Where Can I Buy Furniture For an Outer Banks Rental Home?

A new Outer Banks homeowner, Aileen, recently asked the following question of the OBX Homeowner Blog: “Where do you get furniture?  We recently purchased a vacation home and need to get a few pieces.”

In my past 5 years as an Outer Banks homeowner, I have had experience with a few different furniture stores that I would recommend.  They are all located on the Outer Banks and they have all been helpful and accomodating whenever I have dealt with them:

1. East Coast Game Rooms (252-491-2117).  There is a separate post on this blog about ECGR because they are unique in their business.  In addition to offering new, high quality game room furniture and accessories, they are a consignment store for used furniture.  They have several pieces for all rooms in your house that are being offered for re-sale.  Most of the pieces are from homes that have been foreclosed on in the past few years.  You can find excellent prices on quality used furniture and it would be worth the trip to Powell’s Point especially if you only need a few pieces to fill in here and there.  I have purchased a few items here myself.

2. Ambrose Furniture (252-261-4836).  A few years ago when we were very close to purchasing a foreclosed home ourselves and were in need of an entire house full of furniture on short notice, I called Connie at Ambrose Furniture.  She was extemely helpful, asked a few questions and “shopped” their showroom floor for me.  Then she emailed prices and pictures of all the furniture to me for my approval.  She asked her manager to hold all of these pieces until we closed on the property.  Unfortunately, the closing never took place and we never bought all of that furniture, but I will never forget how accomodating they were.

3. Manteo Furniture (252-473-2131).  Since my home is a rental that sees alot of guests coming and going, I occasionally need to replace some pieces of existing furniture sets.  My dining chairs and barstools just can’t stand up to that much endless use!  When I am in need of a replacement chair, I just call Marianne at Manteo Furniture, tell her the style and color of the chairs and how many I need.  She is very helpful with arranging payment and delivery of the furniture to my home.

These are a few of my “furniture store” experiences.  I would recommend all 3 shops depending on your needs and budget.  Are there other Outer Banks homeowners who have furniture store recommendations?  Please comment to pass along your experience.

Help Wanted: OBX Furniture Store Recommendation

With a constant stream of guests from April through October, nothing takes a beating in my Outer Banks vacation home like the furniture. I like to believe that I have screened my guests well and that they will take good care of my home and its furnishings.  But, the sheer number of people (and sometimes pets) sitting, standing, jumping and sleeping on the dining chairs, sofas, beds and bar stools, takes its toll.

Right now I am in the market for a sofa to replace the sagging, drooping one that now resides in my great room.  This sofa was in the house when we bought it and it has served us well.  It is a sand color leather sectional that provides plenty of seating.

I must admit, when we purchased Island Pines, I was not in love with this sofa.  It was not colorful and did not seem very “beachy”.  I have come to appreciate this sofa for what it is: comfortable, sturdy and easy to clean and maintain.  These are qualities that must be paramount to an Outer Banks vacation home owner.

Attractive furniture and decor is important – I brightened mine up with a pretty light blue paint on the walls, a multi color area rug and inexpensive and easy to replace “beachy” throw pillows.

I realize that an expensive, top of the line sofa with a beautiful, bright, beachy fabric will not necessarily be appreciated or cared for by guests.  How long will that sofa stay looking good with kids in sandy, wet bathing suits sitting on it? You can’t deny this will happen!  Nor can you deny that people will be enjoying juice, soda, popsicles and lots of other snacks while watching TV or relaxing.  Your beautiful new sofa will not be beautiful for long and steam cleaning on a constant basis will be an expensive hassle.

For all of these reasons, I want to replace my old sofa with the exact same thing – a light colored leather sectional (or 2 sofas that can be arranged in an ‘L’ shape).  The problem is – I don’t know where to find this.  Can anyone help by recommending a website or store?

Outer Banks homeowners and service providers – please help me find a sturdy, budget-friendly sofa to replace my old one.  All suggestions are welcome.

East Coast Game Rooms & Foreclosure Furniture Fills a Need in the Aftermath of Hurricane Irene

Last week the NC DOT completed road repairs and the installation of a temporary bridge to re-open Highway 12, once again allowing non-resident homeowners and their guests access to Hatteras Island!  This was a major accomplishment just 5 weeks after Hurricane Irene washed away portions of the only road into the area just as the very important early fall rental season was about to begin.

In the aftermath of the storm, homeowners have been assessing flood and wind damage, filing insurance claims and scheduling repairs so their homes would be ready for guests as soon as possible after the road was opened.  Unfortunately, some homeowners have learned that their insurance policies were not what they thought and their claims have been denied.  This is making a tough situation even worse: little or no rental income for 5 weeks on top of the costs of cleanup, repairs and replacing flood-damaged furniture and applicances.

There is a silver lining to this story, as one Outer Banks business has tailored their services to make difficult situations a little easier for many homeowners.  We all know that the struggling economy and the burst of the housing bubble have resulted in many, many foreclosures in the Outer Banks market.  Homeowners facing this situation can now turn to East Coast Game Rooms & Foreclosure Furniture in Powells Point, NC to help liquidate the assets in their home before turning it over to the bank or mortgage company.  From the company’s website we learn that:

“East Coast Game Rooms & Foreclosure Furniture understands that foreclosure can be an emotional and troubling experience. We work with individuals facing foreclosure, making the most of an unfortunate situation by obtaining a fair price for their belongings. We assist in the removal of designated items, which are immediately featured in our Outer Banks Super Store until they are sold on consignment.”

Financially strapped individuals facing foreclosure can now salvage some of their investment while other homeowners can take advantage of the fantastic prices on used furniture.  This is especially important to those trying to recover from Hurricane Irene who have little money and many items to replace.  Also from the ECGR website we learn:

“Our reputation for integrity and fairness not only makes East Coast Game Rooms and Foreclosures the best resource to generate cash and achieve closure, it also serves the buying public with outstanding values that can’t be duplicated elsewhere. Whether you need the most for a liquidation or the best value for your purchasing dollar, East Coast Game Rooms & Foreclosures is open and at your service.

East Coast Game Rooms & Foreclosure Furniture features everything from bedrooms and kitchen appliances to window treatments, spas, billiard tables, home theater set ups and outdoor furniture.”

East Coast Game Rooms is working to fill a very important need on the Outer Banks.  All of my dealings with this business have been positive.  They are helpful and professional and I encourage all homeowners to consider this alternative while trying to recover from the disaster caused by Hurricane Irene.

Check their website at www.eastcoastgamerooms.com or call 800-820-2526 for more information.