Buying a Bargain Sofa Suite - A Tricky Experience

lisap4123

Myself & partner want to buy a new sofa suit for our small lounge in a terrace hse. I thought it would be simple but it is turning into a bit of an ordeal. So I thought I would track my experiences on MSE for the benefit of others and look for advice too.

Have used an ikea sofa which was given to me free when I first moved into the house but it is now about 6-7 years old. Fair play to the ikea sofa though - it has faired very well. My other sofa doesnt really deserve the name - it is a tiny wooden thing bought from a car boot (make also ikea) and is more suited to a kids room.

We are looking for a 3 seater ideally around 70-77" long (max 82") and a 2 seater around 60" ideally (up to 66" max).

Firstly I was looking for a good quality second hand 3+2 suit but because of the specific measurements and my fussiness couldnt find anything. So there was this ebay seller who makes furniture. He was selling ranges that looked like the range sold in major sofa sellers stores, and they seemed good quality from the description - hardwood frames etc. We went to the major store and tried out the 'sofa' and liked it, and so ordered with him. He says he makes the furniture himself and delivery takes approx 30 days. Therefore he said he could make the sofas bespoke to my exact measurements. Great (I thought). 1 month after paying still no sofas and no delivery date. At the 45 day point I had to put in a paypal claim and to cut a long story short I dont believe he had even started making the sofa's so we finally got our money back. It was a stressful experience thinking we were going to loose the money!

So back to square 1 - need to buy some sofa's. Found a local discount furniture clearance store with loads of sofa's and suites ranging from £300-£700. However a friend who used to work in upholstery said they are all at the cheap end of the scale on frames and fabrics and won't last. She recommends looking for a hardwood frame and advised on what to look for in the fabric.

I searched the net and found a great website which tells you all about the construction of a sofa and what to look for:
http://www.property-coach.co.uk/home-and-property-information/how-to-buy-furniture/buying-a-sofa.htm
So now I know that we need to look for a hardwood frame and ideally 8 point springs. The difficult part is finding this within our budget of £1000 max.

A friend yesterday told me of a sofa store locally closing down. We went to have a look and they had a fabulous cream leather 3+2 suite reduced from £2000 to £999. I didnt realise a leather sofa could be so soft, warm and comfy. I asked if it was a hardwood frame and the guy gave me a strange answer - 'yes its a hardened frame'. I thought hmmm need to check this out. We took the measurements & on getting home the sofa's would fit - just. But I googled the suite and found it on a webstore in a different colour for about £1300 and there was no mention of it having a hardwood frame so I think the sales guy was trying to mislead us.
http://www.furniturevillage.co.uk/sofasandchairs/leathersofaandchairranges/bella

So still looking ! Although after the comfort of the Bella we have both realised that leather sofas can be warm and cosy, and cream in our house is possible if we have leather. So ideally looking for cream leather 3+2 suite. We are thinking of visiting some of the factory clearance outlets who claim John Lewis and co standard furniture at cheap prices - it means a journey up to Mancheste but it could be worth it !

Does anyone have any experience of getting a good quality hardwood frame sofa suite at a more budget price - eg under £1k? Where should I be looking. I am certainly staying clear of the DFS type places, but even the local store can be a red-herring !

lisap4123

I have now seen a suite that I like - cream leather, hardwood frame, but now I am worried whether it will fit through my front door on not ! Does anyone have any experience of this?
Largest sofa measures 203cm long x 88cm high x 99 deep.
My doorway only has 28.5" clearance
If it won't go through what type of size would I be able to fit in?
Are there any other alternatives - eg using a furniture company who are experts at taking off doors / windows?
Thanks all help gratefully received

lisap4123

Well my problem is resolved ! I have decided on a sectional sofa which is in 3 peices so it will fit easily through the door. I bought a 1 year old top name sofa off ebay for £300 as there is no way I could afford to buy this type of quality sofa at its new price - which I would estimate at about £2k.
Hiring a van next week to collect - about £45 plus petrol. Very happy !

lisap4123

Actually problem not resolved - as the guy gave me wrong measurements, so ended up canceling the transaction. I had already got rid of my old sofas to friends and hired a van! So I had no sofas and a van. I put out a wanted on freecycle and some kind lady offered me a 3 year old laura ashley sofa which needed to be gone there and then. So I used the van to get that sofa. Its beige check an very grubby but in good overall condition. I now need a steam cleaner to get rid of the marks but at least it fits and was free !

chocomonsta

things rarey go to plan do they, but hey, you got there in the end...sort of! :j

Alias_Omega

If on the look out still, £800 delivered from Harveys, 3 & 2 seater brown leather recliners delivered.

Comes with 5 year warranty on frame and stuff, cant remember exactly.. and comes apart.

Cheap end, but you pay for what you get i suppose..

jscalow

Any shop offering "discount" furniture- steer clear of, discount is another word for crap.
Go for a foam cushion, not hollow fibre, they may look more comfy but will not offer the same durability of foam, if you do go for hollow fibre make sure the furniture has a sprung edge. Getting all this in your budget may be a hard task. buying second hand is easier but you will be limited to other peoples choices and styles. Maybe the easiest thing to do would go for a well looked after second hand leather, there are no patterns and colours are easier to match. If the seat cushions area little tired get an upholsterer out of yellow pages to replace the foam/interiors. I have had my leather since 2001 and looking and feeling brilliant still. Good luck.

nhammadi

This is a really good website, they do good quality second hand branded furniture they have a website bestpokeinteriors.co.uk have a look