Believe it or not, sometimes buying a sofa involves a lot more thought than pointing and grunting at the first couch that looks pretty. Something that matches your home’s overall interior theme is a plus, but what if laying on it feels like sleeping on a bed of petrified squirrels? What if the sectional sofa you have in mind is too short and curves in such a way that only your contortionist second cousin can contentedly sleep on it? What if the fabric used for the cushions is so porous that it absorbs sweat and body odor and turns the sofa into a tie-dye collage of various bodily and household stains? A sofa that looks nice is great, but it won’t be anything more than a bad investment if it’s not comfy. That being said, here is some useful information for first-time sofa shoppers when you go out to find the newest addition to your furniture family.
• For the love of popcorn, sit on the couch before you buy it. The salesperson should appreciate your desire to sit, lay, jump and roll around on a couch if it means a prospective sale. Comfort is very crucial when picking out a divan, and it will save you a lot of effort and awkwardness to find a couch you like before making a purchase rather than buying a random sofa and later dragging it back to the store because you didn’t like it when you got it home.
• Think about what kind of sofa you’re considering purchasing. Do you want a regular couch, a couch/love seat set, a convertible couch-bed, a sectional sofa, or a corner sofa? And from there, do you want a sofa with skirted edges, one that shamelessly shows its bare legs like a flapper, or one that just kinda sits there on no legs, like a shameless, legless flapper? Do you want the cushy feel of cloth, or stiff and durable leather? Cloth is cheaper, but it’s a lot harder to get stains out of it. Leather will last longer, but consider the costs of getting a leather sofa re-upholstered, especially if you have pets (see next tip).
• Are there cats in the house with functioning claws? Do they like to scratch the furniture? Keep in mind that cats seem to find leather furniture more attractive as far as comfort scratching than cloth (despite what sources may claim), and that there’s really no way to deter a cat from digging up the couch if they are already in the habit of doing so except declawing them. So, ask yourself if you’re okay with letting your new sofa take some scuffs, pokes, and scratches.
• How many people do you predict will have their butts on your couch? If you have a large family or have friends or relatives over often (or you’re just really, really tall), you might want to consider a bigger divan. Sectional sofas are great not only in appearance, but for seating too; they’re almost twice as big as a typical couch, meaning you can comfortably seat more people. This is crucial if you’re going to have a party or you have lots of children, or just want all your stuffed animals to feel at home, not to mention most sectional couches can be separated into sections and spread out. Corner sofas are basically the same thing, but made to fit perfectly into a corner like a Tetris block.
• Are you on a budget? Or do you just not want to spend a few thousand dollars on a brand-new couch? Consider hand-me-down options; no one’s going to drag you out into the town square and flog you if you buy a thrift store couch. Before you go hunting for a couch in a furniture store, check out second-hand options first. You’d be surprised what you can find in thrift stores.
If you take the time to consider these few things it will make your couch shopping experience a lot more enjoyable and you will get to avoid all of the stress your friends had to go through when they were considering buying a sofa.
Tags: buying a sofa, choosing a couch, couch, furniture, furniture considerations, home decor, pets and furniture, sectional sofas, sofa
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