I love nothing more than flopping down onto the sofa after a long day with a snack and the latest episode of my favourite TV show to watch. However, such a simple pleasure can be ruined if you have the wrong sofa (not comfortable, falling apart, wrong design etc).  Ensure that you get the most out of your brand new sofa by following these tips when buying. It may take you a little extra time but you’ll have it for years so it’s worth the extra effort!

Picking Colours and Fabrics

One thing that you need to look at when choosing your sofa is what colours and fabrics you want to use. In terms of colours, it’s handy to let your other furniture and the room itself be the guide but it’s important to think of practicality as well.  If you have kids or pets, light colours will show up stains quickly.  In that case, a darker fabric or even a patterned fabric might be better!  Fabric is also something else you need to think of. Natural fabrics such as wool or cotton look fantastic but are more expensive to buy. Interestingly, they may not last as long as a synthetic fabric blend might!  You’ve also got natural materials such as leather or suede to choose from but these require maintenance to keep them looking their best.

Choosing the Sofa Size and Shape

Of course, you want a sofa that’s big enough for your needs!  While you want it to be big enough for the people that use it every day, make sure that it’s large enough to accommodate guests as well, unless you want to be scrambling to find extra chairs.  The shape is also important but there is some flexibility in regards to this. For example, you can choose traditional combinations of two seaters and three seaters with single armchairs or you can go for a modular sofa with chaises and ottomans.  When choosing the shape, look at the room where they’ll be and look for combinations that will work best within it.

Look for Quality

No matter what your budget is, you’ll want a sofa that is of the best quality that you can buy.  Look for sofas that have sturdy steel or hardwood frames and that have high quality foams.  The higher the warranty, the better the sofa is likely to be.  This doesn’t necessarily mean spending a fortune though – look for sales, negotiate with salespeople or even buy floor stock.

Remember Comfort!

While it’s possible to buy a sofa that ticks all of the above boxes, it’s still no guarantee that you’ve bought yourself comfort!  You really need to sit on the sofa yourself and give it a good test drive to make sure you can sit in it for hours without aches or pains.  Feel free to sit or even lie on the store’s display models for up to ten minutes or more to get a good idea of the comfort level before you buy.