Haggling over furnishings

MarkFromCornwall

I could do with some advice on haggling. I'm looking at spending a few thousand pounds on good quality carpet, curtains and furniture from a local store. What sort of % discount should I ask for and what should I settle for?

themull1

Ask for what you like, if the shop doesn't haggle, it will just say no.

Leif

MarkFromMullion wrote: »

I could do with some advice on haggling. I'm looking at spending a few thousand pounds on good quality carpet, curtains and furniture from a local store. What sort of % discount should I ask for and what should I settle for?

You can always ask them what sort of deal they will do if you buy X, Y and Z. But sometimes it is better to search around for the best deal for each item. There can be a huge variation. I suspect an independent carpet specialist would be better than a department store, which must be where you are buying. I spent £3,000 on carpet from a local shop last week. A few days later I saw carpets at a department store. Cripes, they were expensive. And fitting was extra. And furniture varies massively. I have found English made solid wood furniture direct from the maker at less than you pay for inferior items in a department store.

However, as far as furniture goes, I've noticed that as soon as you buy it, the value plummets. You can buy nice secondhand furniture. I you buy solid wood, it even gains character from use, as long as it is not too bashed about of course. There is some lovely solid wood stuff from the middle of the last century on. I saw a lovely solid oak Ercol dining table today. Just thought I'd mention.