What is the Cost of Reupholstery and Is It Worth It?
If your sofa is looking a little worse for wear, you may be considering getting a new one. But what if there was another option? This article will inform you about upholstery including the advantages, environmental impact and cost of reupholstery.
Reupholster Vs. Buy New
When the time comes where your living room needs a revamp, switching up your sofa can be the perfect solution. You may want to get a brand new sofa, but what if you could make your existing one look brand new? Older furniture tends to be better quality than newer models and can hold a lot of other benefits, including;
- Improved appearance
- Reduced/improved smell
- Increased durability
- Allergen removal
- Aftercare advice
- Reuse high-quality furniture instead of throwing it away
- Allows you to keep furniture that has sentimental value
- Convenient – especially if it fits perfectly in a particular room
- Can be custom upholstered to fit any style, which you may not find in shops or online
Cost of Reupholstery
The cost of reupholstery will be highly dependent on a number of other factors including;
- Size and shape of the piece
- Current condition of the sofa (does it require extra padding as well?)
- Fabric that will be added (leather, faux leather, fabric etc.)
- What company you decide to go with
- If the sofa is antique or not
Upholstery for an average sofa will likely start at around £800. This may seem like a not considering you’re not getting anything new, but upholstery is an investment. New buy sofas these days can be extremely poor quality compared to older models. If you buy a new sofa, you may end up having to get another one in a few years. With reupholstery it can last for as long as you bought the sofa originally, sometimes even longer! Professional upholsters ensure that the quality is superior in both the fabric used and the service provided
Many companies will be able to offer you a quote if you can take pictures and/or measurements.
How Long Does Reupholstery Take
The reupholstery process takes around 8-10 weeks from start to finish, but this includes getting it measured, getting the fabric prepared etc. You are likely to only be without your sofa for 2-3 weeks. When you buy a new sofa, it can typically take from 6-8 weeks for it to get delivered. If you can live without a sofa for a short space of time the benefits will definitely out-weigh the waiting time. Plus, the quality of the upholstered piece has the likely hood of lasting you several weeks longer.
Environmental Impact
One of the biggest issues with people throwing away old furniture is that it just ends up in a landfill. Many people don’t even consider this when throwing away their old furniture, but we actually throw away over 150,000 tonnes worth of sofa every year.
Reupholstering a sofa can also help you lower your carbon footprint as it generates less Co2 emissions.