5 Furniture Pieces You Should Invest In (And 5 You Shouldn’t)

Have you found yourself thinking more about your furniture while in lockdown? For many, lockdown has left us stuck inside, stress-baking too much bread, and spending time with the only friend we can: the couch. It’s a good couch. It’s trustworthy, comfortable, and the perfect shade of pale blue. In fact, as we sink deep into its cushions and press “play” on the next episode of our television show (while simultaneously eating all that bread we just baked), it occurs to us that this couch is the most stable and comforting part of our lives at the moment.

But what is it really worth?

Beyond sentimental value, furniture pieces on average provide a return of 70 percent of their original value. Of course, this return assumes that the furniture piece even made it out of the IKEA box and through that much-harder-than-you-thought-it-would-be DIY installation process at all.

And so we ask: What makes one furniture piece more valuable than another, and what types of furniture will give you the biggest return on your investment?

To answer these questions, we put together a guide on the Top 5 Furniture Pieces You Should Invest In (And 5 You Shouldn’t).

Furniture You Should Invest In

1. Dressers

According to the CEO of AptDeco, dressers of all shapes and sizes fly off their shelves the fastest. As long as the material has been well-maintained and made with care, consumers are more than happy to buy a second hand dresser for a solid resale value.

Another aspect that makes dressers particularly investible is that the structure of dressers hasn’t changed that drastically throughout history. An antique dresser can easily be freshened up with a new stain and updated fixtures, and it will still provide the same decor and purpose as it did decades ago.

2. Dining Tables 

Dining tables not only provide a strong resale value, but they also provide that captivating, “family gathering” feel to the home. For many, the table is where people come together to laugh, eat, and share their stories. As these challenging times of the pandemic have taught us, there is nothing quite like the feeling of human connection— and there is no greater piece of furniture than the dining table to bring loved ones together.

With a piece of furniture so important, it is vital to find the right brand. If you are looking for a high-quality piece created to stand the test of time, check out Makers Woodshop and their selection of dining tables. They also make coffee tables, which happens to be the next on our list for furniture investments.

3. Coffee Tables 

We seem to really love wood on this list, don’t we? When we think of a strong investment, we think of a solid, sturdy coffee table that stands steadfast in the middle of the living room. In fact, its presence is so strong that it can even hold its own against the giant television set blaring out on the wall behind it. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling your eyes away from the latest episode of Game of Thrones for even just a split second to admire the table sitting in front of you, then you know you’ve made a good investment.

Even if they aren’t made of wood, coffee tables made of any high-quality, interesting design are going to provide you with solid resale value. Coffee tables are the balancing piece of the living area, and they can add an immense amount of value to the room.

4. Sofas

Do you remember that sofa we were talking about earlier? Those friendly, plush cushions that provide just the right amount of comfort and just the right amount of support? Well, you’re in luck, because sofas can be a strong investment if well-maintained.

Given that we spend so much time sitting on top of them, sofas are in fact a very personal piece of furniture. They can provide great resale value, but they should also be the right fit for you— regardless of any resale potential. With this in mind, it is never a bad idea to take the plunge and splurge a little extra to get the perfect couch for you to enjoy.

5. High-Quality Art

This one is a given. Quality art pieces not only add beautiful color, conversation starters, and story-telling abilities to any room, but they can also become more valuable over time if you invest in fine art. No matter the piece, though, art can spruce up your space and provide a higher quality of living for you inside your home.

Furniture You Shouldn’t Invest In 

1. Furniture That is Not the Right Size for Your House

Even the most expensive, quality items will not be a good fit for you if they, quite literally, do not fit inside of your house. Furniture should always be purchased in scale with the home. A perfectly crafted room can be ruined by an overbearing couch shoved from one end of the wall up to the other. On the other side of the spectrum, a piece of art that is too small for the white space on the wall can cause more unease to the eye than it’s worth.

2. Furniture That is Not the Right Style for Your House

Have you ever seen a clean-cut, modern house… with that one old-fashioned desk that somehow snuck its way into the corner of the room? You should never invest in items merely as individual pieces, thinking only about the resale value of each piece on its own. Instead, you should think about how each piece will fit in with the flow and style of your home.

3. Furniture You Cannot Properly Maintain

Unfortunately, some of the most enticing pieces of furniture are also the hardest to keep up with and maintain. If you’re trying to preserve as much value as you can, you also need to physically preserve as much of the item as you can. When buying a piece of furniture, always make sure to check how to care for the materials. If it is not going to be a realistic endeavor, then it is not going to be a good investment.

4. Furniture You Are Not in the Right Life-Stage to Buy

If you are a college student who moves from one student housing apartment to the next, perhaps now is not the time to invest in that 9-piece outdoor patio set. Though it may seem enticing in the short-term, if you cannot say for certain that you’re prepared to fit, style, maintain or bring the furniture with you into the next phase of your life, then it is not going to be a good investment for you. It might be a good investment later, but it is not a good investment right now.

5. And Last But Not Least… Beds

People can be hesitant about buying beds secondhand due to the highly personal nature of the furniture. In act, beds are even more personal than couches; and, consequently, they can sometimes falter in their resale prices. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t buy a great bed— after all, you need to sleep on something, so it might as well be something stylish! However, just remember that you might not always get as much money back from it as you think.

Talk To Us…

Tell us, what piece of furniture has brought you the most comfort throughout lockdown? We’d love to hear all about your favorite pieces, or about any new pieces you’re considering buying. Comment down below!