9 Of The Biggest Mistakes To Avoid When Shopping Costco's Home Section

What's better than a Costco membership? One little card gets you access to cheap rotisserie chickens, bulk toilet paper, and $1.50 ready-to-eat hot dogs. Even better, you have access to the Costco home section — it includes everything from the coziest modular sectionals and two-person loungers to high-tech TVs and refrigerators. Seasonal items include a full range of patio furniture, pergolas, and other essentials to elevate your outdoor spaces. You'll even find items professional designers actually buy at Costco. But before you plan a full furniture update around the Costco selection, there are some mistakes that are easy to make in the home section, ranging from not understanding the pricing to being unprepared for the arrival of your purchase.

Shopping at Costco is a unique experience that has lots of little quirks that are helpful to know. For example, in-store purchases — even big ones like furniture — don't come with delivery, and products don't stick around forever. That might not be a big deal if you're stocking your pantry, but the intricacies of Costco shopping become more important on larger home purchases. If you don't understand the ways of the warehouse, you could end up spending more money than necessary, missing out on a home item you really want, or purchasing something that doesn't quite fit your needs. Here, we're covering the nine biggest mistakes you should avoid when shopping in the home section at Costco to help you get the best value.

Obviously, Costco isn't a furniture store, so you might be surprised at how few options you have and how limited the selections are. However, what you may not know is that the Costco website has a much wider selection of home items. For furniture specifically, you'll typically only see a handful in-store — often sectionals and dining tables. But online, Costco sells bedroom furniture, office furniture, and so much more. As you're searching online, you may notice "Online Only" options that indicate you're seeing something unique. If you limit yourself to only what's on display in your local Costco, you could be missing out on home items that are much better suited to your needs. 

To make sure you fully explore your home options at Costco, browse the aisles of your local store to see what you can buy in person. If you fall in love with something there, you can make the purchase and enjoy your new addition. But if you're not seeing anything that really speaks to you or fits your needs, head to Costco.com to see what else you can purchase. As you're browsing, look for little blue banners on the results page that say "Online Only" to know you've found items that aren't available for purchase in warehouses. 

Another big difference between in-store and online shopping with Costco? The price! That's right. The price you see on home goods in your local warehouse could be different than the online pricing. Costco itself even notes this. Prices tend to be higher on the Costco website, but there isn't a standard markup online, which makes the pricing a little trickier to decipher or predict. The reason for the higher online price is the work that goes into it. Your online order requires someone to pack and ship the items. Costco.com also typically offers free basic shipping on most purchases, but that shipping probably isn't really free — the higher online price likely has the costs built into it.  

What does that mean for your home item purchase? Even if you see what you want in your local Costco, it's a good idea to pull it up on the Costco website to compare the prices. You likely won't find a lower price online, but it's always good to check anyway. Likewise, if you're browsing online and find an item that's available at your local store, go see it for yourself to see if you can save money by purchasing it in person. Knowing both prices allows you to make an informed decision — and one that hopefully saves you money.

We already discussed the fact that you can find a lot more furniture options online than in your local Costco. But what if you find something you love that's an online exclusive? Buying it blindly could result in an item that isn't very comfortable or doesn't match your expectations. Sure, those online purchases can be returned (and we'll get into the Costco return policy soon), but it's still a hassle to go through the return process, especially when you're talking about a large item like a sofa or bedroom set. While some larger online purchases qualify to be picked up by Costco for the return, it can still be a hassle to disassemble and prepare it for the pickup.

How do you avoid a bad online furniture purchase? Starting with Costco's most reliable furniture brands will help, but even then, you might not personally love the furniture piece you find. If you're buying an item that's available in the warehouse, go and test it out for yourself. You can see how comfortable it is and whether or not you could see yourself using it regularly. If that's not an option, read the reviews carefully to get a better idea of what the furniture is like. Looking at the lower-star reviews could give you an idea of the recurring issues people have with the item. Some complaints might be minor, but others could be issues that you wouldn't want to deal with yourself.

If you've shopped the warehouse before, you know items come and go — that favorite thing you've been buying for months could simply disappear the next time you stop in. That includes home items. As models change, the inventory does as well. That means waiting too long to buy something could lead you to miss out completely if Costco stops carrying it. The price tags have indicators that show when an item won't be reordered or when it's on clearance, so it's important to know those signs well. But you also don't want to buy something too soon, either. Costco has instant savings offers that typically run for about a month at a time. Those offers typically include significant savings on home items, from vacuums and rugs to appliances and sheds. You could miss out on a discount if you buy too soon.

If you spot furniture you like in the warehouse, check out the current deals in the Costco instant savings flyer. Not finding what you want to purchase? Waiting could pay off as the furniture could eventually have a special deal associated with it. Next, look at the tag. Does it have an asterisk on it? That's known as the "death star" of the warehouse giant. Wondering what to do if you see Costco's death star? It likely indicates it's time to buy, because it won't be around much longer. The ending of the price could also give you clues about when to buy. A price ending in $.97 could be on clearance or a manager's special, while one ending in $.00 or $.88 could be a special markdown for low inventory or other issues. Prices like $.79 and $.59 often show special promotions or seasonal items.

The basic Costco Gold Star Membership gets you in the door and let you purchase home items at the members-only pricing. But it's not the only option. Have you ever wondered if Costco's Executive Membership is worth the additional cost? It could be worth the upgrade if you're making some major home purchases. The Gold Star option runs $65 a year while the Executive Membership is $130 a year. However, you get a 2% reward on your purchases when you're an executive member. Since the price difference between the memberships is $65 per year, you would need to spend more than $3,250 in a year at Costco for your 2% reward to cover the difference in membership costs. That might seem like a lot, but you could easily reach that amount with a furniture or appliance purchase.

To determine if you should upgrade your membership, estimate how much you typically spend at Costco in a year on regular purchases. If you're thinking about making a major home purchase, total up the price of those items to see if you would surpass the $3,250 mark. If you would, you might want to pay the extra fee for the Executive Membership and get a larger amount of cash back through your annual reward. The membership also comes with additional perks, including special shopping hours, as well as specific benefits and discounts on Costco services.

When you shop in person at a traditional furniture store, you typically have the option of having it delivered to your home. You might even get free setup and removal of your old items. That's not the case when you shop in the warehouse at Costco. While there are in-home delivery and installation options for purchases made on the Costco website, they're not available for in-store purchases. It's considered a cash-and-carry purchase, which means you pay for it and take it with you when you leave. That can be a problem if you don't have a large enough vehicle to transport the item or if you can't physically move it into your home.

Being clear on your options helps you avoid the situation of being stuck at the register without a way to get your large purchase home. You can order the item on the Costco website instead, but remember you'll likely pay more. Another option is to rent a truck to use for the pickup. Or you could borrow a truck from a friend. There are apps like GoShare that offer delivery services from cash-and-carry establishments like Costco. Sure, the service will increase your total costs, but it's an easier way to get the items home.

Ordering on Costco.com means you get shipping for your items, but there are different levels of delivery that will impact the experience. Not knowing what you're choosing could result in a surprise if the purchase doesn't get moved inside your home for you. For larger items like furniture and appliances, you can choose curbside delivery, which means the freight carrier delivers it to your driveway. If you choose threshold delivery, you'll get it delivered to the first dry spot on your property. That typically means the carrier will leave it right inside your door or garage. Next up is room of choice delivery, in which they'll carry the item to the room where you want it, but you need to have a clear path to that area. Finally, the white glove option includes unpacking, setting up, and inspecting the item. For some appliances, there is an option with basic hook-up and haul-away of your old appliance.

If you're purchasing online, check the available delivery options for that purchase, as they may vary. Consider how much work you want to do when a larger item arrives. If you have enough help to carry it into your home on your own, you may want to save money with curbside or threshold delivery. However, if you are unable to handle moving large items yourself, paying for a more involved delivery services could be worth the investment. Look at the price differences in the delivery options to also help you decide.

In a perfect world, you'll love your Costco home purchase from the second you get your hands on it. But that's not always the way things go. The last thing you want to do is keep a large home purchase that doesn't fit your needs. Don't make the mistake of assuming you have to keep the item after you purchase it. Costco has a very generous return policy, which allows you to return almost anything no matter how much time has passed with no questions asked. That means just not liking your purchase is a good enough reason, and you don't have to rush on the return since there isn't a time limit. There are exceptions, including some items used for your home, like electronics and major appliances — those must be returned within 90 days.

Before you purchase home items from Costco, make sure you understand how the return specifically policy applies to it, especially if you're not sure if you'll like it. While it may be possible to return it without a receipt, it's helpful if you have it, so keep your copy after making your purchase just in case. Explore your options on how you can return your purchase. Anything bought from Costco can be returned at a warehouse. If you buy online, you can start your return through the website to receive a return label or schedule a pickup for the item. Determine the best option for returning if you decide it won't work for you. 

Did you know that some purchases for your home come with concierge services through Costco? The concierge service is basically a tech support center for certain appliances and electronics purchased at Costco. The experts on the other end of the line can walk you through the installation and troubleshooting processes as needed. When you make a qualifying purchase, you get access to the service for free as a part of your membership.   

Find out if your new home purchase qualifies for the concierge services before you pay. You might not think you'll need the help, but you could be surprised. Even the best kitchen appliances you can pick up at Costco could cause you problems. If you have difficulty installing an appliance or electronic item (or if it doesn't seem to be working correctly), call 866-861-0450 to reach the service. It'll be easier if you have your Costco membership number and all of the details about the product on hand when you make the call.