RAMBLINGS

Five checks you can run on any furniture listing in about ten minutes, covering unedited video, named materials, sizing, swatches and what happens if you get it wrong.

Powder-coated steel and marine-grade aluminium hold up best across most of Australia. Teak lasts decades but needs oiling to stay honey-coloured. Cheap synthetic wicker is the one that fails first — usually within two or three summers.