Discount Shopping for the Home

Many of my real estate clients want to know where the best shopping is to decorate their new home without running up too big of a price tag; below are some of my favorite places.
The estate stores are a big source of second hand furniture, some good deals and some ridiculously expensive.  Many pieces are custom for very big homes, many pieces are very dated. It is a treasure hunt; sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. 

I personally like the Estate Sale Co. in Palm Springs, the inventory is always revolving, the staff is very nice and they even have a jewelry and antique section.  Of all the estate stores I have been in this store seems to have the most reasonable pricing. They lower prices based on how long a piece has been in, or if you ask they will call the owner of the piece and try to get an additional discount. They are located at 4185 E Palm Canyon, Palm Springs

For furniture try Mathis Brothers in Indio, the store boasts of having 3 football fields worth of furniture.  They carry every price range and quality of furniture and have sales staff/decorators that will come to your home at no cost to help you.  They are located in Indio on Highway 111, for more information try their website: http://www.mathisbrothers.com/

For decorator items, towels, sheets, kitchenware, rugs, art and some furniture try Home Goods (42400 Washington St, Bermuda Dunes), they are part of the Marshalls, TJ Maxx group.  Good quality items at discounted prices.  The Alley also has some interesting pieces, the leather sofas in the photos above came from them. They have well priced antiques, rustic pieces and lots of home decor items. There are 4 or more locations in the desert that I know of;  try this link to find the location closest to you: http://www.thealley.info/

Of course there is also Target which has 4 or more locations in the desert, they have very current styling of home goods and a few pieces of cheap quality, but attractive furniture. For hardware and cleaning supplies you can't go wrong.

Tuesday Morning has several locations in the desert.   For home decorating items such as sheets, towels, wall hangings, bath and kitchen supplies they are great.  They have an odd schedule as they close for a few days at a time to restock and then open up once the stock is ready, they day they open is always a Tuesday.

For a location and a sample of stock: http://www.tuesdaymorning.com/indexCatalogOff.asp

High Desert Day Trip #2

                                                                Pioneer Town

 A fun afternoon trip is to head up Hwy 62, you will drive through the fabulous Joshua Trees that are so prolific to this area.  Pioneertown is a fun stop, it was originally built as a set for the old westerns, according to the website:"Pioneertown was built in 1946 as a movie set for western movies, including the movies of Gene Autry, The Cisco Kid with Duncan Renaldo, Annie Oakley with Gail Davis, Judge Roy Bean with Edgar Buchanan, Range Rider withJock O. Mahoney, and Buffalo Bill Jr. with Dick Jones.  The movie set was to provide a place for the actors to live, and have their homes used as part of a movie set."  Whenever I have gone it was quiet so we just looked through windows and then headed to Pappy and Harriets.  The gunfight on Saturdays is supposed to be fun.
Saturdays at 2:30 the Pioneertown Posse; a re-enactment troupe performs an old west type show with a shoot out.

                       For more information: http://www.pioneertown.com/f-index.htm

                                                                      Pappy & Harriets

When you are done checking out Pioneertown, head over to Pappy & Harriet's for great mesquite wood barbeque, a fun atmosphere.  There is always some type of music happening at night and the musicians are quite good, the people watching is fabulous and the decor one-of-a-kind.

For more information:  http://www.pappyandharriets.com/

Directions: From Palm Springs Take I-10 west to Route 62 (29 Palms Hwy - Joshua Tree Nat'l Park). Take Route 62 NE about 25 miles into Yucca Valley.At the second stop light (Pioneertown Road), make a left and take Pioneertown Roadabout 4 miles up. Pass the sign Pioneertown 1946" and just ahead on the right, you'll see the neon lights.
Reservations are not required but highly recommended 760 365-5956.

Free Real Estate info with No Obligation

The website http://deserthousesales.listingbook.com/  offers a fun program that allows you to see about 99% of the listing information formally only available to agents.  There is no obligation, and no cost.  You simply input information about your neighborhood or neighborhoods you are interested in and you will begin to recieve daily listing updates in your email box.   Some of my clients have been using it and love the simplicity, I hope you will enjoy it also.