AIBU - Complain to housing developer that sofa doesn't fit in our house?

[binkyblinky]

Oh wise women of mums net, I need some advice please!

We recently moved into a new home on a brand-new development. It is a three story townhouse and the lounge is on the middle floor.

On moving in day we discovered that our sofa would not fit up the stairs and into the lounge. It is not a large sofa it is a modular sofa, the end units went up fine but the middle section which is a corner unit would not fit. The staircase is so narrow that we had to take apart the tops of our single Ottoman beds to get them up the stairs as well. This is in a large family home.

There are four identical homes to ours on the estate and every other person in those homes has had the same issue, with our neighbours sitting on beanbags for three months. The beanbag neighbours have had three sofa deliveries, all unsuccessful at getting up the stairs.

I feel angry that I had to throw away part of my sofa. The show home has a massive Corner unit in it. We were not advised when we moved in that staircases was so narrow and that we would have trouble fitting furniture up them.

If we were to team up and complain to the housing developer about the poor design, and that four families have been left with no seating, Would we get anywhere? Is there anything that we could do to ask for monetary compensation to buy sofas that you assemble at home? The other three families currently have their sofas in their kitchens while they try to solve this problem. It's ridiculous, being sold a £400,000 house And not being advised of this issue.

I can't see how they should say it is our fault, when they show home clearly written misrepresents the size of the furniture we required. Wisdom needed, thank you

I appreciate that this is annoying but in the grand scheme of things there is probably not much you can do, apart from buying furniture very carefully. Have you asked how they got the sofa in the show home? Unless it’s a picture then I imagine they got it up there somehow. What would you like the developer to do? I think people usually have to measure for themselves. You can get loads of furniture online which comes in almost flat boxes for this reason.

think you’ll struggle tbh, even furniture manufacturers recommend you measure first. Surely when you viewed you could see the size of the staircase? No harm trying though.

If you’re struggling sofa.com do a modular range. Or here: snugsofa.com/

We had this. Luckily the developer was still on site so they somehow popped the window out and used a cherrypicker to put it in the window. Flipping sofa workshop just abandoned it in the hall!!

Does the show home have wider staircases than yours? If so then YANBU.

Otherwise YABU. You bought a house with living room on the middle floor. it is your responsibility to make sure furniture will fit up the stairs.

How do you think they got their furniture in? Did they build the house around it? (Genuine question)

My understanding is that show homes have smaller made furniture in them because new build rooms tend to be smaller

You use the windows in townhouses... don’t you?

Did you try putting the corner section over the banister? Live in a similar style house as living room is on the middle floor and 3 tried all sorts and a modular sofa putting the rounded corner part over the banister was the only way we could get a sofa in.

Surely you measure before you buy?? I’d never assume I was going to be able to get a sofa up stairs without measuring it first.

@Whymustyoubringinthebirds

My understanding is that show homes have smaller made furniture in them because new build rooms tend to be smaller

God yeah. When we looked at a few show homes every bit of furniture inside is miniature, like a bloody dolls house.

Sorry Op, I don't think you can do anything apart from try smaller sofas/chairs.

Did you pivot?

We had the same issue when we lived in a similar house. Ended up taking the banister down to get furniture up and down the stairs.

@Squittly

Did you pivot?

😆

@Squittly

Did you pivot?

@Squittly 😂😂

Go through the window. That's what I've done in the past moving into townhouse flats.

We had this, we had to dump two sofas as it was pissing down and we just couldn’t get them in. We bought an IKEA sofa to put together in the living room

I live in a house like that and the removal men had great difficulty getting our sofa up the stairs. The people who moved in next door used the Juliet balcony windows.

Most furniture websites do say to check whether it will fit before ordering.

As well as "pivot" can feet be removed?

Is this a Strata home?

My parents had the window taken out to get the double bed in and out of an Edwardian 2 up 2 down so I assumed that was how you did it with big furniture and small staircases...

My BIL overcame that with a decent carpenter who redid the banister and newel poet to lift out (and bolt back in).
Cost up that solution and ask the developer for a contribution.

Show homes have all the tricks. No doors, tiny furniture, mirrors. Look carefully at plans you were given. Possible that they may not include clear or accurate measurements. If so you may have a case.

yanbu
and I agree about the miniature furniture in staged homes.

we went for a second viewing of a place (new built) we wanted to buy and measured the 3rd bedroom that had a 'single' bed made up.
it was only 170cm long, barely longer than a toddler bed!

readers, we didn't put an offer in.