If you are looking to add some new furniture to your home, from a wardrobe to a double bed, you have two options to choose: flat-pack or pre-built. For most people, flat-pack furniture means Ikea, the Scandinavian company that has become synonymous with good-looking, and well-designed flat-pack furniture that is available on a budget. Meanwhile, pre-built furniture could mean something like a sofa or dresser that you buy directly form a retailer, and custom-built would mean something created exactly to your idea by a skilled carpenter or craftsman.
So what are the pros and cons of each of these options and is there a middle ground that offers the best of both worlds?
What are the benefits of flat-pack furniture?
The primary benefit of flat-pack furniture is the price. Whether you are buying your flat-pack furniture from Ikea, Homebase, B&Q, or any other retailer, it will probably be significantly cheaper than buying something pre-built. This is due to lower manufacturing costs as the item does not need to be constructed by the manufacturer, lower storage costs as the item is stored as a number of slim boxes instead of as a large bulky item, and lower distribution costs again down the the size. As such, flat-pack furniture can cost more than 50 per cent less than similar items bought pre-built.
Moreover, flat-pack furniture will often come in a number of color ranges, so you might get more flexibility when selecting the right option to match your home decor, and delivery times are generally much quicker as shipping flat-pack boxes is much easier than trying to move a large fully constructed item.
What are the negatives of flat-pack furniture?
The main downside to flat-pack furniture is that you will need to built the item yourself, or talk to a reliable local handyman to assemble it for you. If you are building it yourself then you might find you need some specific tools such as screw-drivers (or a electric screw driver to save yourself some time), a hammer, a spirit level, and some other items, although many flat-pack items today are built with just a few screws and an Allen key or hex key which is included in the pack.
Depending on the item of furniture, the quality of the instructions, and your DIY skill level, building the item could take you half an hour or an entire weekend. A professional handyman could likely build the item significantly more quickly, but that additional cost should be factored into any flat-pack furniture purchase.
Depending on the manufacturer, you may also find that the piece of furniture when built does not look exactly like the picture. Ikea has high production values, and you can normally rest assured that flat-pack furniture you buy there will look like the picture, but other manufacturers may have different standards and the colours and or fittings may not be so exact.
What are the benefits of pre-built furniture?
Pre-built furniture does not require any home assembly, which means that it will be ready as soon as it has been delivered to your home. Moreover, it will almost always look exactly is it did when you selected it from the shop floor, so you can be sure you know exactly what you are getting.
What are the negatives of pre-built
The primary negative of choosing pre-built furniture over something that is flat-pack is the cost. You will often find yourself paying at least 50 per cent more for an item of similar quality and style. Moreover, delivery can be slow as the retailer or manufacturer needs to book a specific van or truck delivery to your address for the item, and you will also need to make sure that the item will fit through your front door and through any narrow doors or passages within your property.
Some retailers and manufacturers offer a service where they will send out a technician to measure up your property to make sure that the item you plan to purchase will fit through the door, and others may offer to add a few extra elements on-site at your property to make sure it will all fit. However, there are always numerous stories of people buying furniture and getting it delivered only to find out they can’t get it through the door, so it pays to be careful!
What about custom-built furniture?
Custom-built furniture generally means an items that has been designed and built specifically for your property, whether that is with custom dimensions, or a custom choice of wood or finish. As long as you employ a skilled carpenter or craftsman, then custom-built furniture will generally be of the highest quality and will look perfect in your home. However, all this customisation and time comes at a cost, with custom built furniture generally significantly more expensive than anything pre-built and certainly more expensive than any flat-pack alternatives.
Is there a middle ground that is the best of all worlds?
Whilst most people build flat-pack furniture exactly following the instructions, it is often possible to customise them if you are a talented DIY enthusiast or find a skilled handyman to do the customisations for you. This could mean reducing the height or depth of a set of drawers to better fit its location in a room, or it could mean repainting the item to better fit the decor of your home. In recent years, a number of firms, such as Pretty Legs and Superfront, have also sprung up that offer beautiful alternative fronts or legs that are designed specifically for Ikea furniture. These customisations can make flat-pack furniture look as beautiful as something custom made, and fitted just as well, for a fraction of the price.
If you would like some help assembling some flat-pack furniture, or would like to discuss how you might be able to customise some flat-pack furniture to better fit your home, then called the handyman experts at BBOJ today on 0208 244 5070 or fill out or online form.
