At some point that time will come again when you need to go out and choose some new garden furniture. There are now plenty of styles and designs, as well as materials and colours to choose from. This in turn can cause mistakes to be made when ordering your rattan furniture.

Below are a few mistakes that hopefully, after reading this article you won’t be making.

The top of the list for mistakes is measuring. This is the most common mistake that people make when ordering their furniture. In the woodworking trade they always say ‘Measure twice, cut once’. With rattan furniture, ‘Measure twice, buy once!’ If you don’t get the measurements right from the start then you could end up with furniture that is too big or even worse, furniture that is too small and looks odd.

Once you have measured the area of your patio, decking or area when your new rattan furniture will go, it’s time to compare that to the furniture that you want. Different furniture styles will have different requirements for space.

If you are looking for a rattan corner sofa set, then you need to ensure that the 2 measurements for each of the seating sides are sufficient for the full corner set. If it is just a normal rattan sofa set then do you have enough room for the armchairs and footstools?

Rattan Dining sets can cause more problems. It’s not just the size of the table and chairs combined that you need to take into consideration. You need to allow extra room to allow the chairs to be moved out and also for people to walk around the table while the chairs are out.

Get the measurements right and you are on the right path to getting some amazing furniture that will look stunning in your garden.

Don’t make your choices based on the aesthetics and appearance of the product only. Don’t be fooled by the lavish photos that are shown online. These photos are done in a studio with perfect lighting and the accessories are put where needed for the photo shoot, not necessarily where they are most practical.

You should buy the type and style of furniture that is right for what you will be using it for. If you love entertaining and enjoy having your family and friends over that a rattan sofa set or dining set would be more appropriate than buying rattan sun loungers.

If you haven’t got room for the large rattan plant pots then don’t try to cram them into your garden design. This could be valuable space that’s needed for making you and your guests comfortable rather than crammed in.

Material is another big consideration that people can get wrong. Garden furniture is available in lots of different materials from plastic to wood, Rattan to Metal. All of these with their own pros and cons. Wood needs a lot of attention to stop it rotting and looking aged but can be a lot cheaper to buy. Plastic can also be cheap to buy but often looks cheap and can discolour in the sun. Metal again needs a lot of work to maintain the colour and stop it rusting. Often it’s extremely heavy too.

This is why we personally prefer rattan garden furniture. It takes all of the positives and combines them into 1 complete furniture package that is very weather resistant, lightweight and low maintenance. The only downside to top quality rattan furniture is that it can be more expensive than most. This said, with most companies offering a minimum of 5 years, you know that the life of your rattan furniture should be long and hassle-free.

Following on from the material choice is the value. When you look around you will see offers that are simply too good to be true. Trust us, and your instinct, they are! When it comes to garden furniture, especially rattan garden furniture, buying cheap will normally mean buying twice, at least!

With cheaper furniture, you may not get the right material for the weave. The frames are also extremely important. Powder-coated steel, although it looks good, will be rusted within 2 years and with the main structure of your furniture gone, you will be back at the point of spending money again. For more information on materials etc, check out our other article here.

If you are on a tight budget then you may have to find yourselves either doing a bit of haggling or waiting for the sales. Most companies will be happy to discuss a small discount for full payment upfront or if you are buying multiple items.

Alternatively, throughout the year there are many opportunities for buying sale items. The end of the season and Christmas time is the prime time for these discounts.

Our last tip is not to buy instinctively. When you are wandering around a garden centre or store it can be very easy to fall in love with the rattan furniture there and then. Some people go all out and buy the furniture without going through any of the details above. Don’t leave it to chance that your furniture will fit. Don’t leave it to chance that you can get the accessories you want in the same colours. Most of all, don’t buy it because it’s cheap. If you are doing this then be prepared that next season you will be out looking again.

Hopefully, these points have given you the incentive to go out and get the measurements right, get the colour choices right, get the style right and also to understand that cheap is not always a bargain!