Hecktorville, its a new store and the lead times for delivery is anything between 3-9 wks, although they told us 1-2 wks on some stuff but never arrived.....dont think much of the quality of it either ...... Harvey Norman your best bet.....

[Guest Chelseadownunder]

Harvey Norman are good. You have to Haggle and try different Harvey Normans as they vary regarding how much they will give you off. Noarlunga store is good. We have learnt that you have to get use to Haggling. They will knock of $100s

Good Luck

Steve

[Guest rich]

The best way to haggle in my opinion is to stand slightly too close to the sales assistant and not say anything at all when they mention prices. Sometimes they get all anxious as they don't like awkward silences and start dropping the price. I just got $80 off a car radio doing this exact tactic!

[jo_marnes]

Super A Mart and Fantastic furniture are good prices but shockingly poor quality! Do you really want to be buying it all again in a few years? I went there looking for entertainment units - the drawers on them would collapse if full with dvds etc. You do get what you pay for.

 

There is a lovely place in Lonsdale called In Furniture. They can be pricey (but no more so than Harvey Norman etc) and can custom make furniture to your specs or you can buy their standard designs. They are excellent quality.

 

I bought outside furniture from Early Settler and that was a great price compared to other stores. Good furniture is hard to come by it seems....