Your home, followed closely by your car, is likely your most valuable item if you own one. You probably spent the most money on your furniture after that.

The risks of purchasing an uncomfortable chair might not be as great as those of purchasing a poor home or a lemon car, but over time, you'll probably wind up spending hundreds of dollars on furniture. So bear these tips in mind the next time you shop for furniture.

There is never enough measurement. Even if it's a wonderful place to start, measuring the furniture to determine whether it will fit where you want it is insufficient. If the object is large or oddly shaped, you should check the doorway and possibly more than one doorway, especially if you live in a building.

Consider how the piece of furniture will look in relation to the rest of your furnishings. No matter how well you think you know your house, it can still be challenging to see a piece of furniture in a room while you're in a store.

However, you should also consider how your furniture will fit your lifestyle both today and in the near future. A customer of ours is purchasing a lot of new furniture because she didn't have children or pets when she outfitted her home three years ago, including some chairs with some not so easy to clean fabric. The client currently has twin sons, a bulldog, and a boxer.

Do not hurry. Typically, people look for a home for months and a suitable vehicle for weeks. Take your time purchasing furnishings and now is not the time to make an impulsive buy. Walking away for at least a day, and then deciding if you still want it before you buy it.

Remember to maintain. You might be surprised at how much extra maintenance some expensive pieces of furniture need. Ask about the endurance of the wood finish if there is any wood present, such as when purchasing a table. Learn how to clean it, what to use to clean it with, and most importantly, what not to use. Some cleaning agents frequently damage wood finishes.