4 things you need to consider before buying a new couch

A sofa can make or break the feeling of an entire living room, so it's important to follow a few steps when selecting the ideal sofa for your home.

The filling of a couch is a very important factor when considering comfort.

• Most couches have polyurethane as their filling, so if you opt for this, you'll need to consider that a couch with higher density polyurethane will be firmer.
• Those who want extreme comfort should look for down cushions. When choosing down, however, it's important to get a sofa with quality cushions that won't allow feathers to poke through.

Too many people simply look at a sofa's colour, decide the upholstery is nice and hurry to buy it. This can prove to be a big mistake.

• Not every upholstery material is right for every person.
• Suede, for instance, feels amazing but for those with young children or pets, suede can quickly turn into a bad decision because it's difficult to clean. If a pet has an accident or child spills a drink, the fabric could be ruined.

Take the time to research potential materials; it can save you a lot of money later on.

Buying a sofa on impulse rarely works out because of how much space these pieces take up in a room.

• It's important to consider how large a couch is, especially if you want coffee tables, chairs or loveseats in the room. Breaking out the measuring tape can go a long way in this situation.

People may cringe at the idea of someone sleeping all night on their brand new couch, but one day it may be the only bed you have to offer a surprise guest.

• When you buy a couch, make sure it's comfortable enough to spend the night on. After all, how great is it to fall asleep while watching a movie only to wake up without any pain?

When it comes to sofas, a little extra legwork goes a long way. Selecting the ideal sofa for your home has more long-term consequences than you may anticipate, so do your homework and you'll thank yourself later.