DIY at MFI - Aye Aye! (MFI Bedroom Furniture)

Member Name: themoomin

Product:	MFI Bedroom Furniture
Date:	24/01/01 (2341 review reads)
Rating:

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A totally pleasurable experience!

Having looked into buying ready-made bedroom furniture at store such as Courts and Cousins, on our limited budget we decided that do-it-yourself bedroom furniture would be best for us. MFI just happened to be the nearest store, and we liked what we saw, so we waited until January and bought 2 double wardrobes and two chests of drawers (one small, one large) in the sales.

<Price>: We were pleasantly surprised at the price. Already discounted when we first had a look in November, the final sale price was very competitive - we paid under £450 for the lot. There were cheaper and more expensive styles available - the ones we chose were mid-range.

<Variety>: There are many different makes and styles of bedroom furniture at MFI, with a range of prices. Ours were made in Italy, by Hygena.

<Service>: The salesperson was very helpful, and knowledgeable about products and prices. We were slightly concerned about the dimensions of the wardrobes, as it was going to be a tight fit, and the salesperson pointed out that there was a slimmer version available - which we hadn't noticed in the brochure. She also told us that if we spent over £500 we would get an extra 10% off the price, but we really couldn't have fitted anything else into the bedroom anyway.

<Delivery>: Another surprise - on completion of our order we were told that delivery would be in three weeks - we had expected it to take much longer. We were also asked if we would like delivery on a Sunday or a weekday, which was very useful - of course we said Sunday. Along with the receipt we were given a reference number, and the telephone number of an automated service to that we could ring to let us know if the delivery would be am or pm. I found this very useful as it meant we could plan our day, instead of hanging around for hours waiting for the delivery.

<Contents>: Everything was delivered on time, with n
othing missing. It was easy to tell from the packaging what was what, and the delivery men checked it all off on their list before it was signed for.

<Instructions>: Were supplied with each item, and a checklist of small parts like screws etc. These were fairly easy to follow, although some of the diagrams were quite small so it wasn't so easy to tell which size screw to use. We didn't have too many problems though, and were pleased at how quickly we got the furniture assembled.

<Assembly>: Not too difficult, with two of us working at it in the evenings it took exactly a week to get everything done. The worst bit was hanging the wardrobe doors - each hinge is adjustable in three directions, so its not easy to get the doors exactly right. I don't think this part could be done by one person, so get a friend to help if you are on your own! Everything else could have been done solo - it just would have taken longer. Bear in mind that the drawers are stuck with PVA (supplied, but you'll probably need more), so need 24 hours to dry before they can be assembled fully.

<Quality>: The quality of the materials is very good for the price. Although it is basically chipboard with a wood veneer, once assembled, the style we chose looks quite expensive! But aside from looking nice, it all seems sturdy and durable enough for our purposes, with proper dowel joining the carcass parts, and real metal runners on the drawers.

<Conclusions>: I have had cheap chests of drawers from MFI before, which have been carted all over the country and very well-used for over 10 years. They had plastic runners and cardboard bases, but have only recently been relegated to the garage in favour of the new furniture.

We are very happy with our latest purchase from MFI, and are seriously considering having our kitchen units etc from there as well. For price and service we found it unbeatable. The only thing I would say is to b
e careful when following the instructions in case you do use the wrong thing, and make sure your drill bits are sharp when fitting handles etc or you might end up splitting the veneer. Make sure you have the right tools (flat and cross head screwdrivers, drill,and stanley knife) before you start! Oh yeah - and stock up on the wood glue! The tiny amount they supply is not enough to stick your fingers together with, let alone 5 drawers!!

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