Re-upholster Couches or Buy New

I second the other two women. Reupholstering is much more expensive than you would think it would be. Unless these are antique or quite costly couches, just buy new ones!

Unless you have expensive, high quality couches, it will cost less to buy new ones. I looked into reupholstering my couch and the estimate was around $1000. I asked at two different places. One business is near my house. I found the other under reupholstering in the yellow pages. You can also find them on the Internet. google reupholstering and your city's name and state.

I've never paid more that $600 for a couch. The one I wanted to reupholster came from a neighbor and it was probably worth $12-1500 but it's shape was out of style. The estimate included only the reupholstering and not reshaping.

depends on the couches? are they high end? or just the normal kind like most of us have. If its like most of us, just buy new...and I HIGHLY recommend spending the extra 2 or 3 hundred bux and buying leather.
I have leather and I have a couch that I reupholstered myself. I spend less than $100 on the material from a clearance rack at Jo-Anns. My mom and I did a really good job. we saved the couch because the queen sleeper in it had never been used. However its the couch that sits in the room we are never in. I was able to use the extra fabric and ake curtains and unique throw pillows so it looks really nice, but it was alot of work. In your situation, I think buying new is the way to go unless you paid bookoo (like over 2k for 1 peice)

We were in the same situation with a threadbare, but other wise great couch. We took a trip to Joann's and looked at the fabric and foam to replace the cushions and decided we'd be better off to buy a couch. We spent 600 dollars on a really nice couch with 7 years of fabric protection at Value City Furniture. Just for the seating foam at Joann's would have been 150. Plus about 16-18 yards of fabric at (the very least) 15 dollars a yard and more like 30 dollars a yard for something I really liked. Add that in with the fact that I've never reupholstered a couch and a new one won hands down.

Totally depends. Some pieces are well made (we have some in the family that just get reupholstered every few decades, and range from 30-150 years old), and others that take the trip to fill up more landfill space.

If there's solid wood involved in the construction I would vote for reupholstering (kiln dried solid wood can last for EVER). If it's particle board, you may get another 10-20 years out of it best case scenario.

Cost/Benefit analysis. How much to reupholster + expected life of the piece vs. how much to buy comparable new + expected life of that piece?

Also... don't forget the whole DIY thing. Fabric stores sell upholstery. A rented staplegun and a sewing machine can take a beat up piece and make it goy-geous for a couple hundred.

My grandma used to find couches and chairs and have them redone. She said the key was to find good frames. She said that people would pitch a thousand dollar couch and get a new one rather than spend a hundred or so getting new fabric put on. I remember this one couch had to have a new spring and new foam and everything . . . But when she was done it was beutiful.

Well, I would like to give you my expert advice since this is right down my ally. If the piece is made with kiln dried hard wood, then it is worth re-upholstering. MOST sofa's sold at discount dept stores are made with styrofoam and partical wood. I know this because the place I used to work for bought pieces and actually cut them in half to see how they were made. You would be suprised at WHAT the make furniture from these days. It is not that unsual to pay $800-$1000 for re-upholstery, you get what you pay for too! I don't even want to know what the sofa was made from if it was only $600 bucks! There are a few tests you can do when buying a new sofa. Lift up one corner and ALL feet but one should come up, if not the frame is NOT hardwood. Check the cushions, the only good wear from cushion is if they have springs in them. Also, when you press or squish the arm of the sofa, you should not feel anything hard, if you do there's not enough foam around the arm and it will break down quickly. Now, I know of a wonderful store to buy furniture from that the frame has a LIFETIME warranty! Please e-mail or message me if you would like more info. I also know a few good re-upholster's if you would like a quote.

I actually laughed out loud when I read this. My mom, back in the day, LOVED her couch that she had forever. She wanted to keep it because it was a pull out bed. Anyway, she paid some sick amount to have it reupholdtered, like $800 or something. The place she took it to didn't even do that great of a job. She could have gotten a great new one for that price. So it's just my opinion but I wouldn't risk it. Buy something new. Good luck!

Sure Fit company offers couch covers in various shapes/colors/fabrics, for around $100 - $150. If you use the couch a lot, it takes a little practice to get the cover all tucked in so it will stay (stuffing rolls of newspaper between the cushions and the sides & back helps; so does fastening the cover to the base of the couch at the back). I have been very happy with mine! It washes well, and I don't get so upset if someone drips hot sauce on the arm or the cat leaves a hairball present on the cushion. I'm hoping to treat us to a new couch when my son leaves for college in 2 years!

See if you can get slip covers. They're easy to install yourself and washable if you get a stain. Also saves the time of trying to find a good upholsterer.

However, if there is a good sale you can sometimes find something new cheaper. I was going to buy some slip covers for two chairs in my bedroom. They were older so I would have had to alter them to fit the old retro style chairs, but was willing to do that rather then try to find someone to reupholster them. But found a great deal at Pier 1 on two chairs for the same price as buying the slipcovers, plus the seats opened to give us some much needed storage. So it never hurts to shop around. At least you like what you have already.

Best wishes!

Hi A.,
12 years ago, furniture was still being made with pride and quality in the U.S.A. If your couch is one of those pieces and the frame is still solid, I would absolutely re-upholster it. It may be equal to the cost of a new one, however, a new one probably won't have the same quality in workmanship. Even the "high end, high dollar" furniture is made with a LOT of cheap materials and low quality craftsmanship. Not to mention it is also made in china or cambodia or some other foreign place.
If you really like your couch and you feel they are stylish and comfortable, re-uphoster them. Put an ad in your local paper or contact your local churches requesting someone experienced in upholstery. Most people take pictures of custom work, ask to see proof of what they have done.
Good luck...