Furniture in Switzerland: Simple Saving Tips

Furnishing a home in Switzerland can cost you a fortune – or nothing at all. But whether you are going for new designer furniture or are content with used goods, these tips provide a good springboard for cutting the cost of furniture shopping.

1. Take a look at freebies

Before you bother shopping around at all, it is worth taking a few minutes to search for free furniture on classifieds websites like Tutti and Anibis. Chances are, someone may be giving away the very item you are looking for free. This is also a good way to discover interesting items which might fit your home deco style. Moving homes is a common reason for giving away furniture, so the tail ends of March and September (when many rental contracts expire) are often exceptionally good times for finding free furniture.

2. Buy secondhand

Giving used furniture a second life is not only good for the environment, it can also save you thousands of francs. Many pieces of furniture in perfect condition are offered secondhand at a fraction of their new price. Classified websites are a good first stop for deals on used furniture, but secondhand stores (Brockenhaus in German or brocante in French) are also worth checking out. Dedicated swap and sell groups on social media platforms like Facebook are another source of good secondhand deals.

3. Make use of vouchers, cash back, and loyalty programs

If you prefer to buy new furniture, it is always worth running a quick Internet search for vouchers from the store in question. Many furniture stores offer vouchers, and the discounts provided can save you a lot of money in some cases. Some stores give you a one-time discount (10 percent, for example) when you sign up to their marketing emails. You can easily unsubscribe later if you no longer want to receive the mailings.

When you buy furniture online, it can be worth taking advantage of cash back deals like those offered by websites like Monerio and Rabattcorner. You can earn cash back both in stores and online by using a cash back credit card to pay. Because furniture purchases tend to be large, the otherwise negligible cash back – typically one to three percent on cash back websites, and up to one percent with credit cards – can add a significant saving.

Customer loyalty programs should never be a reason to shop at a specific store. You should always compare prices. But if you find yourself frequently buying at the same store or if you plan to make a big purchase, then signing up to their customer loyalty program often makes sense. The loyalty program from Pfister, for example, gives members a two-percent discount on purchases. The Ikea Family store credit card lets you earn points which can be redeemed for Ikea gift cards. Migros subsidiary Micasa and Coop subsidiary Livique participate in the Migros Cumulus and Coop Supercard rewards programs respectively. Many other furniture stores offer similar loyalty programs which can save you additional money.

4. Compare offers and negotiate

Just because items are discounted or on sale does not mean you are getting the best deal. Always make sure to compare with similar offers from other stores for furniture with the same quality. In many cases you can also negotiate the price of furniture in stores.

5. Consider online-only shops

While many people prefer seeing and inspecting furniture in a showroom setting before buying, online-only furniture stores often have very competitive prices. If you are willing to go on pictures and product descriptions, then ordering furniture from online-only stores is worth considering. Important: If you have any questions which are not adequately answered in online stores – such as doubts about the quality of fabrics or the type of wood used – make sure to contact the retailer and clear up these questions before you buy. It is also important to check whether the online store lets you return items, and how returns are handled, just in case the furniture is not what you expected it to be.

6. Check out factory stores

Some furniture makers, including a number of Swiss manufacturers, have their own stores from which they sell directly to the public. The prices in these factory stores are sometimes substantially lower than what you would pay for the same items at furniture stores.

7. Take a look at red-dot sales

Big furniture stores (like Ikea) and factory stores often have a special section where open-box items, showcase furniture, items from older collections, and goods with slight damages are sold at reduced prices. In Switzerland, these are often referred to as outlets. Some are available online. These can be a bit of a hit-and-miss, but in the best case you can find the furniture you want at a big discount on its original price tag.

8. Upcycle or do it yourself

If you are inclined towards craftsmanship, you can use your inclination to transform otherwise worthless items into trendy pieces of furniture. Check out free items on classifieds websites, street corners and dumpsters for inspiration. Refurbishing old furniture is both an interesting hobby and a way to uniquely furnish your home at very little financial cost. If carpentry is part of your skill set, you could also consider creating items of furniture from scratch. While this is rarely as cheap as refurbishing due to the cost of materials, it can be very satisfying and typically still costs less than buying similar furniture new.

9. Cut the cost of furniture pickups

If you buy furniture from an online-only store, you may have no choice but to pay the delivery fee – although a few online furniture shops do not charge for deliveries. But if you buy from brick-and-mortar stores, then collecting in person can be cheaper than getting furniture delivered, in many cases. If you buy secondhand, or opt for giveaways, then collecting will normally be your only option.

Some furniture stores, like Ikea and Otto’s, offer rental vans at hourly rates. If you live near the store and can manage the return trip in an hour or two, these can be a practical and affordable option. If you need more than two hours, full-day rentals from rental car companies generally work out cheaper. Platforms like 2EM and Gomore, which let you rent panel vans from private people, are also worth checking out, as prices are often lower than those of standard car rentals.

Try to organize all of your pickups for the same time or day, as this saves you having to do multiple trips and van rentals.

10. Cut the cost of assembling furniture

If you are a hands-on type of person, you can save a lot of money by foregoing the paid assembling services offered by many furniture stores and putting your furniture together yourself in your free time.

If you are not particularly handy, think about whether you have a friend or family member who might be willing to help you. If you have to pay for assembly, it is worth comparing the fee charged by the furniture store with those charged by private handy people. You can find the latter using online platforms like Rent a Rentner.

11. Avoid installment plans

Many furniture stores offer installment plans which you can use to buy furniture and then pay it off over time. When you shop online, payment in installments may also be offered through billing services. Using installment plans adds a substantial cost to furniture purchases because you pay interest, and is best avoided. You can find more information in the guide to using installment plans in Switzerland, and the guide to online shopping payment methods.

If paying cash is not an option, then getting a personal loan to buy furniture can be cheaper than using installment plans, if you have good creditworthiness. You can compare Swiss personal loans here.

Note: A handful of Swiss furniture stores offer zero-percent financing which lets you pay off purchases in installments without any interest charges. However, these are primarily boutique stores, so this option primarily benefits you if you are in the market for high-end furniture.

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