Best place to buy new furniture?
 

Moving to TV in the spring and have decided to sell our old furniture and purchase new items once we arrive. Does anyone have recommendations on where to purchase where we can get quality items for reasonable prices? Thanks.

We furnished our home in February using several sources, and we ended up wishing we'd used just Southern Lifestyles

They were friendly and helpful, the deliveries were speedy and efficient, and they gave us "loaners" while we were waiting for our items to arrive

We thought they would be more expensive than outside stores, but that wasn't the case

We had awful experience with Kanes Furniture in Ocala - time-wasting, lack of knowledge of their stock (which fabrics were available with which products) and they ended up taking six months to deliver - August!

We've bought quite a bit of furniture at Babettes in Leesburg on Hwy 441.
We've found the quality of their furniture is very good and the prices seem reasonable. I recommend them highly.

John

We bought from Whites on 441, Kanes in Belleview and Southern Lifestyles. We were satisfied with all. No delivery charges from any stores and received the furniture the next day from Whites and Kanes.
We also bought furniture from wood u in Ocala. This is unfinished oak furniture that they stain to order. We love our wall unit and wish we had bought our kitchen table from them. This did take about 8 weeks for delivery.

Go with Southern Lifestyles for new furniture and also look at what's available in consignment stores (some of the "used stuff looks new" such as Bargains and Treasures near the Villages off 466 and Carriage Trade in Ocala.

Also go to Showcase Direct in La Plaza Grande for new furniture.

Showcase Direct as already stated. Bargains and Treasures (re-sale)...in some cases you might find new there as people will purchase new but furnished homes from TV and maybe won't like some of it---or bring their own--so will re-sale it at B&T. Only thing is you need to go often as their inventory turns over quickly and/or you may not find exactly what you want the first time you go.

You can't go wrong with Southern Lifestyles. Their salespeople are very knowledgeable, great selection, prices are reasonable, their delivery people are terrific and they back up everything they sell.

I've heard good things about Southern Lifestyles. Do they also offer design service with an understanding of what works best in different models? The idea of furnishing a whole house from scratch could be a little overwhelming.

Yes, they offer design service. They have the floor plans of all the Villages models and know exactly what will work where. You can't go wrong with Southern Lifestyles. Their service and selection are excellent.

Furniture stores
 

We liked the selection, prices and services at Southern Lifestyles in LSL. Ask for Jenifer, she is really helpful and patient.

A warning about Kanes
 

Kanes has had more consumer complaints than any other furniture company in Florida. For further information see the following link

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/furniture/kanes.html

I prefer IKEA in Orlando next to the Mall of Millenia. Good quality at a reasonable price.

There is another thing about Southern Lifestyles that hasn't been mentioned here.

Since they are owned by the Villages, they have computer generated floor plans of all models of home. They can place scaled miniatures of the furniture you wish to purchase in your exact home. That way, you can see if it fits and how you like the layout. Pretty neat.

JK

Buying Furniture
 

Do the footwork, find what you want, get all the info (manufacturer, style, color, fabric, etc.) then buy it on the Internet. Dozens of sources, lower prices, free delivery and often no taxes.

We have just furnished our new home in TV and with an electric fireplace, complete dining room set, living room furniture and TV - all over the Internet - saved hundreds, actually thousands. I feel bad for the furniture stores but it keeps dollars in our pocket.

Southern Lifestyles and Furniture Direct get my vote. However, shopping around is the best bet. SL and FD may meet another local vendor's price. Get complete info and take back to them if you find somewhere else.