Sofas - how often do you buy new ones?

[Letsskidaddle]

Scrolling through FaceBook marketplace and I'm amazed by all the nearly new sofas that are for sale or free....

Some (most I've realised ) are in better condition than mine (cats have ruined mine from scratching), but mine were second-hand to start with.

Just got me thinking how often other people buy new ones. I'm admittedly a bit of a skinflint but they're not a cheap purchase and seem a huge, expensive luxury to me. Not sure I'd ever have the spare £££s to indulge, much as I'd love to.

Now feeling a bit fed up that so many people seem to have such beautiful homes...mine is very nice and kept well, but nothing is new or fancy and there's a lot we don't have - never had a dressing table or a chest of drawers for instance. For context I live alone now DC have moved out and before that struggled as a single parent, 'new' new was always just out of reach.

This is about more than sofas I guess, I've realised lately that the sum total of my life and possessions is very little and that makes me a bit sad.

But! On a lighter note, how often do you splash out? On sofas or other 'big' purchases.

We bought our sofas when we bought our house 3.5 years ago and made sure we bought the ones that we wanted so we wouldn't have sofa regret. Theyre still going strong, I love them and have. No intentions of replacing them for a long time!

DH and I bought one when we first married then a new one twelve years later which we still have though it looks a bit worn and saggy now. Also bought a very cheap leather sofa for the DC to jump around on in the playroom. It is now horrible and due for the tip but lasted a good ten years of very hard labour and only cost £350 new.

I've ordered a new one to replace the leather one but neglected to tell DH yet as he likes to fuss and dither for a few years.

I'm a sofa lover. The right sofa is a life changer. I bought second hand for decades each lasted say 8 or 10 years. When DC left home I bought my first ever new sofa. It's now 3 years old, looking abit tatty (thanks, cats) but I love it and will not change it until it's falling to bits.

It sounds like you need permission to buy what you want, just for yourself. Here you go ... permission slip issued! You are allowed to have the things you want and can afford.

We replaced ours when they were 15 years old. The fabric had ripped at the seams, the cushions were sagging and they were basically falling apart. I regard that as a reasonable lifespan for a not terribly expensive sofa. I wouldn’t have replaced them just for colour or whatever though - I buy very neutral furniture so it lasts. Our dining table, bookcases etc are classic solid wood, 15 years old and will hopefully last another couple of decades at least.

I do think a lot of the nearly new sofas arise though because people move house and they no longer fit.

Mine is 6 years old and from IKEA, it's ok despite the cats' best efforts and the fact the cushions are all in one with the sofa so can't be turned or washed.
Looking at recent photos of my living room, it looks fab, but just looking at the room, I see the bits where the paint needs retouching or the marks on the floor etc. Other people's houses are not always beautiful by any stretch.

Mine's over 30 years old. It's a custom build, made to fit me and my own design. It is a solid hardwood base and has survived 2 children, several cats and now the dog.

It is only now in need of a recover but I can't decide what fabric I want.
It cost a small fortune at the time but given that the ones in the holiday let need to be replaced within 4 years it has saved me so much money.

We just had 2 armchairs until a year ago and we got an Argos 2 seater sofa in a box. It was far too small so sold it after 6 months and now have a 3 seater sofa we got for free from marketplace. It's very comfy but a hideous pattern, need to find a giant blanket to put over it!

I’ve never bought one. Our sofas were originally DH’s (and his ex). We’ve been together 20 years.

Had the seat cushions replaced a couple of years back - it’s like a new sofa!

Um, I don't think I've ever bought a new sofa. The one we currently have was second hand 10 years ago. It's comfortable, I wash the covers every whit and while. It will do for a few more years I reckon, then we'll probably buy another second hand one.

We've averaged a sofa every 7-8 years so far, through DC and dogs. Nothing very high end, your standard DFS type. Hoping our next one might be a bit more luxurious now DC growing up and only one dog now who likes the floor more than the sofa.

We have a new one around every 5 years or so, normally from DFS so not too fancy!

I've never bought a sofa. My first one was left in the flat by the vendors. I'm on my second sofa now, this used to be my parents but since they moved to a house boat they don't need it any more.

Ours is 20 years old and still going strong and we aren't thinking about new ones any time soon. It cost a fortune back then at over 1k for the sofa alone from M&S but you get what you pay for. We've had it professionally cleaned a few times and the seat cushions and back cushions are reversible which is what has prolonged their life I think as I turn them weekly so there are no dips. It's are a bit old fashioned but a few new cushions and a nice throw always gives it a new lease of life.

Two sets of sofas, both DFS, both lasted 10+ years each. We still have the second set which are 11 years and in bits but don't want to replace because we're ideally moving house this year.

10 years old and going strong. It's survived several moves, including international. It's survived storage for two years. It's survived babies, then toddlers and now onto preteens.

Nothing fancy... Just an IKEA Ektorp.

anything between 5-10 years.
depends really what we need out of the sofa (sofa bed, amount of seats) and how much space we have.

Mine's a hide 3 seater buttoned back maroon Chesterfield. 30 yrs old, still in excellent condition. Back then it was about 300.00 which seemed a lot.
Money well spent

We got a new one last year, the old one was 17 years old and falling apart.

Lots of people waste money on things they don't need to impress people they don't like.

We still use the second hand sofas that came with the house we bought over 10 years ago as they are still in good condition.

We've had ours for 15 years. It's looks fine but has suffered with DS using it as a trampoline. It was new (gift from IL's when we moved) and we don't have any intention of replacing it until the DC have left home!

We've had ours 4.5 years, new from DFS. They're comfy and practical with young children. Hoping we can get another 3 years out of them still looking good, and then perhaps change to a style I prefer when the children are less likely to trash!

Last one was 12 years old.

My parents still have the same 3 piece suite they bought nearly 50 years ago. They do get it recovered every so often, but about once every 10 years.

Ours are 16 years old.
Not even that expensive but we’ve been very lucky and they’re still absolutely fine after 2 house moves, kids and dogs.
We looked to replace them a couple of years ago when we redecorated but couldn’t find anything we liked so looks like they’ll be with us for at least another few years

5-10 years but have a dog and a child. People always seem to get new for Christmas /parties. I’d rather get new after the party not before!