Shopping for furniture online can be a daunting task. With so many choices and factors to consider, it's easy to make a mistake and end up with furniture that doesn't fit your space or meet your needs. But shopping for furniture online doesn't have to be a headache - with a little bit of planning and know-how, you can be sure to find the perfect pieces for your home. Here's everything you need to know about shopping for furniture online like a pro, whether you’re looking to purchase glass splashbacks or buy handmade concrete furniture.

H2: Before you shop

Before you start browsing furniture websites (or even begin to think about taking measurements), it’s important to understand what kind of style you’re going for in your space - this means doing a little research on pinsites like Pinterest or design websites like Houzz.

By taking the time to understand what aesthetic you want in your home, you’ll be able to better communicate your vision to whomever you work with - whether that’s an online chat customer service representative or an in-store sales associate. Plus, you’ll have a clear idea of what to search for as you begin scrolling through different website pages.

Another important factor to consider before you start shopping is how much you want to spend on each piece of furniture. This will help ensure that you stay within budget and don’t get carried away as you click “add to cart”.

Understand your measurements and draw them out

Now that you know what kind of style you want and how much money you want to spend, it’s time to take some measurements of the room or rooms where the new furniture will go. Once you have these numbers, we recommend sketching out a rough floor plan so you can better visualise where each piece will go; this is especially helpful when buying larger items like sofas and dressers.

If you need help translating your measurements into a drawing, there are plenty of tools available online, like Floorplanner and Home Stratosphere, that can do most of the work for you. And if all else fails, a simple ruler and graphing paper will do the trick, too.

Not sure which numbers matter most? When in doubt, always err on the side of caution and go with the larger measurement; it’s much easier (and less expensive) to adjust furniture once it’s in your home than it is return it because it doesn’t fit through the doorframe. And speaking of doorframes…

Consider doorways, staircases and hallways

As anyone who has ever moved knows all too well, getting new furniture into your home isn’t always as easy as it looks on TV. In addition to measuring the dimensions of each item, be sure to also measure any doorways, staircases or hallways that could present an obstacle during delivery. This way, there won’t be any surprises when it comes time to unpack - and no unwanted scratches on your walls or door frames, either!

Choose your materials carefully

When furniture shopping online, it can be difficult (if not impossible) to tell whether certain materials will work for your space just by looking at pictures on a website. Plus, materials often look different in person than they do on a screen; wood tones can appear more orange or red-toned than expected, while fabric upholstery might look shinier than anticipated.

To avoid any surprises (or buyer's remorse), do some additional research on materials before making any final decisions.

Ready to get started?

With a little pre-planning and know-how, anyone can shop for furniture online - without making any costly mistakes along the way. By taking the time to understand what style you want in your home and measure twice (or even three times!), you can find exactly what pieces work best without ever setting foot inside a store. Good luck!