The garden parties are in full swing, the Wimbledon whites have been packed away, and retailers are quietly making room for autumn collections. That means one thing: some of the biggest reductions of the year on homeware and outdoor furniture.

While it is tempting to think the best bargains disappear in June, August is often when discounts become even more generous. So if you have been eyeing up an al fresco dining set or planning to refresh your home before September, these are the pieces worth snapping up before they disappear.

Outdoor furniture is one of the categories most likely to receive significant markdowns in the thick of summer. If you have spent the season coveting beautiful outdoor furniture, now is the time to bag a bargain.

John Lewis has reduced its elegant Holte six-seater garden dining table from £499 to £199.60 (Johnlewis.com). Made in a soft neutral finish, it has a relaxed Mediterranean feel and would pair beautifully with woven seating and linen table settings.

OKA’s sculptural Belsay dining chairs have also been reduced, from £595 to £119 (Oka.com). Their textured sandstone finish would look very luxurious in a London courtyard.

Cox & Cox’s Rondane lounge set delivers serious resort energy and has been discounted from £1,295 to £777 (Coxandcox.co.uk). For a coffee table that will instantly chic up your space, Habitat’s yellow metal table is reduced from £100 to £80 (Habitat.co.uk). An outdoor rug can also be easily rolled away and stored for the next season. Ruggable’s Cleo Trellis option, which is machine washable, has 30 per cent off at £167.30 (Ruggable.co.uk).

Beautifully laid tables never go out of style. Mango’s cotton tablecloth, decorated with vintage-inspired porcelain motifs, brings floral charm for far less than its original price (£22.99 from £35.99, Mango.com). Layer it with Mrs Alice’s delicate soft blue lace dinner plates (£23 instead of £34, Mrsalice.com) and suddenly a casual supper feels like a holiday on the Amalfi Coast.

Liberty’s botanical plant wall plate, a collaboration with Moroccan brand LRNCE, also deserves a place on your radar. Whether displayed as wall art or layered into a tablescape, it is a decorative ray of sunshine and it is reduced from £395 to £100 (Libertylondon.com).

One of the simplest ways to refresh a dining table is with textiles. The Conran Shop’s lattice napkins are £6 from £15 (Theconranshop.com), add softness while working just as well for autumn entertaining as they do for late summer lunches (thewhitecompany.com). Alternatively,

Nkuku’s Shirali marble swirl wine glasses are half price at £30 for a set of four (Nkuku.com) and come in an ethereal peach colour with a marble effect.

This year’s interiors have embraced joyful colour and there is no reason for that to stop when summer comes to a close. Oliver Bonas’s Estrella full-length mirror has a blush frame that bounces light around smaller rooms (£97.50 from £199, oliverbonas.com), while Casa by JJ’s mustard ribbed table lamp adds an instant pop of colour to a bedside table or reading corner (£65 from £110, casabyjj.com).

The Conran Shop’s Bolt vase in sage green is a mega bargain at £15, reduced from its original price of £50 (theconranshop.com), while Pooky’s Cala table lamp, designed by Matthew Williamson, also feels like a collector’s piece.

Birdie Fortescue’s scalloped block-print cushion (£39.50 from £70, birdiefortescue.co.uk) is a stylised homage to the rooftops of old buildings in Cuba and would liven up any sofa.

If you fancy getting creative, Sanderson’s Fenne Mimosa fabric offers an opportunity to think beyond ready-made homeware and is half price at £43 per metre (sanderson.design). Buying fabric in the sale is one of the easiest ways to create a completely individual interior, whether you transform it into bespoke cushions, a headboard or simple café curtains.

Sales are also the perfect excuse to upgrade the pieces you use every single day. Avery Row’s striped storage basket proves that practical pieces can still be beautiful. Priced at £10 from £26 (avery-row.com), it is proof that children’s rooms can look just as chic as grown-up spaces.

Salt & Stone’s refillable body wash set feels more like a boutique hotel than a bathroom staple. There is £9 off the usual price at the moment, making it £86 (saltandstone.com). As for your sleeping arrangements, Sukun’s Cheeky Cherub pillowcases are £44 instead of £55 (sukun.co.uk) while its Positano bundle is £140 from £175 (sukun.co.uk).

In the market for a super luxurious sofa at a fraction of the price? Love Your Home’s online outlet has some excellent pieces in stock, including the Byron 3.5 seater sofa in rose velvet (£1,372 from £3,795, love-your-home.co.uk).

The golden rule of summer sale shopping is to focus on classic investment pieces that will earn their keep for years to come. A beautifully made dining chair, an artisanal tray, a linen tablecloth or a sculptural lamp will never feel tied to one season. As for the outdoors? Summer will be back soon enough and you will feel smug that you planned ahead.