Love it or List it…Outdoor Furniture Version

Patio Guys Brings Lessons from the Hit HGTV Show to Southern California

Who here is a fan of HGTV? Those of us at Patio Guys sure are. We enjoy watching houses become dream homes. What can we say, we love seeing the transformation, and we actually happen to know a thing or two about it also. What “Love it or List it” as well as other shows like “Fixer Upper” tells us is that there is value in repairing. That goes for renovating houses, fixing up cars, restoring antiques, and even with refinishing patio furniture. Things can last a long time with regular cleaning and some cosmetic fixing. Now we get to the big question, should you love your old patio furniture or “list it”?

When to “list it”

Furniture varies drastically in price as well as quality. Consumers can buy good quality furniture at retail patio stores or more inexpensive furniture at big box stores. Normally furniture from these big box stores do not stand the test of time. Below we highlight one major differentiation of good quality and bad quality furniture.

Fully Welded Frame- This is a key indication for good quality furniture. Does the furniture have nuts and bolts or is the metal frame fully welded together? Fully welded frames last longer and show a higher degree of engineering to get to the point it is at.

For low quality furniture, we recommend listing it. And replacing it with quality furniture that can be refinished in the future. High quality furniture is more durable and will provide more long-term value. Buying quality, refinishable furniture has quit a few benefits. Here are the benefits when you choose to “Love it” and refinish your patio furniture.

Why “Love it”

1. The Savings

It all comes down to the bottom line. We all want to be smart with how we spend our money. Refinishing patio furniture is 30-70% savings on buying new quality furniture. The wear and tear that you see on this furniture is cosmetic. Some examples are peeling paint, faded straps, or torn slings. The frame itself is long lasting.

So why buy an entire new set when you have one right in front of you? Low quality furniture will break or give way after a couple years. With maintenance (see post) and refinishing, quality outdoor furniture can last for 30+ years. Furniture is an investment. After making that initial investment the next step is to protect it. Although quality furniture cost more upfront, it provides better savings in the long run.

2. The Environment

According to the US EPA over 9.8 million tons of furniture waste enter landfills every year. Furniture is the least recycled item in households. Furniture isn’t meant to be easily disposable. It should be long lasting.

3. High Quality Process

The process of refinishing outdoor furniture is the exact same as when it was first manufactured and at times, even better. Furniture is sandblasted down to the bare frame and powder coated. The powder coat goes on 3 times thicker than liquid paint and is over baked at 450 degrees. Vinyl straps and fabric slings are replaced with brand new material. Each piece is given individual care and refinished one at a time.

The result is furniture that comes out looking better than new. Each piece of furniture is given induvial attention, in house right her in Southern California, and not just a piece of furniture in a production line, which often times makes the refinished furniture a better quality than what it was initially purchased at.

4. The Customization

Keeping the same furniture does not mean that you have to sacrifice changing up the design? On the contrary, you actually get more creative freedom. Instead of buying new furniture that already has a set of colors, you get to build your color palette from scratch. You choose the color of your frame, vinyl straps, and the fabric for your sling. Customers choose to either keep their original style or switch it up.

If you have already made the investment in purchasing good quality, go for the reinvestment in refinishing that set. The benefits speak for them self. Our final verdict on this one is to “Love it” and go for that repair.