5 Things Homeowners Can Haggle For

Buying a home is virtually a college course in science and fine art: the science of smart shopping and the fine art of price negotiation.

But once most homeowners move in, they promptly forget every savvy maneuver they learned at the bargaining table. They go back to paying list price for home essentials when a little creative bargaining can pay off.

If you're bargaining on price, rather than just shopping around, it may feel uncomfortable at first. Not to worry, says New York attorney Adam Leitman Bailey, author of "Finding the Uncommon Deal."

"You have nothing to lose. If you're going to ask people, 'What's the lowest price you'll give me,' they may not tell you," he says. "But it's OK to be rejected. Because if you don't ask the question, you may not get the best deal."

Here are five examples of where your costs might not be as fixed as you think, with tips to help navigate the best price on goods and services for your home.

"When you're buying a home, you're comparing one home to another," Bailey says. "When you're going in to buy furniture, you can talk to two stores with the same couch and show a third store the cheaper price and see if they can beat it."

One of his strategies is to ask to use the store's computer. You have to get a manager at that point, he says. Show them their competitors' prices on the same merchandise. "Many times they'll beat it on the spot."

Alternatively, you can also use your smartphone or wireless tablet. Or research prices at home and carry printouts to the store.

But you're not finished yet. Get the lower price offer in writing. Then shop that at a couple of other stores, and see if you can do even better, he says.

While two similar houses can be on different streets or have different features, Bailey says, "the great thing about a couch is name brands are name brands."

Many of the techniques that work with furniture can also net a better deal on appliances, too.

Get those model numbers, then hit the Internet, Bailey says. Research will net you not just the best price, but also the points of comparison among similar products.

As with buying a home, knowing what's hot -- and what's not -- with buyers gives you a negotiating advantage. So if that appliance comes in a few colors and you know one of them isn't selling well, that might be a point for bringing down the price. (No need to let the salesperson know that it matches your color scheme perfectly.)

This is also a time when it pays to consider the quality of your information sources, too, Bailey says. "Just like with a home, you need a reliable seller," he says. When you buy online, stick with big names you trust, he says.

Lowball websites have their place, even if you wouldn't trust them with your money. You still might be able to use that quote to persuade a store to lower its price, Bailey says.

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