Buying a sofa is a huge milestone in home decor. It's always an exciting day when your new sofa is being delivered, and we want to ensure it remains that way.

You’ve found the perfect style, fabric, and comfort level, and now you’re looking forward to its arrival to complete your living space. However, there’s one step that often gets missed when purchasing new furniture - ensuring you can actually fit it in your home.

We understand the importance of this step. So we've put together a comprehensive guide to help you ensure your new sofa fits perfectly in your house.

Measure Your Space

As the first step to ensuring your sofa fits, measure the space where it will be placed. Here’s what you need to do:

• Length and width: Measure the length and width of your living room or area where you plan to place your new settee. Ensure there is enough space for it to sit comfortably without obstructing walkways or other furniture.
• Height: Measure the height of the space, especially if you’re placing your new addition under a window or other low-hanging structure.
• Clearance space: Consider the clearance space needed around the sofa. You should have enough space to walk around it comfortably.

Measure Doorways and Hallways

A common reason for returns is that your furniture can’t make it through the doorways, hallways, or staircases. Here’s how to measure these critical points:

• Doorways: Measure the width and height of your doorways. Don’t forget to account for any obstructions, such as door handles and light fixtures.
• Hallways: Measure the width and height of your hallways, taking note of any turns or bends.
• Staircases: If you need to take your sofa up or down the stairs, measure the width of the staircase, the height of the ceiling, and the dimensions of any landings.

Consider the Pathway

Map out the path from the delivery truck to the final location of the sofa. Identify any potential obstacles along the way, such as:

• Narrow doorways or hallways: Ensure the settee can navigate through all entry points without getting stuck.
• Sharp turns: Consider the turning radius required to manoeuvre the sofa around tight corners.
• Low ceilings or fixtures: Watch out for low-hanging light fixtures, ceilings, or other overhead obstructions.

Double-check the Dimensions

Once you’ve measured your space and the delivery pathway, compare these measurements to those of the sofa. Pay attention to:

• Length, width and height: Make sure the sofa’s dimensions are within the limits of your measured space.
• Diagonal depth: Ask for the measurement of the diagonal depth. This is measured by placing a tape measure from the top back corner to the bottom front corner. This is especially important for narrow doorways and tight corners.

Communicate with the Delivery Team

When scheduling your delivery, communicate any potential challenges with the delivery team. Provide them with the measurements and a clear pathway plan. They may have additional tips or tools to assist with the delivery process.

With The Grey Sofa Company, if you're really unsure about measurements, you can simply send us some photos and we’ll be able to advise. We're here to help!

Test Fit with Templates

You can simply use recycled paper or cardboard to cut templates for your future sofa. These templates can be used to test fit the sofa in your space before making a purchase. This can be particularly helpful for ensuring the sofa can navigate through doorways and tight spaces.

Read Return Policies

Finally, familiarise yourself with the return policies of the sofa retailer. Understand the terms and conditions for returns and exchanges just in case the sofa doesn’t fit despite your best efforts.

The Grey Sofa offers a hassle-free, 14-day returns policy. Read all the details here.

Buying a Sofa from The Grey Sofa

Ensuring your new sofa fits into your property is a critical step in the purchasing process. By taking accurate measurements, considering the delivery pathway, and communicating with the delivery team, you can avoid having to return your dream sofa.

At The Grey Sofa Company, we’re committed to providing you with not only beautiful and comfortable sofas, but also a seamless and stress-free shopping experience. When you purchase a sofa from us, we’ll plan your delivery in advance and take all factors into account to ensure a smooth delivery process.

Our goal is for you to enjoy your new, comfortable sofa without any worries.
If you have any questions, please check out our frequently asked questions page, or get in touch with our team today - they're ready to help you every step of the way.