Questions to Ask When Buying Furniture
Questions for the showroom floor and the order desk, covering frame and joinery, cushion and spring construction, fabric wear ratings, delivery lead times, doorway measurements, warranties, returns on custom orders and the extras added at checkout.
The questions
Open any question for the note
Is this in stock, or is it made to order?
Why ask it
Upholstery lead times routinely run three to five months, and a special order is usually not cancellable once the fabric has been cut. Get the expected ship window in writing, along with what happens to your deposit if it slips.
What is the frame made of?
Why ask it
For a sofa you want kiln-dried hardwood, and plywood is acceptable. Particleboard and stapled softwood are not. Kiln drying matters because green wood keeps moving in a heated room, and the joints loosen within a year or two.
How is the frame joined together?
Why ask it
Corner blocks that are glued and screwed, dowels and mortise joints all last. Glue and staples alone do not. Ask to see a cutaway or a photograph of the frame, since makers who do this properly are usually pleased to show you.
Is this solid wood, veneer over plywood, or laminate over particleboard?
Why ask it
All three sit in the same showroom at similar prices. Veneer over plywood is genuinely good and more stable than solid wood in a dry house, while printed laminate over particleboard cannot be repaired once a corner has swollen.
What is in the cushions, and what happens to them as they age?
Why ask it
Foam density predicts sagging better than firmness does, and down-wrapped cushions feel softer but need fluffing every week. Ask what a replacement insert costs, because that is the cheapest way to make a tired sofa feel new later.
What is underneath the cushions?
Why ask it
Eight-way hand-tied springs, sinuous springs and webbing are three different tiers of price and lifespan. Sit down hard on the front edge while you are there: you should not feel a bar under you or hear anything give.
What is the fabric, and how has it been rated for wear?
Why ask it
Ask for the fiber content and the abrasion rating rather than a brand name. Performance fabrics resist stains but differ in how they pill, and leather labelled top grain is a different material from bonded leather, which peels within a few years.
Can I take a swatch home?
Why ask it
Showroom lighting is warmer and much brighter than a living room at night. Seeing the fabric against your own floor and walls changes minds often enough that a store which refuses to lend a swatch is not doing you any favors.
What are the exact dimensions, including seat depth and arm height?
Why ask it
Overall width and depth do not tell you whether you can actually sit back in it. Seat depth and back height decide comfort, and arm height decides whether the piece fits under a window sill or level with a side table.
What is the diagonal depth, and will it fit through my door?
Why ask it
Delivery crews measure diagonal depth, which is the number that matters at a doorway, a stair turn or an elevator. Ask for it and measure your tightest point before you order anything large, because a returned delivery still costs you.
Does it come apart for delivery?
Why ask it
Legs that unbolt, a back that detaches and sectional pieces are the difference between a sofa that arrives and one that goes back on the truck. Ask this specifically for anything going up a staircase or into a basement.
What does delivery include, and what does it cost?
Why ask it
Threshold delivery leaves it at the door. Room of choice puts it where you want it. Full service unpacks, assembles, removes the packaging and sometimes takes away the old piece. The price gap between these is worth knowing before checkout.
What is the return policy if it arrives and I dislike it?
Why ask it
Furniture returns often carry a restocking fee, a return delivery charge, or no return at all for custom orders. Ask how damage in transit is handled separately from simply changing your mind, because those are different processes.
What does the warranty cover, and for how long?
Why ask it
Frames often carry a long or lifetime warranty, mechanisms and cushions much less, and fabric least of all. Ask who pays for labor and transport, since that is usually the expensive half of any warranty claim on something heavy.
Who makes it, and who do I call in three years for a part?
Why ask it
Reclining mechanisms, drawer slides, casters and cushion inserts are the parts that fail. A manufacturer that sells parts to owners is a different proposition from a store brand that may not exist under the same name by then.
Is there a floor model, a cancelled order or a discontinued fabric at a lower price?
Why ask it
Stock rooms hold discontinued colors, cancelled custom orders and floor models at real discounts, and none of it is advertised. Ask directly, then ask what condition the piece is in and whether it still carries any warranty.
What does the stain protection plan cover, and what voids it?
Why ask it
These plans are sold at the register with a high margin and narrow terms. Ask for the actual document and look for exclusions on gradual soiling, pet damage, and any claim not reported within a few days of the spill.
If I finance this, what is the rate and what happens when the promotional period ends?
Why ask it
Deferred interest offers can charge all the accrued interest retroactively if any balance remains at the end of the term. Ask for the rate, the exact payoff date, and what the monthly payment must be to clear it in time.
How should I care for this, and what should I never do?
Why ask it
Rotating cushions, keeping wood out of direct sun and using the right cleaner affect lifespan more than the price you paid. The cleaning code letter on the tag tells you whether water is safe on the fabric, and it is easy to get wrong.
If I sat here for two hours, what would start to bother me?
Why ask it
A salesperson who knows the floor can tell you which leather runs hot, which arms are too low to nap against, and which seats are too deep for a shorter person. Asking for the flaw gets a more honest answer than asking for the strength.
Buying furniture that lasts
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Measure before you shop
- 1Measure the wall the piece will sit against, then mark the footprint on the floor with tape and live with it for a day.
- 2Measure the narrowest point on the delivery path: front door, hallway turns, stair width, ceiling height above the stairs, elevator depth.
- 3Note ceiling height and window sill height, which decide how tall a back or an arm can be before the room feels crowded.
- 4Photograph the room in daylight and at night, and take the photos with you.
- 5Write down the seat height of a chair you already find comfortable and use it as your reference number.
Judging quality on the floor
- Lift one front corner of a sofa a few inches. If the other front leg stays on the floor, the frame is flexing.
- Press along the arm and the back. You should feel padding over solid wood, not a hollow or a sharp edge.
- Open and close every drawer fully. Look for dovetail or dowel joints and a finished back panel rather than stapled cardboard.
- Turn a chair over. Corner blocks, an even finish underneath and level glides are signs of care.
- Check that patterned fabric is matched across seams and cushions, which is a cost the maker chose to absorb.
- Sit as you actually sit at home, including with your feet up, for longer than feels polite.
Where money is added at the order desk
- Delivery tier upgrades, assembly charges and removal of your old furniture.
- Fabric protection plans and extended warranties.
- Financing that converts to a high rate at the end of a promotional period.
- Restocking fees hidden in the return terms of a custom order.
- Rush fees on lead times that were quoted optimistically in the first place.