Like the faithful family pet, your sofa often becomes an old friend you can’t bear to be without. And it looks like it. You might not notice, but gradually your sofa will begin to look shabby and feel uncomfortable, and while you can turn and rotate the cushions a million times, you can’t hide the stark truth when it is evidently time to replace your sofa.
Of course a good sofa is a worthwhile and not insignificant investment, and is not something you want to be replacing every year. At the other end of the scale, a sofa will not last forever, so you need to find some middle ground. Generally speaking, a good quality sofa should last between seven and fifteen years, but this will depend on how you use it, how you look after it, where it is stored and of course, how good the quality of the sofa is.
When deciding to change your sofa, there are some common signs that you should be looking out for, so here is a list of the most likely reasons why you might want to invest in a quality new sofa.
- No longer fits the theme of the room: Nobody particularly likes decorating, but sometimes it’s unavoidable, and it would be pushing it to avoid decorating just because your sofa would no longer belong in the room. Tastes change over time, and styles and popular designs change, that’s just a fact of life, so don’t get left behind and make sure your sofa stays up with the times and doesn’t become outdated.
- Fabric is faded or damaged: However good the quality of your sofa fabric is, sustained, heavy use over a period of years will take its toll. Likewise, there’s not much you can do to prevent colour fading from natural light, other than keeping a sofa out of direct sunlight, which not everyone has the luxury of being able to do. When wear marks, thread pulls or rips start to form in the fabric, they can very quickly develop, and pretty soon the minor blemish you were prepared to put up with has evolved into a largescale embarrassment. It’s time to change.
- Is it more comfortable to sit on the floor? Some carpets have quite a lot of ‘give’ in them, but when they have more than your sofa, it is time to get your wallet out. You can try to maintain your cushion comfort as much as you can, but the day will come when they can’t be revived any more. This is perfectly normal and is the main indicator that you need a new sofa.
- Squeaks and cracks: It is common for every movement on a sofa to be accompanied by a cacophony of squeaks and cracks, particularly as a sofa gets older. Springs, boards and frames can all wear or loosen over time, and feet or arms may also need some attention. It is rarely cost-effective to get them replaced, so structural damage is a sure sign that your sofa is reaching the end of its natural life.
- Smells do sink in: You may have endeavoured to be very careful in terms of people eating on the sofa, kids making a mess and pets having a lie down, but over the years an accumulation of odours becomes very difficult to shift. This is not always something you notice until you spend some time away from the house, so you may have to rely on a discreet friend or family members, but when the time comes, it can be something of a rude awakening.
- The sofa doesn’t fit: You may have moved home and brought your sofa with you, or you may have downsized a room or upgraded one, but it is not unusual for a sofa to become too big for a room or too small, and this is a functional practicality you won’t want to work around for long.
So if you are beginning to think you need a new sofa and can justify this within the seven to fifteen year age range discussed here, you now need to invest in a quality sofa that will last you just as long. At Nabru, our range of sofas can be tailored to meet your needs and style ideas, offering you more control and hopefully, aiding a situation where your sofa will last as long as possible.
