When it comes to buying furniture, there are only a few places to choose from. Most people go to tried and trusted retail stores. A more recent development is shopping for furniture online. And of course, going directly to the manufacturer is also an option.

For property developers, where is best place to source student housing furniture? Let’s go through some basic requirements to find out what will meet your needs.

Turn Around Time: Will it Arrive on Schedule?

Projects have deadlines that are hard to push back. This is especially true for student housing developments that need to be ready for a fresh batch of students every start of the school year.

If all you need are a couple of pieces of furniture, the retail route may be the fastest way to go —provided they have the design you want in stock. However, if you need hundreds of pieces to furnish residence halls, you’ll need to get in touch with a furniture manufacturer.

While the size of the project will affect how long it will take to receive the furniture, a manufacturer is at least able to commit to a schedule. That’s better than being at the mercy of when a retail store restocks.

Durability: Will it Survive the Residents?

Students can be rough on their furniture. Expect that future residents will put them to the test. If your furniture falls apart easily, not only will you have to spend time and money to replace them, you may also have to deal with dissatisfied tenants. To make sure your furniture is as tough as possible, the materials they’re made from matters.

Those bought from physical or online stores are pre-built products. You don’t get much say or even have any visibility on how they’re made. With manufacturers, you’ve chosen a company that uses materials that live up to the requirements of your project.

Design: Will it Look the Way You Want it to?

Modern college residence halls are anything but boring. They’re creatively designed to appeal to the latest generation of students. That means the furniture in their halls has to match the rest of the space. This can be a challenge if you limit yourself to what’s available at retail stores, even online.

A dedicated manufacturer can offer custom furniture made to your exact specifications. You can choose the fabrics, textures, and overall design of the items you need. And if you ever need to reproduce a piece of furniture, they can help with that, too.

If you need a partner that can keep up with the scale of your project, Dickson Furniture Manufacturers can help. Using the highest quality, globally sourced components, we build our own furniture at our local manufacturing facilities in Houston, Texas. This allows us to create custom designs to meet your demands and deliver faster than the rest. We’ll provide furniture that will exceed your expectations!