Tip of the Week-Where to Buy Low Cost Quality Patio Furniture and Dining Sets

Have you ever been frustrated trying to find an affordable, yet high quality patio dining set?  If you have priced quality patio furniture- you know how expensive it can be!!  When Matt and I were looking for a set to go with the new home, I was stunned at the costs (if you want something other than plastic).  You don’t have to waste hours of your time scouring the net or the stores like I did, just read below and I will tell you how we got an AMAZING set for a great price.  I wanted to share this tip to help anyone looking for patio furniture on a budget, but also I thought you guys may enjoy seeing part of our new and patio and the dining set we have been enjoying all season!  🙂

The patio dining set we bought was our first larger home purchase.  Matt’s parents gave us money (house warming gift) to get this awesome large-ish propane/charcoal grill combo and I just knew we would want and need a nice patio set for both ourselves and for entertaining.  Originally I wanted a round patio table set, because that is what the previous owners had out and it looked nice.  I knew I wanted a black wrought iron look.  One of the things that frustrated me was the cost of patio sets.  Have you looked online at the prices?!  A good majority of them are $1,000 on up (even as much as $2,000 or more), with a few really nice ones in the $800 range.

I looked at every store from JC Penny’s (saw a set I liked there between $800-900), Plow & Hearth, Sears, WalMart, and many other name brand stores.  There were a few things that were important to me when patio table shopping-one was that it had to be sturdy.  Made to last.  I don’t like having to replace things every other year.  It is just not cost practical to me.  Number two was that if it came with chair cushions, that would be a huge plus!  Chair cushions can be quite pricey by the time you buy the quantity you need.  What I ran in to with all of the stores I searched at was that I was either finding the quality I wanted, but the price was just ridiculous (like as much or more than you would pay for solid wood dining furniture for indoors), or the price was right but you were getting cheaply made stuff.

What we bought:

We ended up getting our patio set from Home Depot and I LOVE it.  The cost was $499 , but we got it for just $399!  Even at $499, it was the lowest cost I had found for it seating 6 people.  How we got a discount-If ordering from Home Depot, you may want to go in the store, because we got our table set for $100 less than the online price.  I called on the phone and found out our nearest Home Depot was having an inventory sale.  Shopping in off seasons or holiday events can save you money too.  Even if there isn’t a sale at your store-search online for coupon codes (just google home depot coupon codes).  Read my post HERE for tips on how to save even more money by using coupon codes and getting a rebate back on anything from Home Depot .  Also- the shipping is free on the patio set we bought.

We chose the Hampton Bay Fall River 7 piece dining set with the Moss colored cushions:  (This same set also comes in red).  Click HERE if you want to be taken to the home depot web page for this item.

Here is what I LOVE about this set:

1. It is heavy, sturdy and very well made.  This is quality and looks like other sets I have seen at double and triple the cost.
2. It features lattice work on the table and chairs both, which goes so well with the trellises we have along the back wall of our patio!
3. The table has a nice logo stamp that makes it look classy
4. It has a hole for an umbrella in the center should we choose to use one.
5. The chairs are nice and big.  They are not flimsy at all and wider than most.
6. The 2 end chairs are swivel rockers….so comfy!!
7. It came with all cushions and even lumbar pillows!

I really like the moss green color with our yard.  We have so much greenery surrounding our patio (including ivy everywhere), that it goes so well with this set.  I was impressed with the thick chair cushions (they are also weather proofed) that attach with Velcro strips. The matching lumbar support pillows are in a cute sort of retro fabric (which looks good with our cottage that was built in 1950).  Here are some up close shots of the fabric and chairs:

I really like the quality and look of the Hampton Bay line.  There are other designs in this line, so you may want to do a search for Hampton Bay at Home Depot online to see what they have.  We are thinking we will be adding to this set so we can seat more guests when we have larger parties.  This same falls river set in the green color also has taller height bistro set with 2 swivel chairs, side tables, a chair and mini low table “conversation set”, chaise lounges, glider, and even a full patio furniture set with the coffee table, love seat, and chairs.

We did have to assemble our set, but it was a fun bonding experience!  It took Matt and I about 2 hours to put together (it was easy..it is just a large set), but it was our first little home project that we did as a team. We have been enjoying this set the whole Summer and now in to Fall.  We have had sweet moments with just the 2 of us having quiet dinners with the bunnies , birds, and butterflies in our yard and we have had fun using the barbecue to entertain guests!

 ***TIP***: If shopping online , don’t forget to use the rebate place I use to get money back on your purchases.  It’s really a smart thing to do because you will get a check in the mail which of course makes this an even better deal.  Just click on the ebates affiliate banner below and you can sign up for free:

Have you found great deals on high quality patio sets?  Feel free to share with our readers!

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