If you are debating on whether or not you should reupholster, the first thing you should do is determine how much work is required to fix your sofa. There is a big difference between re-covering your sofa and reupholstering it, as reupholstering may involve replacing springs and padding as well as fixing a frame or re-staining any wood, which can turn a cosmetic job into an expensive problem. In most cases, it will cost you more to reupholster your sofa than buy a new one, but here are some reasons you may want to reupholster anyway:

1. Your sofa is a family heirloom: If your sofa has sentimental value or has been in your family for a significant amount of time, you may want to spend the money to reupholster and restore it. Keeping around memories can be worth the cost.

2. Your sofa is an antique: If you have an antique sofa, you should probably reupholster. Antique furniture can be very expensive or priceless, and the cost of reupholstering could be worthwhile in this instance.

3. Your sofa is high quality: If the cost of a new sofa of the same quality is more expensive, reupholstering may be a good idea. This generally doesn’t happen, but if the price is right, reupholstering may be the way to go.

There are not many instances when paying to reupholster will be a better value to you than buying a new sofa, but it never hurts to ask around for pricing on fabrics and parts to get the best value for your reupholstery.

Example pricing:

If your sofa has hand tied springs it may be worth recovering. Normally a 7 foot sofa will need about 20 yards of fabric to recover.

Fabric costs: $20-$80 per yard (depending on quality) x 20 yards = $400+
Labor: $600-$1000
New cushions: $50-$180 per seat
Springs: $150-$350
Total: $1300 starting price

A fine quality hand tied sofa today starts around $1500 in a base grade fabric so the cost is about even.

Most of our Broyhill Sofas are about $799, so of course you can buy a new one for less than reupholstering.

Here are some things to keep in mind while moving your furniture.

1. Take it apart: Most furniture has some way to disassemble. You can take legs off tables, backs off recliners or sofas, shelves out of bookshelves and even taking pillows off sofas can help. Taking the extra weight/bulkiness off of the piece you are moving can really make your life easier.

2. Make sure it fits: Know where you are going to put the piece you are moving before hand. Make sure it fits in its new spot and that there is enough room along the way to get it there. Measuring your furniture and where it will go can save a lot of trouble (you can get headaches and backaches when you finally manage to squeeze a sofa into a room and find out it doesn’t fit).

3. Carry it correctly: Pick up your furniture from strong points (chairs – carry from the seat rail not the backs, sofas – underneath the side frame, tables – the apron not the legs or top, case pieces – carry from the bottom). Carrying furniture on its weak points can hurt both you and your furniture – chair backs and table legs can break or you can slip if not carrying a sofa or bookcase correctly from the bottom. Make sure you lift heavy pieces straight up with your legs so you do not hurt your back. If you use a dolly, make sure you position it correctly so you do not damage legs or the underside of your furniture.

4. Watch out! Be wary of low-hanging chandeliers or narrow hallways and doors. Take your time and walk slowly, making sure you have enough room on every side before proceeding. Most damage from moving furniture is caused by being impatient and going too fast. It doesn’t take much to leave a hole in a wall or a scratch on the piece you are moving. If you think you may have trouble going a certain way, try to find a wider path. You can take doors off their hinges, open double doors, move other furniture and even go through big enough windows if all else fails. The extra couple inches you get can go a long way if it is a tight fit.

5. Get a helper: Find someone to help you move your furniture. It is always better to have an extra set of hands and eyes to help carry and watch for obstacles while moving furniture. If you aren’t 100% certain you can carry something by yourself, don’t do it. It is better to be safe than sorry in this case and not have to repair your walls or furniture.

6. Don’t drag or push your furniture on the ground! This can break legs, scratch your floor, pull up carpet, scrape your furniture and cause a lot of damage. If you are using a furniture slider, make sure it does not slip off because this can really damage your floor and your furniture. While moving furniture, it is never a bad idea to use pads and cover your furniture to protect it from accidents. Thanks for reading, and good luck moving your furniture!

Browse through the furniture dealers we carry and find exactly what you are looking for.  Here are some of our more popular dealers, come in to our showroom to see what else we carry!

Broyhill

Silver Eagle

Lane

Homelegance