The Five Most Asked Questions About Buying Sofas And Their Answers

Store Discount:

Every home has a sofa. But even though they are so common, there's a lot of thought that goes into finding and buying one that is perfect for your home. This article will answer some of the most common questions asked by our customers when buying sofas.

#1 What sofa material is easiest to maintain?

It depends on your viewpoint. Leather is easier to wipe down and keep clean on a daily basis, but fabric sofas offer cushion covers that are easy to remove and  machine wash.

Fabric sofas used to be very common. They were cooling and there were many fabric designs to choose from. The older sofa designs, especially the ones with a wooden frame, usually would have removable cushion covers. This made it easy for owners to remove and launder them. Because the frames were solid wood, they would be wiped down unlike upholstered fabric frames.

Older fully upholstered designs that were squarish could have slip on covers and removable cushions. However in recent years new, less boxy designs and modern manufacturing techniques resulted in many fabric sofas having fixed covers. In our hot and humid weather these sofas quickly became dirty and looked worn out very quickly.

Sofas That Are Easy To Maintain

There are fabrics that are water and stain resistant but these properties wear out after a year or two unless the fabric is of very high quality. Sofa fabric is different from the fabric used in clothes as it is thicker and heavier. It needs to be worked with specialist sewing machines and stronger upholstery specific needles and thread. 

Leather sofas with modern sleek designs led to the retreat of fabric sofas. These sofas looked like Ferraris on legs and had a lot of popular functionality built in. They could recline, had adjustable head rests and arms, movable back support and USB charging points.

But most importantly, they could be easily cleaned and maintained. Although leather is a living material and porous to some extent, good quality leather is much more resistant to staining and soaking in liquids because it does not have an open weave like fabric. 

While resistant to staining, leather sofas are not totally immune. If you have younger kids or pets, or are just worried about staining, we recommend a darker grey or brown model rather than white or beige to hide any stains that might happen.

#2 What size or configuration of sofa should I buy?

Should I buy a 3 seater or a L-shape sofa? The sofa you should buy depends on your home layout and size. The following is a rough guide with the assumption that one side of the wall has a TV console or feature wall, as most living rooms do. It's always best to get specific and contextualized advice from an expert.

Buying Based On Room Size

• Very Narrow Hall - If your hall is 3m or less wide (deep) you would simply need a 3 seater or an L-shape sofa with a short chaise 1.2 to 1.5m and a sofa depth of 80 to 90cm. 
• Narrow Hall - If your hall is 3m to 3.5m wide (deep) you could fit a 3 seater with a 1 seater in an L configuration. Or an L-shape sofa with a longer chaise 1.4 to 1.7m and a sofa depth of 90 to 100 cm. 
• Standard Hall - If your hall is 3.5m to 4.0m wide (deep) you could fit a 3 seater with a 2 seater in an L configuration with a sofa depth of 90 to 100 cm. Your 3 seater could include a reclining function but just remember to have a slimmer coffee table. This will allow some space for movement. 
• Large Hall - If your hall is large with a width exceeding 4.0m (deep) you could fit a 3/4 seater with two 2 seaters on each end or have 3+2+(1+1) configuration with a sofa depth of 100 to 110cm. Your 3/4 seater could include reclining or inclining functions.
• Very Large Hall - If your hall is very large with a width exceeding 4.0m (deep) you could fit a large 4 seaters with two 2 seaters on each end or have 4+2+(1+1) configuration with a sofa depth of 100 to 120cm. Your 4 seater could include reclining or inclining functions. Another option are modular sofas.

#3 Will sofas fit into a lift or stairwell?

Delivering of sofas is not as simple as you might imagine. Measuring up your hall is not good enough. Lots might go wrong if you don't make sure to measure up and note the following. 

• Know where is the unloading bay is. Your sofa supplier usually will arrive in a tall large truck. Not all basement carparks can fit such vehicles. Once you can identify the unloading point you can begin to identify the route the sofa will take to your home.
• Make sure the route is wide enough for the sofa. Ask your sofa supplier for the external packing dimensions.
• Measure any narrow corridors, stairwells, lifts and corners. Communicate this to the delivery team a day or two earlier. If you spot a problem take a video with your phone and share it with them. The delivery team can then either bring tools to remove certain obstacles or remove the sofa legs or bring more manpower or find an appropriate solution. Obstacles can include door gates or grilles, for example.
• If your home has narrow corridors, stairwells and other obstacles you should opt for an L shape sofa. L-shape sofas are easier to deliver as they come in two parts. 3 seaters that come in a single piece pose the most problems. Modular sofas are also a good choice for such a situation. 

#4 Where is the best place to buy a sofa or a recliner?

The best place not to buy a sofa is online. When it comes to online furniture purchases, the product with the highest return rates are sofas.

Sofas are difficult to sell off secondhand, and difficult to move due to their volume and weight. Furthermore, because sofas feature soft surfaces like leather and fabric, rough handling during shipping can easily split, tear, or puncture the upholstery and ruin the piece.

This means they are difficult to return, have a higher shipping cost for the journey back to the seller, and likelier to result in a dispute. This means more stress and conflict with the online supplier. Comfort, looks, design are all very subjective.

The best place to buy a sofa is at a reputable retailer. Look for a retailer with the following qualities

• They have been around for a long time. 20 years or more. They will be around to keep their 10 year warranty promise.
• They have good Google reviews. 4.5 to 4.8 star ratings. Google reviews and photographs are contributed by real users, and companies can't remove the bad reviews.
• They have a showroom of a reasonable size displaying 50 or more sofas to select from. They should have a good selection of recliners, of different designs, shapes and configurations.
• Look for a sofa specialist. Not from from a furniture store where sofas are not their main or major business.

#5 Should I buy a reclining sofa?

Recliners are usually more expensive than a fixed sofa, but they do make relaxing a lot easier. Having a snooze on a recliner is now a Sunday afternoon tradition. If you can afford it, you may want to get a reclining sofa.

However, if space is an issue stick to a fixed sofa. Recliners tend to require more space as you need to plan around them in their 'open' or reclined mode. This means you need to place your coffee table a little farther away. If having a snooze in the living room is something you still want choose a sofa bed or sofa design with flat seating and a sloping armrest.

Recommended Links

1. Shop all KUKA leather sofas.
2. Leather Sofa Articles.
3. 10 Reasons Why Leather Sofas Are Better Than Fabric Sofas.
4. How to Buy a Leather Sofa Like An Expert.
5. Top 10 Most Popular Types Of Leather And Fabric Sofas
6. The Five Most Asked Questions About Buying Sofas And Their Answers
7. Shop leather sofas and recliners.
8. Follow our facebook page for the latest deals.