Four things to always buy at Dunelm and the items to avoid

DUNELM is a great place to look around for homely bits and furniture deals.

But what's best to target, and what should you avoid? We take a look below.

Do make sure you remember delivery costs if ordering online from Dunelm.

It'll set you back a further £3.95 for orders under £49.

But to save on money, just use the store locator tool on its website to find your closest branch.

And keep in mind you shouldn't buy something you don't need just because it's cheap - if you do, you're not saving any money.

You can compare items with other shops using tools like Google Shopping or the Latest Deals app to make sure it's worth purchasing.

Otherwise, without further ado, let's get into what you should and shouldn't buy from Dunelm.

What to buy

Artificial plants

You can find the loveliest little potted plants from £7 at Dunelm - and the best part is, you don't need to water them.

These are great if you want some pretty pieces of decoration designed for little effort.

And other artificial plants we've seen don't come close - for example, M&S sells one for £21, Asda charges £12 for another and there's even one costing £32 at Next.

A price tag that comes close is certainly Wilko - but even then the cheapest we spotted cost £8.

Bedding

There's currently a huge 50% off sale on selected bedding items at Dunelm, so get yourself to your nearest store pronto.

Dunelm will often host big half price sales like this, and it does a wide spread of duvet covers, warm blankets and throws.

For example, on the website right now, there's a Pure Cotton Fitted Sheet on sale for just £4.50 - down from £24.

Remember added delivery costs, but everything is free to click and collect.

However, when this happens, stock may be subject to availability. So if you're shopping in the sale it's best to call your local branch first to check they have your items handy.

Warm essentials

If you're looking to stock up for the cold weather, Dunelm has you covered.

You'll find everything from cosy clothes to heating alternatives in store for a reasonable price.

For example, shoppers spotted a cold weather essential just the other day - selling for a 30% discount at £11.20, down from £16.

It was a teddy oversized blanket hoodie which could prevent you from needing the heating turned on quite as much.

There are plenty of mini heaters as well to look out for - Dunelm has currently slashed a 650W oil radiator by 50% to just £14. It used to be £28.

According to the website, it only costs 22p an hour to run.

Candles

You can find a lot of candles in Dunelm from just £2.75 - that's £7.25 less than a Yankee Candle costs from Asda.

Of course, these are own-brand, but shoppers say they do the trick just fine.

Commenting on the £2.75 Essentials White Pillar Candle on Dunelm's website, one shopper wrote:

"Good price compared to elsewhere and what I was looking for."

Another praised: "What more can I say it is what it is. I am very pleased with it and it fits perfectly with my holder."

And a third happily reported: "Great candle, long lasting at a great price. Will buy again!"

What to avoid

Kitchenware

Although there are a few odd mugs and kitchen sets at Dunelm for cheap, you'll find a larger range and lot more bargains in this section from somewhere like Home Bargains.

For instance, you can get everything from oven trays to a £9.99 slate serving board from Home Bargains, so it's ideal if you're looking to do a kitchen haul.

There's also a slightly cheaper delivery fee if you shop at Home Bargains - £3.49 as opposed to Dunelm's £3.95.

And you can still find your nearest branch using the site's store locator.

Lamps and lighting

Again, it's not to say there are no deals here at Dunelm, but we'd certainly go to The Range if you're after this kind of thing.

For example, a Fulton Tripod Floor Lamp costs £85, but you can get a cheap £27.99 Torchiere Floor Lamp from The Range instead.

There's actually a big sale on lighting at The Range right now, so it's worth having a look in store and online.

We've seen offers reduced by 20% on average, but prices do start from around £7.99.

Again, don't forget delivery costs and remember to use the store locator tool when necessary.