Thursday, July 17, 2008

Household decorating cheaply and easy

With a skillful eye and spot of research, you will be able to renovate in style - and below budget.

Browse the web

Last years fashions, not-quite-right samples, ceased stocks. It used to be that large price reductions were solely devoted to merchandises and furniture that comprised either slightly defective or no longer in style. Not any longer. Online auction sites (eBay, graysonline, trading post, dontmissout.com.au) and now post designer classics and the newest gadgets by the dozens - and if you're bright, you can even get it made-to-order.

When styler Holly Evans went searching for a lounge, she was on the lookout for a solid, modern-day lounge suite - cheaply.

It was not long before she ascertained it: a brand-new six-seater, L-shaped modular lounge suite, listed on eBay by a furniture service. And Evans made a plan to snatch it. "I knew it wasn't the only one up for auction," she says. "There were a few of them going. I saw how much the previous highest bid had been. I wanted to pay even less."

Evans held off until the eleventh hour to bid. The gamble worked out and she got the lounge for $900 (plus costs), compared to the $4999 rrp on the open marketplace. She in addition to selected its orientation, size and colour.

But whilst her tale had a happy conclusion, not all will. "Buying on a website means you can't inspect the goods beforehand," states Evans, "and there's very little recourse for action if anything goes wrong."

The same furniture service was later removed from eBay after many purchaser complaints, ranging from incorrect colours to delivery holdups. Evans urges buyers to read the detailed feedback on the web site prior to placing a purchase.

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