Finding the right furniture for your outdoor space requires knowing your options. Here is the complete guide to buying outdoor furniture in Jacksonville, FL.

57% of Americans use their yard for recreation at least monthly. Your yard is supposed to be a relaxing space where you can either find comfort on your own or entertain friends, away from the grind of work and the hardships life can sometimes bring.

However, sometimes the outdoors don't feel quite right to you, and to optimize the solace you can find in your yard, it's essential to get it looking and feeling fabulous. That means finding the right decor and the right outdoor furniture.

In Jacksonville, FL, the weather is so incredible that people spend a lot of time in their yards.

Here's the complete guide to buying outdoor furniture and everything you need to consider when making selections. Putting the time in will create the best result.

What to Consider When Buying Outdoor Furniture in Jacksonville, FL

Before going furniture shopping, here's everything you need to consider. Doing some mental preparation beforehand will help you narrow down your choices.

What Do You Use the Yard for?

The first thing you should think about is the purpose of your outdoor living space. There are so many types of furniture that identifying the purpose of the area will be vital to making the right decision. 

There are three primary options here:

• Do you want it for a personal and solitary relaxation space?
• Do you want it for family, to spend quality time with the people who matter most to you?
• Do you want it to entertain guests and to throw parties?

While it's always possible to want it for a combination of the above, identifying what you'll use it most for really helps. Once you've done this, you can go on to ask yourself some other questions. 

Have You Measured the Space?

Measuring the size of the yard (including different sections) and writing down the numbers can help when browsing furniture. If you're looking online, you have the bonus of going out and measuring where you would put the items as you go.

If you're headed to a physical location, measure the yard beforehand and take the numbers with you. Then you can at least make an educated guess on where things will fit.

Is There Safety to Consider?

If you have pets or small children, you might want to consider the safety involved in different types of furniture. For example, if you're buying a fire pit, do you need to have some sort of fencing around it so the dog can't jump on it?

Do You Need to Offset the Summer Heat?

In Florida, temperatures can hit over 100 degrees frequently. Once, 109 was even recorded in Jefferson County!

Items like gazebos and umbrellas can help protect you from the heat (and the run), creating cool shade. It would help if you also thought about positioning the furniture and putting it in the most shaded areas of the yard so you can use it for most of the day.

It would be best if you were careful not to overdo it. Even if you love your new space, go inside when it gets too hot, or you could end up with heat exhaustion or worse.

Do You Plan to Use the Space in the Cold?

Although in Florida we have the luxury of hot weather, that doesn't mean that we can still rely on the natural heat in the evenings of the winter. If you plan on using the space when the cold rolls in, you need to consider options for warmth, such as fire pits and space heaters.

Hurricane Preparation

Every year, hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th, impacting Florida hard. You need to think about this when buying your furniture, as it's sensible to have a place to store it or buy restraints along with the furniture. Otherwise, it might not survive very long!

With these in hand, you can ensure you've prepared yourself when you get a hurricane warning. If you don't have a safe place to store the furniture, then restraints are necessary — though a shed is always a plus to keep it enclosed when intense storms come knocking.

What's Your Budget?

Your budget is another consideration when going to buy furniture. The average American family has around $20,000 to spare in cash each year, but you may have less or be fortunate enough to have a higher budget. Regardless, most people have some sort of limit they must stick to, and figuring this out is key because you won't overspend or waste time looking at something you can't buy,

If you share the house with your family, it's a good idea to sit down and have a discussion with them. That way, you can all agree on a budget together.

Where to Buy Outdoor Furniture

Once you have the answer to these fundamental questions, it's time to decide where to look at furniture. Not all stores and sellers are created equal, so there are a few things you must consider.

Online Reviews

Online customer reviews are critical for any business because they give consumers a good idea of the quality of what they sell. This is no different when it comes to buying outdoor furniture.

25% of online shoppers read at least four reviews before making a purchase, which is a good guideline. At the very least, you should check the store or website has an overall good star rating, with compliments on quality and delivery time, if applicable. 

You can also look them up on sites like Trustpilot to ensure they have a good reputation for providing what they promised on time and without issue. Businesses with a low rating on Trustpilot have generally upset their customers to the point of them even considering the company a scam, so avoid these places, or you may end up in the same position.

Lots of Options

You'll also want to visit a place or look at a website that has lots of options. That ensures you'll be able to find what you need (particularly if it's at a physical location, which is more effort than browsing a website from the comfort of your home). 

Reasonable Prices

Before you commit to buying, you should ensure that the place has reasonable prices — though this will depend entirely on what you want. For example, if you're after luxury furniture, you should prepare to pay a lot more.

Doing your research by looking at a few different places can give you an example of what you should expect to pay. For the most part, you get what you pay for, but you should still stick within your budget — though it may need adjusting at this point if you fall in love with something.

Many stores can offer financing options.

Good Quality Furniture

While you want decent pricing, you should look for good quality furniture on their website or at their store. Look at the brand's materials, test things out, and ensure they'll last a while.

It can be tempting to go with cheaper or well-used furniture, but at the end of the day, it will not last very long. It's going to get worn down quickly, and you'll have to go through the process all over again, meaning you might not even save as much as you thought.

Great Customer Service

If you have any questions about the products or the process of buying one, you should expect the customer service to be professional, warm, and helpful. If you contact a place with questions and find them short, rude, or note a lack of transparency, plenty of other furniture stores will help you out.

Good Delivery Options

Most people, even if visiting a physical location, don't have a vehicle that can haul furniture to their home. Therefore you need to check out their delivery options before you commit to making a purchase.

It's also essential to check out the delivery time. If something is going to take months to get to you, you might be able to find a better option elsewhere. However, if you fall in love with something and have the flexibility to wait, that's awesome.

Physical Location

Even if you plan on ordering online, it can be necessary for the place to have a physical location close to you — particularly if you're buying seating options. This is not only so you can see it in person, but so you can gauge the comfort level. 

A seating option may look like the most comfortable thing online, but it's going to be a hassle to return if it gets there and turns out to be not so comfortable after all.

If they don't have a physical location, at least look at the measurements to ensure reasonable height and depth.

What to Buy

You've made some decisions and found some good places to buy furniture. Now you need to decide what to settle on.

The Different Seating Options

Seating is very likely going to be the focal point of your yard. Whether you're looking for a place to read a book under the sun and relax or you want to host a gathering, people are going to need places to sit.

Even though Florida is a hot place, remember that your furniture will get wet when the rain and storms roll through. That means certain fabrics may be the wrong choice unless they have coverings.

Consider looking at furniture for patios, if you have one. If you put your seating there, you don't need to be as concerned about the weather, giving you more options.

It would help if you also considered how many seats you need. A small family may only need three or four spaces to sit, but someone with a desire to host large gatherings needs more options.

Outdoor Dining

If you plan to entertain or spend a lot of time outside, then you might want to consider some outdoor dining options. Those with high budgets could plan for a whole outdoor kitchen, with accessories such as a pizza oven, a grill, and other spots to make some delicious food while their guests chill out with a drink in the background.

At the very least, if you want to go minimal, a good grill is key. Make sure you look at reviews for the one you pick, as not all grills are created equal, and some will do a better job and last for a longer time than others. 

You can add some more seating around the grill to give people a space to relax as they cook or look on in anticipation of their burger. Stone stools are usually a good option for this since they won't be a place people are sitting for a prolonged amount of time.

Fire Pits or Fire Tables

Regardless of how you plan to use the space, a fire pit or table is one of the best additions to your garden. You can sit around it and stay warm even as the cool evenings roll in later in the year and can even choose to roast smores and cook other food over it. Nothing truly is better than enjoying a beverage or snack around a fire table while having an intimate conversation.

As well as choosing a good fire option, you also need to be aware of safety though. Remember these things:

• Never leave a fire unattended for any amount of time, or the flames could grow out of control.
• When it's done, make sure you put the fire out in the safest way possible (and do research on what that is for your specific fire pit or table ahead of time)
• Don't let small children or pets get too close to the fire.
• Don't light the fire when there are high winds.
• Heed no-burn alerts and stay up to date with conditions

Make sure your guests are aware of these rules, as things can turn dire quickly if they aren't. If you enjoy drinking, it's a good idea to appoint someone who isn't drinking as the watcher of the fire to handle things sensibly at the end of the night and make sure things are safe.

Space Heaters

Sometimes you want a little more heat than a fire pit might be able to provide. After all, although Florida is hot for most of the year, there are some winter months where it gets cold at night — and that means finding a way to enjoy the yard while dealing with those dipping temperatures.

Space heaters are a great way to do this. They come in various styles and could even be the centerpiece for your seating so that all of the guests you have over have equal access to warmth.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the best accessories to consider. While it's not strictly furniture, it will undoubtedly make a difference to how the furniture looks and the entire atmosphere in your outdoor space. Consider path lights if you plan on spending a lot of time outdoors after dark, as this will keep things lit up so you can find your way back to the house safely.

Try string lights on the patio if you're looking for a more aesthetic option over practicality. These create a soft light that isn't too harsh, so you can sit outside at night without being in the dark and without feeling blinded by the intensity (or attracting too many bugs, as intense lighting often does).

Other Accessories

You should also consider what other accessories you want for the yard, as they will truly bring everything to life.

In terms of other accessories, tables make a lovely addition to seating, whether full-purpose or accent tables. They also give people a place to put their drinks and food, and you can match the tables to the seating you bought. Most furniture stores will sell complete sets, so you don't need to worry about matching everything up.

Umbrellas or gazebos can also be necessary for shade and rain protection if most of the furniture isn't on your porch. Umbrellas are easy to install and can sit high above tables to keep you cool.

If you have a pool, consider accessories for that too. You could place seating around the edge of it to create a sun-lounging spot.

Lastly, consider statues or fountains if you have the budget. These do wonders for making your yard look grand, and some figures can be inexpensive relative to the impression they give. Make sure they're made of a material that will withstand weather conditions, such as aluminum.

Other Things to Bear in Mind

So you've decided on the purpose of your yard, as well as the furniture you want and where to get it. Is there anything else you should bear in mind?

Think about these things before finalizing your decision, and then you'll be good to go in full confidence that you thought everything through.

The Resell Value of Your House

If you plan to adjust the yard so you can make use of the furniture (e.g., a screened-in porch) or keep anything in the yard when you sell the house (e.g., a fire table), this is good for the resell value. 

If you're torn about the use you'd get out of something but don't plan on staying in the house forever, it's something to consider.

Others' Opinions on Your Home

Most people live with someone, whether roommates, a spouse, or family. So make sure you get their opinions before you decide to go ahead and purchase yard furniture, or it might be a lot of hassle to send it back!

You can ask what tastes they have at the start and then show them pictures of the items you intend on buying. Make sure to encourage them to be honest to ensure they're happy with the end result too.

The Privacy

If you plan to make the yard a space where you'll spend a lot of time, consider the privacy aspect. Will you be comfortable using the furniture if you have a low fence? Should you get a privacy fence instead?

Entertainment for Kids

If you have kids, you also need to consider options for them when you're relaxing outside or entertaining.

It doesn't need to be another expensive piece of furniture. A paddling pool, for example, might be a great option.

Consider Animals

Consider the safety of pets, but also the safety of the furniture! If you have an outdoor cat, for example, get things they won't be tempted to scratch on.

If you often have wildlife coming through your yard, this is another consideration. There are different options to keep away various species.

Bug Repellent 

Lastly, if you're going to spend all of this time decorating your yard, make sure you get some bug repellent options. There's nothing that ruins an outdoor experience quite like being bitten half to death by mosquitos!

Buying Outdoor Furniture Made Easy

Buying outdoor furniture is easy and relaxing when you do it right. Although making significant changes to your living space may seem stressful, ensure you measure things and consider what you want upfront, shop in the right places, and consider who else will use the space.

Once you've done that, you can get your outdoor living space looking spectacular.

Ready to start looking? Take a look at our outdoor furniture collection. You can order online or visit our store, located in Jacksonville, FL.