Helenacald

Examine the finish on the furniture you are considering.
If the furniture is wood with a stain, check that it is applied evenly and that you can see the wood grain. For opaque or painted finishes, look for an even coating.

You need to buy furniture that will go well with the rest of your home.

For example, if you have an updated house, it is not very wise to antique furniture and vice versa.

When you decide to purchase used furniture, do not let small scratches scare you away.
Usually, these small flaws can easily be fixed from the comfort of your own home.

Before buying any cabinets, open all of the drawers and look inside.

Try to buy sets. This works really well, so that your furniture pieces match each other.
More than that, sets can sometimes be more affordable than if you purchased the pieces individually.

Learn to recognize different quality of woods. Some furniture is made from solid wood, which is a lot more expensive and fragile.
Veneers are basically made from a low quality wood base covered in layers of real wood.

Check the couch frame before purchasing. The board must be a tad over one-inch thick.
If the sofa's board is thinner than that, the sofa will squeak. Try sitting on the sofa you are interested in and move around to see if the sofa makes any noises.

If you are shopping for an entire room of furniture, ask about quantity discounts.
Many stores will offer them.