Before buying a new sofa here are a few things you should consider before you make your decision.
The sofa is the centre of any living room, so in addition to being stylish it also needs to be a comfy place to sit down, to relax after a long, hard day.
The sofa is probably one of the most desirable pieces of furniture and whatever your taste or living room shape, there will definitely be a model, shape and size to suit you.
Whether you are considering a corner sofa, modular sofa, recliner, sofa bed, Futon or Chaise Longue, there's plenty of choice.
There are endless options when it comes to buying sofas on finance. For example DFS offer interest free finance on their sofa range with repayment terms from 6 months to 4 years, and with no deposit.
Harveys the furniture store offer a "buy now pay later" credit scheme where you get the benefit of paying no deposit and the monthly payments start 28 days after delivery.
Home shopping catalogues like Littlewoods also offer finance options to spread the cost by paying weekly on a sofa with interest free plus their are other credit options such as pay later.
Then there are other companies that provide finance for furniture with weekly payments to spread the cost of larger purchases, and even those with bad credit or no credit history could get accepted. There is of course no guarantee of getting approved no matter how good your credit rating may be.
Credit provided is subject to the customer successfully passing the credit and affordability checks.
Furniture is pretty expensive these days and sofas are perhaps the most expensive single furniture item of all, so it's important to find the best deal on your new sofa.
The best way to do this is to simply shop around and compare prices, but always ensure you are comparing like for like, check the delivery policies and guarantees in each store plus the total amount payable if purchasing on finance.
Plus you should never be afraid to haggle - tough times for furniture stores mean good deals for shoppers! For some reason us Brits are a bit shy when it comes to asking for discounts, but right now shops are looking to sell as much as possible so haggling is more than acceptable and the more you spend, the more you could save with a cheeky discount.
When choosing a new sofa your choice will obviously depend on the size of your room and how many people you wish to seat. For a small bedsit a single sofa may be adequate, but for most of us a combination of sofas and armchairs will be best as they may offer more flexibility than just one big sofa.
The filling in your sofa makes a difference too. Each type of filling will offer different levels of support and will require different levels of maintenance. Fabric sofas offer a bigger range of colour options and modern easy-clean fabrics are ideal for busy households. But both leather and fabric will wear over time, especially when placed in direct sunlight, so think twice about buying a bright coloured sofa for a very sunny room.
Cheap sofa deals aren't that hard to find if you look in the right places at the right times. Waiting for the sales or when a new discount/voucher code becomes available is a great way to save some money. There is also the option of buying a second hand sofa. The price of these used sofas are obviously alot cheaper and some can still be a clean and new-like condition.
Armchair, 2-seater or 3 seater. These are the options you're faced with when choosing a new sofa. Whether you choose one of these or a combination will depend upon the size of your living room and the amount of people you want to cater for.
Leather or fabric. Leather tends to be more hard-wearing and is a great choice for a busy young household. Fabric does allow for a larger range of colours and can look nice in almost any living room, however, it is harder to keep them looking new.
Along with the different sizes, there are also different types of sofa such as L-shaped corner sofas, recliner sofas and sofa beds. What type you choose will depend upon your living space and your own personal preference.
The most important and defining factor when buying a new sofa is the price. Most people don't have the money to hand to simply by a sofa outright, hence why there are so many finance options available. Before buying your sofa, remember to check some customer reviews of the store your purchasing.