Is Reupholster Sofa Really Worth It?
At first thought, reupholstering a sofa may seem like an excellent concept. You get to keep the sofa you enjoy. You can alter the look and feel of your sofa with a piece of brand-new upholstery fabric. You can probably conserve a lots of cash on a brand-new sofa purchase. Right?
While reupholstering a sofa sounds excellent in theory, it seldom makes good sense. Why? Due to the fact that the expense of sofa reupholstery is rather invasive. The cost is also typically higher than what you will pay for a new sofa. Before we enter into information about why reupholstering a sofa might not be the best way forward, let’s look at situations when it CAN make good sense.
When is Reupholstering a Sofa a Good Idea?
When Your Sofa Has Sentimental Value
It is not unusual for furniture items like sofas to be given from generation to generation. A sofa is old if it has been around for 50 or more years. But many families in some countries have antique sofas that have been around for more than 100 years! If you have such a sofa, throwing it out to generate a spanking-new sofa is not a choice. In such cases, you can invest in premium sofa reupholstery services to keep your family keepsake alive and well in your living room. Antique sofas gave through family generations were probably handmade and constructed with premium wood and other materials and are usually efficient in standing up to the test of time. That being said, sofa reupholstery that doesn’t have great bones is never a good idea, whether or not it is a household keepsake. Often, it is simply time to let go and embrace something brand-new.
When The Style of Your Sofa is Not Available Anymore
Is the style of your sofa extremely special? Perhaps it’s a royal Chesterfield sofa that doesn’t happen too often these days? Or, your living room wouldn’t be the same without your special sofa. In such cases, it makes good sense for sofa reupholstery, even if it indicates you spend a pretty penny on it.
When Your Sofa is Custom Made
Did you have your sofa custom-made? Perhaps you wanted to replicate a style you saw in a publication that isn’t commercially available. Or, possibly you had a sofa sized and shaped to suit your living room’s distinct shape and size? In such cases, reupholstering is a no-brainer, as the expense of getting another custom-made sofa will be much higher than the expense of sofa reupholstery.
Expense to Reupholster a Sofa
Just How Much Fabric is Needed to Reupholster a Sofa?
Professional sofa upholstering uses 10 to 20 meters of fabric to upholster a little two-seater sofa to a large corner or chaise sofa. Let’s presume we are speaking about a three-seater sofa here which it will normally need 15 meters of fabric. Relatively decent sofa fabric will cost about ₤ 30 to ₤ 40 a meter. Presuming you choose a fabric that costs ₤ 35 a meter, you are taking a look at ₤ 525 in fabric costs.
Keep in mind, for ₤ 35 a meter, you look at typical materials. If you desire more premium varieties that will feel soft and flush and also last without ripping and tearing, you will need to shell out more, often approximately ₤ 60 a meter. Sofas with patterns need more fabric than sofas with a monotone look. So, with much better materials and to accommodate innovative patterns, you are easily looking at near to ₤ 800 to ₤ 1,000 in fabric costs alone.
How Many are Labor Hours Required to Reupholster a Sofa?
A sofa reupholstery task is not a simple one. The old sofa should be removed down, prepped and reupholstered back up. Often, disrobing an old sofa can result in repairs that become necessary. Typically, sofa reupholstery needs at least 20 person-hours of work. We are talking about specialists, of course, who do this day in and out.
If you try a DIY sofa upholstery, your hours will probably extend to 40 or perhaps 50, depending upon how useful you are with tools and upholstery techniques.
The style of your sofa will also impact the time it will require to upholster a sofa. Suppose you are trying to reupholster a Chesterfield sofa with hundreds of tufts and heavy buttoning. In that case, you are taking a look at 3-4 times more time than upholstering a routine sofa without such design components.
Is DIY Sofa Upholstery a Good Idea?
Normally, we would say no. Nevertheless, if you are extremely handy with tools and are proficient at developing things with your own hands, it is something you could attempt.
There you have it, a fast guide on sofa upholstery. To conclude, upholstering a three-seater sofa with great fabric will set you back a minimum of ₤ 800, presuming you are doing it yourself. If you pay to get it done by a professional, you can add on about ₤ 500 to even ₤ 1,000 in labour costs. But, of course, buying a new sofa is a much more brilliant concept if your sofa does not have nostalgic value.