[Jacqi B]

I'm considering buying a decent sofa before we go. I've had a look at the sofas available in NZ on a few stores websites and am not overly impressed.

I want a really deep and long comfy sofa. And I want a good quality one that will last. But where can I find one? Which shops or websites can anyone recomend?


Not sure if this is in the right section - sorry if it isn't.

[dilanium]

Well I don't know about the UK, but if you end up getting to NZ without a sofa I recommend checking out Harvey Norman and Smith's City.

[Jo Jo]

Habitat, Heals, John Lewis... Marks and Spencer? They have some nice sofas (well, they did two years ago!)

[sizzlingbadger]

We got our sofa from Matlock Sofa Centre, Derbyshire. It's lasted 6 years and is still going strong, no real heavy wear and tear :nice1

We got aged leather and then fabric cushions, very deep sofa with removable cushions on the back part.

It wasn't that much more expensive than the likes of the big department stores which was fantastic and we felt like we were getting a one off, everyone whose seen them loves them. We got our fingers burnt with a department store sofa and vowed never again, after 6 months it started falling apart and looking awful :uhoh The store wasn't interested as they'd got their money :(

[dusk]

we got our sofa once we arrived here in NZ and saw some really nice ones :)
mind you the one we ended up buying was imported from the US!

[dilanium]

Mine was made in NZ. And I love it! We shopped around for about a month or so though until we found the right one at the right price though (but we have a very limited budget- so there you are).

[Tesall]

Are you sure it is worth it? We bought a very nice comfy sofa over here and we love it, had loads of choice.

[broadsword08]

we have a made in christchurch suite by kovacs and its great, fabulous quality... not cheap but you tend to get what you pay for...

[Duncan74]

We'll be investing in a couple of M&S Abbey 'Fine Leather's before we go. However, they aren't in the current sale (fabric ones are), so will wait until January for the 50% sale again.

[miep]

If you have room in your container anyway then you might as well get one there.

However for the requirements you mention, ie long and deep, you may want to look at getting a couch/sofa made to order here.
We did as OH is 6'6 " and doesn't fit standard couches. It's not more expensive, you get to specify exactly what you want and choose pretty much everything including the firmness of the cushions, the fabric (or leather), colour and legs/feet. Plus you know it will fit in your lounge here. You can either adapt one of their standard models or design your own from scratch.
Both kadima.co.nz and stacks.co.nz offer this service and those are just the ones I know about.:nice1

[atuffchick]

A quick question from someone who has moved A LOT and who has lived in many different places.

Do you know where you will be living? Have you considered waiting and shopping in furniture stores once you arrive and have spent time in your new home?

It certainly makes sense to ensure that you have a sofa you love but imagine the heart break if when you arrive to your new home the soffa doesn't fit through the doors or it doesn't fit comfortably in the room.

Furniture doesn't always transcend physicality, it would be horrible if you bought the perfect sofa, shipped it across the ocean and then had to sell it on TradeMe or donate it.

Good luck!!

[Jacqi B]

Thanks for all the replies.



Do you know where you will be living? Have you considered waiting and shopping in furniture stores once you arrive and have spent time in your new home?
I had thought about that and, really, my perfect sofa wouldn't sit well in the house I have now - but then I hate the house we have now and it was bought in a hurry (partner started new job, new location and was commuting 100 miles a day).

While I wouldn't say that I'd choose the house to fit the sofa (that would be ridiculous) the house I want would certainly have room for the sofa I want.

Last time we were in NZ (2005) we looked at furniture stores etc because we wanted to get an idea of what was available. I didn't see anything I liked and I've not seen anything on NZ websites that I like.



We got our sofa from Matlock Sofa Centre, Derbyshire. It's lasted 6 years and is still going strong, no real heavy wear and tear :nice1

We got aged leather and then fabric cushions, very deep sofa with removable cushions on the back part.

It wasn't that much more expensive than the likes of the big department stores which was fantastic and we felt like we were getting a one off, everyone whose seen them loves them. We got our fingers burnt with a department store sofa and vowed never again, after 6 months it started falling apart and looking awful :uhoh The store wasn't interested as they'd got their money :(
yep, that's been my experience with big stores, too.

Elsewhere someone suggested Heals (they have a sale on at the moment) and Multiyork (a bit fuddy-dudy for me and way too expensive).

[Janey]

we bought our sofa from M & S in 1999 and still looks like new the fabric was modena I still can wipe marks etc off from 2 dogs and kids would buy again

[tim&em]

A couple of points:

NZ websites, especially for things like furniture and electricals are not very detailed - they tend to show only a small selection. It's very hard to guage what is available without going into the store...

We bought a great 2.5 seater here in Christchurch, locally made, for about $800. And it was delivered for free within a few days (no 8-12 week waits like in the UK!).

There are also some great designer-type furniture shops, with high price tags, but unless you already have the container space, probably don't work out any dearer than buying something in the UK and paying for shipping.

Also, the "sale" is alive and well in NZ. There's always a sale on somewhere, and I doubt if many people pay the list price for anything - so website prices can be deceptively high. It seems that as soon as one sale ends, another begins!

[BkyMonster]

The only thing that I've seen to be expensive/unusual here (in comparison to the US, no idea what the UK is like) for sofas is distressed look leather. We looked at getting one, but the distressed leather ones (we saw one out of the 4 or so stores we went to, and none on TradeMe when we were looking) were very rare and much more expensive than the regular leather sofas. (Distressed leather is just leather with imperfections and blemishes. I found it a good material for things that might get some abuse as it comes 'pre-scuffed', and thus hides the wear.)