Credit Crunch Furtniture Packages

Hi All

I am approaching completion on my property and had always been planning to furnish using a combination of IKEA and local companies. However due to the slump in the market I wondered if anyone had come across any credit crunch-beating furniture pack offers as this would certainly be an easier option but I've always been put off by the high prices.

happy to give you some tips for furnishing -if uk based call me on 07951 571 630

You may be able to negotiate with companies selling furniture packs.  We bought ours through Murcia Furniture, and were able to negotiate a discount.  I noticed on their website that they are now offering credit terms, if that is any help.

Sue

Hi Adam

Where are in Spain are you buying

There are some real deals out there at the moment and you should consider 2nd hand as an option as there is a lot of nearly new items in the shops at least 60% -70% cheaper than new

Bdecause of all of the people handing back keys and selling furniture these items are hardly used and the biggest savings are on bed frames, headboards, dining tables and sofas

For some examples take a look at www.smartshopspain.com  because where you really save money is on the extras, shower cubicals  for example €140 form the DIY shops and you´ll pay about €30 for fitting

The basic kitchen packs, iron toaster, crockery etc, advertised for €975 form a pack supplier and you can put a better pack together using IKEA and one of the electrical pleces for less than €300

Lights from the DIY places around €6 each, same as ones offered as part of a package for €30 each

Please mail me and i can send you an advice pack

Thanks for the posts. I will keep an 'Eye On' the furniture company websites for any offers!

Hi, we furnished for half the price of the furniture package companies.  We sourced the electrical goods locally in case there were problems later and we made a list of all the furniture we'd need in the Ikea catalogue.  By the time a Man and a Van met us outside Ikea we had everything on 4 trolleys and were eating an ice cream.  It's the way to go!  It cost us around 3000 euros (inc electricals) to furnish our 2 bedroom townhouse.  There's an Ikea on the outskirts of Murcia city and a big B&Q style shop (Leroy Merlin) a few minutes away.

Woops, I've just read half of Ikea is closed for refurbishing until the 19th.  Still a lot of the furniture package people want a month's notice so it's worth the wait.

Thanks Mojito sounds good. How did you go about finding the Man and a Van?

If you know somebody out there or see the classified ads in the English spanish papers, you often see them advertised.  I'll PM you with the guy who did our furniture run.  Not sure where you are but our area is San Juan 5 miles west of Aguilas.

I have just bought and had delivered from DFS a 2 bedroom furniture pack which included a sofa bed with an Italian type mechanism that means I dont have to take off the cushions and it is comfortable as bed or a sofa. I also bought  a sideboard, TV unit and a nest of tables in a modern Oak finish with chrome handles. I have a modern dining table with chrome legs and matching dining chairs with chrome legs which is very modern looking and sturdy. 2 complete single beds and 1 main bed. and finally for the garden I got a 2 seater sofa, 2 matching armchairs and a coffee table in resin wicker. I also got some nick nacks. The total was less than 2700e, delivered to the house, unpacked and set-up ready to use. They took all the packaging away. Cora who organised it was brilliant. Thanks DFS 

Mijoto,

Did you not had the nightmare that nearly all the screws and hinges etc are missing from items of the ikea. I furnished my appartment in Madrid with Ikea furniture and just putting things together was an absolute nightmare for me and my hustband.

As I have said before the key thing is to shop around before you buy as there can be a dramatic difference comparing some of the local Spanish retailers compared to others that cater for the British Market

I am am certainly not knocking the quality fo service that Murcia Furniture and DFS provide as they are both reliable established retailers

A good example is a visit with clients today to a retailer in Almoradi, the capital for furniture in Spain, and which has more than 50 furniture shops, and where they ordered a 3+2 seaters leather sofas, in the colour of their choice, with 12 months guarntee, for €499 the pair and it was only €599 if they wanted one to be a sofa bed or €399 in a cloth finish, I sat on them and couldn´t believe the price and quality

Another little known fact is that most furniture retailers will provide packages and install for free

The problem is that people rush too much, they come over with limited time not knowing that many shops close on Saturdays and Sundays and really don´t visit and compare enough stores, people should perhaps buy beds so that they can use the property and then take time to shop around

I Have bought lots form IKEA in Spain and had customers buy lots, no real problems with screws but there are a number of professional fitters that will make your furniture up for you

Again visit markets for your paintings, so cheap, €30 - €40 each compared to €150 as supplied in a pack for the same paintings 

Roy

Excellent advice.

Another tip, have a look around second hand shops, furniture clearance places, I know some will be adverse to this but you can find some great deals on furniture that is basically new, its a symptom of the credit crunch, repossession and people returning home.

Like everything else, the further you go from the coast the better value you get.

Steve.

Nathalie, we have furnished a few properties now with Ikea furniture. We've always found the chests of drawers and bedframes etc very sturdy.  Some I've had now for nine years and still as new.  My husband is a dabhand at building them up now thankfully and we've never had a problem with missing screws or pieces.  Just get a spare battery charged up for the power driver and get going.  If I had a lot more time I'd love to go round all the Spanish auctions and second hand shops but who knows what I'd end up bidding for.

maybe we always had bad luck.

You are spot on with nearky new as I prefer to call it and to get a good idea of range and prices for around the Murcia and Costa Blanca areas take a look at examples on www.smartshopspain.com

As I already explained we fully furnihsed a 2 bedroomed place with the owner a few weeks ago for less that €3k with a mixture of new and used

For example new matresses with used bed frame, headboard and cabinets

Are there a lot of suppliers here were you can buy second hand furniture?

There are in excess on 15 shops that we visit with clients selling varying styles from classic old Spanish furniture through to items that are often less than a year old and hardly used and the items on www.smartshopspain.com are just a selection for 5 different shops

As previously explained there are so many people loosing their properties or handing back keys often the furniture is as new and normally less than half of the cost new and they even delivery and assemble ythe items in the price so almost the same as new

What we normally do is get a good idea of what people want before they arrive and I can even reserve something if I think that it fits the bill sometimes sending them a photograph because stocks literally change daily

As with buying new prices are always negoiable

Most often people end up with a mixture as lots of the 2nd hand guys now sell new matresses and bedding

Thats great, but what about a garanty on the products?

First of all personally I would never buy white goods 2nd hand, bed bases ans suites etc are bought as seen but they are wood and leather so yiu test things like dining chairs etc

You can also check a 2nd hand suite for tears and damage and the big thing is that you get to see the items in the store and they will store items or deliver them immediatley

We have had some furniture exchanged for one client when it ended up to be too large to fit properly even though it was the clients fault

Unfortnately there are a good few people out there now who bought new that have no guarntees or even furniture as their pack provider had gone bust