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If you’ve just moved into your first home or flat, you’re going to need to purchase a number of different pieces of furniture. One of these, most likely, will be a dining room table and chairs. This can be a rather expensive purchase, and it can be a rather large one, too. However, with a little thought, you may not need a huge table.

That’s the first thing you want to think about: how many people are you going to have for dinner every night? If it’s just you and you rarely plan to entertain, you may need only a small table that seats four. You can often find small tables like this at department stores, and while they will still be somewhat expensive, they won’t be the same price as a large table from a furniture store.

However, you may realize you need a large table. This is especially true if you have a family of four. In that case, having a small table may not be practical: if you have guests over, you’ll either have to try to cram another chair or two around the table or set up a folding table for the kids to eat on.

If you want to have plenty of room for guests, you may need a table that seats eight or more. One thing to consider is purchasing a table with leaves or extensions built in. These tables start out with space for four, but by pulling on the ends, you can split the table and add extensions in the middle. This gives you room for eight when you need it, but saves space when you don’t. These tables used to have removable planks that you had to store elsewhere when not in use, but most modern tables have the extensions attached to the table. They fold under when not needed for easy storage.

Other large dining room sets do not feature extensions—their tabletops are made of one large piece of wood (or several pieces fitted together). These tables are often made of gorgeous pine or oak, and they will last you for many years. They’re often decorated with intricate scrollwork or other decorations around the edge, although very simple, plain tables are also available. The downside to these large, gorgeous tables is that they’re quite large and may not fit in your dining room. They also require you to purchase at least eight chairs, which may be costly.

Speaking of, chairs are another concern. Generally, the table will have matching chairs designed for use with it, but these chairs are usually sold separately. You can buy as many as you need, but most people who buy  a large pine dining table get eight. Those who get a table with extensions may want anywhere from four to eight, but they have to remember that the extra chairs have to be stored somewhere.