Yes, you read that right. There’s no need to cross the border for your HDB interior design furniture!
Why do people make the trip to Johor Bahru, Malaysia for furniture, anyway? If cost makes or breaks the deal for you, a lot say JB is the place to be. Prices are cheaper compared here, especially as the Malaysian ringgit falls against the Singapore dollar. There’s a myriad of choices for all your HDB design needs. The quality is just as good as their more expensive counterparts back home.
But although JB furniture prices seem cheaper, have you factored in other expenses for this shopping expedition—including transportation, food, or time that would have been allotted for other errands? Ultimately, you might be paying for more.
What they don’t say when buying JB furniture
Before you pack your shopping list and drive or board a bus on the way to Johor Bahru, let us help you give another perspective on what you’re going for.
- First, you have to do your homework and conduct a thorough research on which stores are trustworthy or not. This can be tricky because you may find stories of a store delivering well on its promise, then stories about this same store doing otherwise.
- Incidents of failed purchase can be terrifying. Missed deliveries, defective items. You know that feeling when you’re so frustrated but can’t do anything else about it? Let’s not go there.
- We’ll say it again. If you’re being practical here, then weigh in all other expenses tied to your JB furniture hunting trip. You may need to rent a car, pay for delivery (some don’t offer delivery, which poses a tougher problem) and pay the seven percent Goods and Services Tax (GST), for starters.
- You must have a strong resolve, a conviction for what you believe is the best deal for you. Be prepared for a series of bargaining games as you comb through JB stores for furniture. This may be fun for others, but not for everyone. If you’re not buying a lot or in bulk, it may even be harder to haggle.
- Is it the right fit? Malaysian homes may be bigger than your typical HDB flats and JB furniture may have been produced with their own homes in mind.
- Lastly, there’s no turning back. Once you take the JB furniture and cross borders once again, it may be hard to return defective items or get after-sales service. Imagine that on one hand. On the other, imagine spending effort for preparation, enduring the traffic jam, haggling to your satisfaction, going through Customs. You can go from overjoyed to sad real quick, lah.
Where should I go?
Not far, really. There’s a lot of high-quality, cost-saving shopping destinations in your own neighbourhood, one of which is Giant (locate the nearest branch to you here).
Save yourself from a lot of hassle with Giant’s wide array of home furniture and decor. We guarantee the pricing is just as affordable as their counterparts across the border. Picked the wrong table colour? You can get it replaced easily! Now that’s convenience.
So what can I buy here instead of crossing borders?
Want to learn more about furnishing your flat? Check out “Easy HDB Interior Design Tips for Your New Flat.”
