From signing the lease to packing your stuff, painting the walls to finding a mover, there's little time - and often less money - to shop for furniture when moving into a new apartment.

So what should you invest in? That cute lamp you saw at Macy's? The build-it-yourself bed from IKEA? Or that expensive sofa from your local boutique furniture store?

Factoring in your age, budget and style can impact where you shop, what you buy and how long you keep it around. "When you're younger, your style will change in five to eight years," says interior designer Susan Prestia of Prairie Village, Kan.-based Interior Directions. "So if you buy a less expensive item, it's not going to hurt your budget because your style is going to change and you can buy something better later." But the bigger investments should be your mattress and sofa, say Prestia and other experts.

"I have always said, never scrimp on what you walk, sit or sleep on," says Margi Kyle, a Cornelius, N.C.-based interior decorator who is best known as the Designing Doctor. She says accessories and lamps are décor items with some wiggle room.

Quality sofas can range in price from $399 at discount furniture outlets to more than $5,000 for high-end pieces at more upscale stores. But there are deals out there, Prestia says. The key is doing your homework.

"November and May are the clearance months for department stores and other furniture stores," Prestia says. "You will get a discounted price on a better item."

Knowing what goes into a piece of furniture can pay off in the long run. Starter sofas with a pressed wood frame and foam seat cushion may run up to $799 and only last five to seven years, Prestia says, while an $1,800 sofa with kiln-dried hardwood and spring/down seat cushions may last up to 20 years with re-upholstering.

What about build-it-yourself furniture?

"I think a mix can be fun and easy on the budget," Kyle says. "The sofa and chairs should already be made. Tables and outside pieces can be build-it-yourself."

Then there's the thrifty approach.

"Today's hottest trends are garage sale hunting," says Kyle, who also suggests visiting second-hand stores. However, she cautions, "don't shop one day and expect to find everything." And be careful about "wasting a lot of money on stuff" at garage sales, says Prestia. "It would be better to save money and buy good quality pieces over a long period of time."

Perhaps the most important investment you can make is to do a little planning. Make sure the colors of your new - or recycled - furniture don't clash with your walls or dominate the room. And map out the space of your new apartment or home.

"Scale is a major problem for first-time buyers," Kyle says. "You need a floor plan so that you purchase what you need and know it will fit in the space. I am redoing an apartment where the couple bought a way too large sofa and chair, and they can't even get the end tables in. The room is so crowded it is hard to get into, and the furniture had to come through a window!"

(c) CTW Features