JESSICA KOLDITZ / Scroll
Finding the perfect furniture can be challenging. Eric and Becky Hopkins of Salt Lake City apply the comfort tests to their potential furniture as they shop at Odells in Rexburg.

Options for first-time furniture buyers

Brittany Johnson JOH04054@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

Imagine moving into a new house or apartment at the beginning of any semester with no furniture or appliances in the apartment. For students moving into an unfurnished apartment, or for those who may be getting married and moving into married housing, there are several furnishing options available.

Many married students on campus obtain furniture from family and friends. Richard Evans, a senior from Blackfoot, Idaho, said when he married his wife, they didn’t have to buy a single piece of furniture because of the generosity of others. Over the years, his wife’s mother gave her furniture, so by the time she got married, she had a good supply of furniture to start out with.

However, not all couples end up so lucky. Mark Willis, a senior from Idaho Falls, and his wife, Kathryn, got most of what they needed as gifts from family. What they didn’t get as gifts, they bought on the school bulletin board.

“The school bulletin board was really helpful. It was easy to meet with people in town selling their furniture for a good price,” Willis said.

Generally furniture stores will prove to be more expensive than second-hand furniture; however, Rexburg provides some helpful options for obtaining furniture.

Odell’s, a furniture store located in Rexburg, frequently sells furniture to BYU-Idaho students.

Cliff Robertson, an employee at Odell’s, said generally BYU-I students have smaller budgets and buy starter sets. Starter sets contain a sofa and a loveseat for under $1,000. Robertson said BYU-I students also frequently purchase dinette sets.

One incentive for buying at Odell’s is its one-year, interest-free deals, as well as its grace periods.

Another furniture store in Rexburg is Bingham and Sons, where students can buy appliances as well as furniture.

Melissa Bingham, an employee at Bingham and Sons, said since BYU-I became a four-year university, the store has had more and more students buying furniture from them.

Typically BYU-I students come in to buy appliances more than furniture. Bingham and Sons generally sell washers, dryers and refrigerators more than anything else, Bingham said.

The store has monthly promotions. In January, it held a clearance sale that put items anywhere from 10-50% off Bingham said. She also anticipates an upcoming sale towards the end of February.

Another popular option in Rexburg is Deseret Industries. It offers second-hand furniture at a discounted price.

Couches, tables, chairs and dressers are the most common items students purchase at D.I, said LaMar Densley, store manager of D.I.

“We see a lot of students here, especially with the turn of the semester. We are glad to have them come in,” Densley said. “As we help them keep the costs down while they’re going to school, they help provide training for our employees here.”

One other option that may appeal to students is the wide variety of furniture available through the Internet. Some of these sites include target.com, jcpenny.com, walmart.com and overstock.com.

Shipping and handling charges can sometimes be pricey on heavy furniture, but many sites offer free shipping.

There are many Web sites that compare furniture prices and allow students to find the cheapest prices available, including priceleap.com and bizrate.com.