Why is Furniture Hard to Find?

All over the United States the housing market is booming. New home sales are up for nearly every type of house in nearly every market throughout the country. While many people who buy new houses simply move their furniture into their new home, some choose to buy all new furniture. However, this year, new furniture is hard to find. All over the country, homeowners are having a difficult time finding the perfect couch to fill out their new living room. For nearly every type of furniture, items are on backorder and delivery dates cannot be scheduled for months out. This makes you wonder, why is furniture so hard to find? Why is there a huge furniture shortage? The team at Streamline Realty is here to break it down for you. 

Increased Demand for New Furniture

2020 has seen a large increase in the demand for new furniture, which is now leaving it harder for people to find what they need. The two biggest reasons for why there is an increased demand are the red hot real estate market and a spate of natural disasters. 

New Home Sales Increased Furniture Demand

Nearly every type of home in nearly every market has seen increased sales from last year. In the Northeast, new home sales are up 30.4% from last year. A lot of these home sales are first time buyers who are taking advantage of low mortgage rates to jump into the real estate market. This definitely makes sense as mortgage rates have dropped to historic lows. First time home buyers are not the only ones taking advantage of these low mortgage rates. A number of people are buying second homes or vacation homes. 

While some people merely transport their old furniture from their old residences, there has also been an increased demand for new furniture. First, all of the sales of second homes and vacation homes means that new furniture has to be purchased. Second, many people are buying larger homes to give themselves more space to ride out the pandemic. More space requires more furniture, especially when you are setting up home offices and spaces for homeschooling. 

Natural Disasters Increased Furniture Demand

This year has been record-breaking in some not-so-positive ways. Western states have experienced large devastating fires. Entire communities have been displaced and many have had to file total loss insurance claims to replace their homes and businesses. Even if your home was spared by the flames, many were impacted by smoke damage. Extensive fires cause vast amounts of smoke, which can get into your walls and furniture. Smoke damage requires professional mitigation services to clean the items that are damaged. Sometimes smoke damage is so extensive, that is necessary to replace the items altogether. 

While the Western states have been burning, the Gulf states have been flooding. 2020 has broken the record for the number of hurricanes to make landfall in the United States. Some places, like Louisiana, have been hit by multiple hurricanes and tropical storms. These storms have been large and the damage has been extensive, ranging from Texas through the Carolinas. Like smoke damage, water damage is extremely difficult to fix and requires professional mitigation. Between fires and storms, many people are now furniture shopping to replace what has been damaged.

Decreased Supply for New Furniture

While more people are buying furniture than ever, the supply of furniture has been impacted. The increased pressures on the supply of furniture in the United States has added to the difficulty of finding new furniture. The biggest reason for the smaller supply of furniture is the Coronavirus pandemic, which has impacted domestic manufacturing and international supply. 

Decline in Domestic Furniture Manufacturing

The coronavirus pandemic has helped cause a shortage in the availability of furniture because domestic manufacturers have had to shut down. Furniture manufacturers had to close during March and April, which put them behind in production. Even when these manufacturers opened again, they still had to operate with less people and do more cleaning to prevent viral transmission. This created a tremendous backlog in furniture production, impacting the overall supply of furniture. 

Difficulties in International Shipping

Domestic furniture manufacturers were not the only ones impacted by the pandemic. International manufacturers are facing delays in shipping. Like many of the products we buy in our nation, a lot of our furniture comes from overseas. Some of these manufacturers also had to shut down because of the virus. But, even when they were up and running, they had problems shipping their products around the world. The pandemic has increased regulations on shipping, which has greatly increased the time it takes to get furniture to the United States. This is one reason why it is taking major furniture chains months to deliver furniture you purchase today. 

Final Thoughts

Buying your dream home is exciting. Nothing quite compares to the feeling of getting your home all set up and getting to relax and place you curated just for you and your family. Unfortunately, the furniture shortage is making it a little more difficult to make your dream home’s decor match your reality. While this is frustrating, it is only temporary. New manufacturers are coming online and the domestic furniture industry is working hard to meet the demand. However, this will not happen overnight. For the next few months, at a minimum, you can expect delays in deliveries and items being out of stock. 

It is important that you know this going into the home buying process, so that you can prepare for it. Although you might despise your current dining room table or couch, you might want to hang onto it for the next little bit. You might need to use your old furniture at your new house while you wait for new furniture to be available. While it is frustrating that you won’t get to make your new home your dream home right away, remember that it is only temporary. What’s most important is that you were able to buy the perfect home for you and your needs. That doesn’t change even if you have to wait a couple months for the perfect couch. If you or someone you know wants to buy a dream home of your own, please contact us! The team at Streamline Realty would love to make your dream a reality.