Mistakes to Avoid While Buying a Sofa

Are you aware of the important factors such as space, functionality and material to consider before purchasing the sofa? Furniture buying mistakes can cost you a lot in the long run. Check what mistakes to avoid while buying a sofa and how to avoid them.

Not Deciding the Budget for Sofa

When you buy a sofa, you aren’t simply buying a piece of furniture. No matter the cost, buying furniture is a significant investment. You are investing in something that will cater to the comfort and aesthetics of your living space, an entity that’ll be a part of your lifestyle for many years to come. Whether you’re replacing your old sofa with a new one or hunting for one that’ll fit in nicely with your dream home, make sure you go for the right one.

For most, picking a sofa, or any home piece for that matter isn’t as easy as it sounds. Besides budget, a more perplexing thing is choosing among the gazillion design options available out there. While the aesthetic choice is purely subjective, there are a few things in general which one must know before deciding to take their sofa home. Read on to know the mistakes people usually make when buying a sofa and how to avoid those mistakes.

Start With Sofa Measurement:

This may seem an obvious thing to do but measuring the available space is essential before you even begin to start browsing for a sofa.  Don’t forget the measurement if you don’t want to be met with an utter disappointment of your choice sofa being too big (or too small) for your space. So, avoid this one mistake by taking care of the following:

• Measure the space where you want to place the sofa
• Measure the doorways to make sure that the sofa would fit through
• Do not rely on mentally sizing up the sofa based on pictures; measure or at least be sure about the exact dimension of the furniture
• Do not go by guessing the size of the sofa you saw in the store
• Decide which size sofa to go for based on the dimension of the available space
• It is also important to consider the shape of the room. Go for a sofa design that’ll complement the shape of the room.
• Keep the size of other furniture in mind; go for a size that’ll blend well with the room layout and setting
• Knowing and working with the shape and size of both, the room and the sofa, will help maintain a balance
• It is also better to keep enough space around the furniture so it won’t impede your movement which is much doable with sofas in the right size and shape.

Buying a Sofa Trial

The sofa you select will be with you for a long time and it’s not uncommon for someone to become emotionally attached to their favourite couch over time. So, make sure the one you are going for serves your requirements – comfort and functionality.  It might not always be possible to try the sofa physically, but if there’s an option for trial, do not forgo it. Avoid this mistake of buying a sofa without a trial with this simple tip:

• Sit, lie, recline on the sofa to know how it actually feels to be on it
• Take it as trying a mattress before buying one at a store – you actually sit on it to check its firmness/softness, don’t you? The same goes for the sofa.
• Whenever possible, always check out the furniture offline before finalising the purchase

Not Determining the Purpose of the Sofa

You aren’t gonna pick any sofa that comes your way, duh. Surely, you won’t buy a one-seater snuggler when what you need is a long sofa set, right? The mistake of buying the wrong sofa is more to do with not giving enough attention to detail and functionality as per the main purpose of the sofa and also as per the users. Consider the following to avoid buying the wrong sofa:

• How will the sofa be used? Will it be regularly used by the family when watching TV? Is it for daily use or for occasional settings? Are you looking for an outdoor couch or a versatile one? It’s much easier to narrow down the options if you know what exactly you need the sofa for.

• Depth of the seat – tall people would usually find a deeper seat and high back more comfortable than a shallow one.

• Sofa arm – choose the sofa arm based on the size of the room/space and how you’ll use the sofa. For instance,  lower armed sofas are a good option for small spaces, while bigger spaces can take high armed sofas better.

• If you’re going to use the couch mainly for relaxing, say reading a book, the sofa arm should be high enough for your arm to rest comfortably and also broad enough to place your book or electronic device (and snacks).

Choosing the Wrong Upholstery

The sofa fabric/material you go for would really depend on how you’d be using the sofa. It also depends on the feel and looks of the fabric and your preference thereof. Whichever you opt for whatever reason, do not make the mistake of not considering these points:

• Sofa Maintenance: The kind of fabric you choose has a lot of bearing on the kind of maintenance you’ll have to do.
• Look: You might want to go for leather if you want a classic looking easy-to-maintain sofa. Leather upholstery, besides being aesthetically pleasing, lasts long and is easily cleaned compared to other sofa fabric materials.
• Lifestyle: Micro fibres are great options for those with kids and pets, as they are also easy to clean. Synthetic microfiber is considered one of the most durable furniture fabrics these days – a good option for heavy use and longevity.

To sum it up, before buying any sofa, remember to measure the size and shape of the room/space as well as the furniture. Know the main purpose of the sofa and consider its functionality. Check the features of the furniture – sofa arm, seat depth/height, upholstery – and select as per the requirement.

However you style your space is up to your creativity and preference but remember to think long term and maintenance of the sofa along with comfort. The right sofa should be comfortable, durable, aesthetic and highly functional. For more furniture guides, expert tips and options on sofa selection, explore HomeLane – a perfect platform for all your furniture requirements.