To Build or Buy Furniture?

Article - March 12, 2013

This is a question I ponder frequently. How do you know when you should take a project on yourself, or when you should raise the white flag and just purchase the item from a store? This goes for house furniture as well as shop furniture and jigs. Judging from the many emails I receive asking this exact question, I know I’m not alone.

In November 2009, I wrote an article for Popular Woodworking Magazine that talks about this exact topic. Taking some influence from Nicole’s Glamour magazine, I constructed a quiz specifically for woodworkers. Answer the questions honestly, and you should end up with a reasonably objective result that tells you whether you should build or buy.

You can download the full article here. And if you want to take the test, download the Build or Buy Worksheet.

For those who might be wondering, this is an older article from the archive, but I now have permission to distribute the article and the worksheet directly. I felt it was worth re-posting.

Discussion

Fr. Thomas Bailey, OSB March 12, 2013 8:54 am

I take umbrage with one part of your worksheet. I realize it is a total approach and I think that is good, and I like the concept. However, I would reverse the order on the category, “Difficulty of Product.” I think any project or jig that requires you to learn a new technique, more research, etc. – in other words anything that improves your skill set, should push you towards doing the project and not away from it.

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- Marc Spagnuolo March 12, 2013 9:07 am
  
  Remember, this was viewed through the lens of my wife looking over my shoulder and saying, “Where my xyz piece of furniture?!” So anything that takes excessive time to learn or prepare for, from my perspective, works against the goal. But I can totally see from a general woodworking perspective why you would want to reverse the order.
  
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Ryan March 12, 2013 9:37 am

This topic never enters my thought process when we want or need a new piece of furniture. The build or buy criteria usually is dependant on whether it is upholstered or can it be built out of solid wood. It’s either a yes or no question; then off we go to the store or off i go to the shop. It’s about setting expectations, i told my wife when i started woodworking that it will not necessarily save us money but we will end up with higher quality pieces of furniture. Along with that i said there is no same day delivery from the shop. Quick example is the crib i am building for my first born, $300 in material to build it or $300-$400 to buy something that looks like it, however my crib will be made from mahogany and curly maple end panels. Same price. Better quality. Build when you can, buy when you have too
Thanks
Ryan

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- Marc Spagnuolo March 12, 2013 10:55 am
  
  And that’s what makes something like this so interesting. The value proposition is completely different for each of us. While Nicole was pregnant, I was contemplating building a crib. But based on much of the criteria in this little quiz, I decided we would buy the crib instead. Sure I could have made one and it would have been much higher quality. But “the apprentice” is now 16 months and we are already transitioning him into a toddler bed. The crib will be moved out of the bedroom and put into long term storage or sold since we don’t plan on having another child. If I am going to put that much effort into building something, it’s going to have to stick around for more than 16 months. :) But of course, that’s just me and my particular situation. Always interesting to hear out others deal with similar circumstances.
  
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Thomas G. Kaiser March 12, 2013 9:49 am

I don’t care, I try to get my wood free, by milling it my self, or wheeling and dealing for it. I have a project in mind and I work for it. It my take some time to get together but it always does. I have wood for my new kitchen stored for about 2 years now and I must be getting close because I’m starting to talk about the build up. This way I have projects on the back burner and thinking about them all the time…….. and you know there is always a project going on in the shop, so I’m not just sitting around doing nothing.

Thomas

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Logan Newman March 12, 2013 11:30 am

I actually agree with you completely! There are certain pieces that make sense to buy and certain pieces that its better to do on your own. I had a friend call me and ask me to make a crib for them and I had a similar reply to yours – it would only be in use for a few years and, with safety issues, I would prefer to err on the side of caution. On the other hand, we had an area of our house that needed a some different storage and there was no rush for it. The secretary desk was built to very exact specifications for a specific area of the house. There is no way I could buy something like that. I think the hardest realization is that some pieces it just doesn’t make financial sense to build unless you have unlimited free time. Great quiz! I would only add “what does your partner think?” My wife is generally better at determining what projects I should or should not undertake. Like your wife, Marc, my wife is often the one who says to me “yes, you CAN build it, but I would rather you did X now,” or, even better, “I like this design! Lets go pick out the wood for it!”
Thanks again

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Jose l. Varela March 12, 2013 12:06 pm

I have a maxim, for general norm if to construct my own furniture, for my it is mas that a saving is a personal satisfacion. In house of my parents there exist furniture constructed by my great-grandfather, that we continue admiring nongroves, my I would like that my great-grandsons could do it also, but sometimes my wife does not give another exit that conprar the furniture, but already every time it is mas rarely.

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Dave March 12, 2013 7:04 pm

I think time is the biggest factor in making the decision. I’m looking forward to the day when I can make a bedroom set but since I only get in the shop on weekends we may just end up purchasing it instead. Life is too short and especially with woodworking, the project list will go on forever. As a newbie I already have a long list of things to build and it’s to the point that I know I will have to make some trips to the store instead of the lumber yard.

I agree with Ryan, “Same price. Better quality. Build when you can, buy when you have too”

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Scott March 12, 2013 8:32 pm

I like buying from unfinished furniture retailers. You can still get decent quality construction, real wood rather particle board, and the pricing is pretty good.

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Greg J March 13, 2013 7:55 am

Haha, this is a perfectly timed article for me. Just this last Sunday, my neighbor popped round for a visit and found me working on a shop cabinet, that is just about finished. He was admiring it, and asked how long it took. I thought about it and reckoned I had started maybe two months ago, and been working on it on weekends off and on, so maybe 4 weekends worth. His response was: “Well it looks great, but maybe it would just have been easier to buy it”. I muttered something under my breath, but he might well have been right, and its been irking me all week!

I think the crux for me, though, is that my woodworking passion does not really lie in furniture and cabinet making, but more in smaller, finer pieces, such as working wooden toys, boxes, boards, carved pieces, etc. Sure I can and do have a go at furniture now and then, but if my woodworking time is limited, which it is, then maybe furniture pieces should rather be bought :)

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Kat March 13, 2013 5:09 pm

There’s one more criteria- does the item exist in the retail world (or if not exactly, is there a “close enough” analog)?
My current project is a 16th century niddy noddy (yarn skeiner). Niddy noddies are out there, but not this style. My next project is a Dantesca chair. Rare, but findable. However, mine will be a custom design so that I can actually pick the thing up- the “commercial” ones are too heavy for me, since they’re designed to stand up to a large male in armor. Even in the full 1545 getup (probably 20-30+ pounds of fabric) I’m a lot lighter than that. After that, probably a 16th century bed to take camping. Nope, not available (gee, can’t imagine why not- why wouldn’t you want to take a four-poster bed camping?)

I’ll gladly buy shop organizer bins, though.

Same approach I take to sewing- I buy the blue jeans and polos for work (couldn’t buy the fabric for what the finished store-bought garment costs), and make the Elizabethan gowns (not commercially available without paying a mint for a truly custom fit).

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- Tommaso January 31, 2016 8:06 pm
  
  Odd, perhaps, to come across this. I’ve made a few variations of the Dantesca chair, modified to fold up a bit for travel, light enough to be carried easily, and strong enough to hold a fully armored person. Well mostly, i’m on the 8th or 9th variation of the design.
  
  Sounds like we might run in the same circles, Pennsic bound this year?
  
  Tom
  
  Reply
Darrel March 13, 2013 6:11 pm

For me it’s simple. If I want to build a piece, I build it. If I don’t then a shopping I will go. I’ve built very few things for myself. Mostly because my kids are monkeys and I need disposable furniture.

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steve March 14, 2013 4:50 am

At this point I’ve spent too much on my tools that buying furniture is no longer an option, even if it’s semi disposable, hehe.

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sjeff70 March 14, 2013 7:46 am

Just to add on to what Kat said…What got me into woodworking was not being able to find the pieces I was looking for. And if I got close they were too expensive anyway. The seed that was planted watching Norm and Marks, started to sprout.

Who wants to buy from China anyway.

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jgreasy March 14, 2013 9:07 am

Hi Marc,
Care to share where you found such a deal for those stools? Your article made it sound like a big box store like Costco or Sams Club.

By the way, I seem to go through this decision process every project I think about.
Good Stuff!

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- Marc Spagnuolo March 14, 2013 9:12 am
  
  I believe it was Costco. But you know how those places are. Sometimes they get a big one-time shipment in and you never see the product again. I believe that was the case with these stools.
  
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Remus March 14, 2013 10:07 am

Hi,

I really admire your work and all your helpful videos. This article is interesting, it may help some undecided woodworkers (like me) to take a decision.

Have a good day,
Remus

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John March 15, 2013 7:48 am

For me the decision was , not so much as cost of new item verse cost of materials. but more so in quality. I built our crib for our son when he was born. and he has just turned one en Feb. we had thought of buying a crib with the thought of baby furniture is temporary. At most a crib is used for 2 years give or take, same as your situation we do not plan on having any more children. We looked at the cribs in all the stores from Walmart to babies r us to a local high end store in Nashville. And to be honest I could and did build a better crib out of better materials for far cheaper then what it would have cost to buy one. This also gives our son the opportunity to use this piece for his children when or if he has a family.

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Doug March 15, 2013 9:24 am

That was great, Marc. Timely too even if it was a reprint from the past. It was a new/first view for me. Rock on man and have a great woodworking weekend.

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DJ Salinas March 16, 2013 6:56 am

I buiilt a daybed for my daughter when our son still in the oven, so that was motivation as well as a deadline. I always work better with deadlines, but I did the build in the wood hobby shop on base using their extensive line of tools as well as drawing on the knowledge of the manager. With the budget cuts, the shop is closed down. Too late, I have the bug and am too cheap to pay for quality furniture that I now know I can build myself.
So I’ve steadily been buying tools and making jigs and the other day my wife says to me, you keep buying tools and making jigs to make stuff, but you aren’t making stuff!!

I’m hope I’m not the only one! Lol

Time to get to work!

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- John Williams March 19, 2013 1:18 pm
  
  DJ!! You are not the only one………………….
  
  Reply
Cassidy March 19, 2013 5:05 pm

I think it all depends on whether you actually have the skills to build your own furniture because I’m pretty most people are like me do not. But at the same time you also have to know a good furniture builder if you decide to buy furniture. Here in Utah I have been really happy with the local custom furniture company I buy from at http://4-chairs.com/.

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Ari Z March 21, 2013 12:56 pm

One advantage of buying your furniture from a local custom furniture store, is many offer warranties on products (some even offer them for the life of the item). If you build a unit and something breaks, you are responsible for the repairs which is time consuming. Whereas buying furniture that comes with a manufacturer’s warranty removes the responsibility from the owner – which can save time, money, and aggravation.

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Ken November 19, 2015 1:22 am

That is the whole reason that got me into woodworking. I got out of the army and needed furniture for my first apartment. I, like many people do, bought that “some assembly required out of the box” particle board furniture that last until you have to move it and then its usually not repairable. So I thought, why can’t I make my own better. Next thing you know I am being asked to leave the unfinished furniture stores once they realized I was just looking in drawers and under tables etc just so I can see HOW TO MAKE IT. So, the crib would be something to ask yourself since it may not be needed someday but if you build something nice to last years, you will get enjoyment building it, it will last, and your family will get something handed down that YOU handmade. I still have my grandpas china hutch he built for my mom when I was around 10.

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To Build or Buy Furniture?

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