Which is better: Buying furniture from a retailer like John Lewis or a furnishing company?

Whether you are a first-time buyer looking to settle down, an investor or landlord trying to enhance your property’s appeal, an overseas property owner, or a property professional such as an agent or developer, you will surely need furniture. According to a recent study by property portal OnTheMarket, UK landlords who furnish their rental properties earn up to 21% more than those with unfurnished residences. Despite this, many buyers still grapple with the choice between picking furniture from high-street retailers or opting for a comprehensive furniture package.

This blog explores numerous benefits of choosing a furniture package over purchasing individual pieces from a department store like John Lewis. Read on to discover how you can save time, reduce costs, and ensure high-quality furnishings that enhance the appeal and value of your property.

An extensive cost comparison

The apparent cost savings of purchasing individual pieces from high-street retailers can be deceptive. While standalone prices for big-ticket items such as sofas and king-size bed frames might seem cheaper than a comprehensive furniture pack online, the cumulative cost after adding delivery and assembly charges can exceed initial expectations by 10% to 20%. For instance, a comparative analysis of our Gold Range for a 1-bed apartment with similar items from John Lewis shows that purchasing from the British furniture retailer incurs a visibly higher cost, surpassing 22% of our total after factoring in delivery and assembly fees.

Below is the detailed cost comparison between the furniture items included in our Gold Pack for a one-bed apartment vs individually priced items listed on the UK website of John Lewis. (*cost comparison conducted in August 2024. Please note: all individual items listed for John Lewis include VAT, so the VAT has been deducted from the total to ensure an accurate like-for-like comparison.)

Retailer limitations vs benefits of a furnishing company

As observed in the table above, buying individual furniture items will cost more even if they appear economical when comparing just the listing price of items. To help you make an informed decision we have explained all the benefits of a furnishing company against the limitations of furniture retailers.

Retailer limitations

• Cumbersome and time-consuming

Purchasing from retailers means coordinating multiple deliveries and furniture assembly on different dates. Selecting individual furniture pieces in itself is time-consuming, requiring buyers to compare prices across different retailers, check stock availability, and coordinate multiple deliveries. If any item is out of stock or delayed, the entire furnishing process can be disrupted. This can be particularly cumbersome for developers who have plenty of apartments still pending to be furnished or for overseas investors managing properties remotely.

The process of individual deliveries can be frustrating as you often have to wait for multiple deliveries, requiring you to take leave from work to stay home. Given the average salary in the UK is £35,828 (as reported by ONS), taking time off for these deliveries could cost you over £410. Instead of using your days off waiting for furniture deliveries, you could be spending them doing what you enjoy.

• Cohesive design

Retailers offer a wide range of styles, appealing to those who enjoy customising their purchases to fit individual design preferences. However, this flexibility can lead to a bigger chance of mismatched or inconsistent designs if not carefully coordinated. The frustration of not finding the exact table lamp to complement the sofa or the perfect rug to place beneath the coffee table can be disheartening.

• Quality and durability

Quality is another area where individual purchases from retailers can fall short. While high-street retailers offer a variety of price points, lower prices often mean lower durability. This can lead to frequent replacements, adding to long-term costs. Comprehensive furniture packages typically include higher-quality items designed to last, provide better value over time and reduce the need for frequent replacements.

• Longer lead time and assembly cost

Long lead times are another common issue with retailers, where several weeks can pass before all items are delivered. This is due to large inventories and potential stocking issues. Additionally, retailers often do not include assembly or professional setup unless paid for separately, leaving buyers to handle the daunting task of assembling furniture themselves. Not everyone has the time, tools, or inclination for a DIY approach, making professional assembly a valuable component of furniture packages.

• Flexibility

For many tenants, specific furnishing and interior modifications are essential before they agree to rent. For instance, a tenant might want an open-plan living area instead of a separate dining room. While retailers like John Lewis cannot always address these needs, with our in-house refurbishment experts, we specialise in tailoring our services to meet such diverse pre-tenancy requirements be it furnishing or complete redesign of the property.

Benefits of a furnishing company

In comparison, opting for a furniture pack company like InStyle Direct offers customers significant savings in money, time, and effort. Here’s how our comprehensive service stands out against individually priced furniture from conventional retailers.

• Clear cost benefits

Our furnishing packages come with an all-inclusive cost that covers everything from delivery to installation. Starting at a competitive price of £3995+VAT, our packages help clients stay within budget and avoid unexpected expenses. Unlike purchasing individual furniture pieces from retailers, where hidden costs for delivery and assembly can quickly add up, InStyle Direct offers a straightforward, transparent pricing model. This ensures you get high-quality furniture without worrying about additional fees.

• Design-led furniture packages

Opting for a furniture package ensures that everything in your house makes sense and looks tasteful. Design-led packages are curated to create a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing environment, enhancing the overall look and feel of your home. With over 20 years of experience, our design-led approach ensures all items in our packages match and create a harmonious living space. Styled by our team of expert in-house designers, each package is carefully curated with all measurements taken professionally to ensure every piece of furniture fits perfectly. In contrast, if you opt for retailer furniture where the measurements aren’t accurate, you risk buying furniture that is inconsistent with the layout of your property. Eventually, you would end up spending more time and money to once again go through the entire hassle of returning, reordering and waiting for deliveries.

Another important aspect of our service includes understanding people-first design principles, incorporated by our team of expert designers familiar with the growing demand for sustainable and inclusive design solutions. With several guidelines in place now, many homeowners, tenants and developers prefer their properties to adhere to these community and people-first design approaches, which our designers are steadfast in providing.

• Turnkey solutions for hassle-free setup

We provide turnkey solutions with all items delivered and installed together, reducing hassle and ensuring a seamless setup process. Our professional services eliminate the need for personal assembly or coordination. For small-scale projects, we can have everything installed within 24-48 hours. For larger or tailored projects, the timeframe varies but can be as quick as a week. For instance, we recently furnished an Airbnb at Bowen House in Kent in just one week, showcasing our ability to deliver and set up swiftly.

Additionally, we also have close ties with developers and agents, allowing us easy access to unfinished units and properties. Often, we can gain early access to conduct site surveys and measure windows before your property is fully built and handed over. This means that as soon as the property is handed over, we are ready to furnish it within a day or two, providing a seamless and efficient service.

• High-quality and durable

Our furniture packages feature high-quality, durable furnishings, to ensure longevity and lower replacement costs. We source our materials rigorously to ensure our packages are not only on-trend but also sustainable and ethical. Our commitment to quality means you’ll enjoy beautiful, lasting furniture that stands up to daily wear and tear. With a marginal return rate of less than 1% within the first year, compared to the industry standard of 15% to 25%, you can be confident of your investment in appealing and long-lasting furniture. This low return rate ensures you don’t have to worry about frequent replacements and tracking refunds.

• Handover / Snagging

Our journey with you doesn’t stop once the furniture is installed. We perform thorough checks to ensure every item is in pristine condition. If we notice any faults, we immediately replace them, saving you from the hassle of dealing with damaged goods and returns. This professional aftercare ensures peace of mind and a smooth, stress-free experience.

• Responsible removals

The assembly and installation of furniture generates waste which may require a professional removal service. If you opt to do it yourself, it could be cumbersome, as you may not have the expertise or equipment required. While retailers usually don’t bother about removals, our team ensures all the waste is removed and disposed off responsibly, without the customer having to worry about a thing.

Why should landlords choose InStyle Direct when furnishing rental properties?

For London landlords to maximise the potential of their rental properties furnishing plays an important role. Here’s how we ensure our landlord and developer clients get their properties quickly let or sold.

Market expertise and client successes

Our deep understanding of the London property market and the needs of buyers or tenants is reflected in all our packages. We know what ticks all the boxes for buyers and tenants, leading to many successful client stories. For instance, 85% of properties we furnish are let within 24-48 hours post-furnishing.

Quick lettings

InStyle Direct furnished 450 build-to-rent (BTR) units for Vastint at their Sugar House Island development in Stratford. These properties included show homes, studios, and 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units professionally furnished with our durable furniture packages. Our services resulted in 100% immediate rentals for the developer, with many properties securing over 20% increase in rent value, demonstrating our ability to attract better-paying tenants quickly.

Quick sales

InStyle Direct partnered with UOL Group Limited to furnish two show apartments at the prestigious One Bishopsgate Plaza in central London. This resulted in quick sales of multiple homes within the development, with many buyers seeking similar Diamond Furniture Packages, leading to a bigger contract from the developer.

Maximising rental potential

Sometimes, even new apartments struggle to achieve the asking rent if the furniture is dated. The owner of a spacious two-bed riverfront apartment at Imperial Wharf in Fulham was struggling until he sought our property makeover services. We refreshed the decor with contemporary furnishings, resulting in a better rental yield for the client.

Added benefits

In addition to our comprehensive packages, we provide complementary professional photoshoots for property agents, developers, and landlords to market their properties and improve online listings. This value-added service helps present your property in the best light, attracting more potential buyers or tenants.

Choosing a comprehensive furniture pack from InStyle Direct over buying individual furniture from retailers offers unmatched benefits. From significant cost savings and hassle-free setup to high-quality, design-led furnishings and market expertise, our packages are designed to meet and exceed your needs. Contact us today to learn more about how our furniture packs can transform your property and provide lasting value.