Buying comfortable, well-made, and reasonably priced furniture for your Vallarta/Nayarit home can be a challenge. Unfamiliar brands, materials and the conditions of living on the beach with high humidity all influence the type of furniture you should buy to get the best value. Also, if you’re planning on renting out your home, consider wear and tear and flexibility in your purchases. Sheryl Novak of SOLutions Mexico offers our readers some important tips to consider.

1.  Avoid soft woods. Termites love soft woods, especially that tasty pine furniture that you often see at little carpentry shops at the side of the road.
2. Be cautious about furniture manufactured with MDF. Not all MDF are created equal. This is another material that is attractive to termites. And, with the high humidity here in the summer, if the glue is not superior, the veneer can come off, exposing the particle board to the elements and the critters.
3. Be cautious about synthetic rattan for your outdoor furniture. Synthetic rattan comes in different grades and most big box stores sell the lowest grade. We have had many customers come to our store telling us that their expensive furniture they bought at the big box store has split within six months from the heat of the direct sun.
4. Even though they call it leather, is it really leather? Watch out for tacto piel. Tacto piel feels like leather but it is not. If you decide to go with leather (a good option for your upholstered goods), buy from a known brand such as Palliseror LaZboy – companies that manufacture the true leather. We all know someone who purchased what they thought was leather and ended up with a peeling and cracked sofa within a few months.
5. Consider purchasing commercial grade furniture, especially if you are planning to rent your condo or casa when you are not using it yourself. Commercial grade furniture is meant to last longer than residential grade. It costs a little bit more, but it will withstand a lot of use and you will see a greater return on your furniture investment.

SOLutions Mexico – the furniture store for your Mexican home. SOLutions Mexico offers the most trusted furniture brands, and specialty solutions including Murphy Beds Mexico and California Closets. Check out their online store at www.solutionsmexico.com, and visit their new concept store in Bucerias (just north of PV).