Short answer depending on your sofa problem:
- Sofa won’t fit through the door: Return it or take it apart.
- Sofa doesn’t fit in the space you want to put it in: Return it or find another space where it will fit.
- Sofa merely looks too big in the specific spot chosen: Rearrange your room so the sofa doesn’t look too big and fits properly. If that’s not acceptable, return it. Taking your sofa apart is not a solution since you have to put it back together and it’ll be the same size.
This happened to me with my first sofa purchase
This happened to me years ago when I bought my very first brand-new sofa. 6 months after starting my first real job it was time to buy a brand-new sofa. Until then I had used sofas.
It was an exciting day. I remember it well. Back then I was into colorful decor so I opted for a large red sofa at IKEA (of course it was IKEA). I wanted it big because I’m 6′ 3″ and wanted to be able to stretch out fully on it.
What I didn’t think to do was ensure I could get it into my rented basement suite. Access was down a stairwell. Not a lot of space.
The delivery folks delivered it. My Dad came over to help me get it into my suite. We hauled it down the stairs okay but there was no way it was going to make the tight turn and fit through the smallish door. Yeah, I never bothered to think about all this when I bought the sofa.
I had no choice but to return it (taking it apart never occurred to me and I doubt I would attempt that today). That was a hassle because I had to get delivery folks to come by and haul it away. Since it wasn’t inside, time was of the essence before the rains came. The return worked out.
I learned my lesson. The only sofa for me was something modular; something that split up into multiple smaller sections.
I found a great modular sectional at Sears. Had it delivered and managed to easily get it into my suite.
We have that sofa to this day as a matter of fact. It’s still quite good.
What if the sofa is too big for the space decor-wise?
This is not quite as serious of a problem that I had not being able to get the sofa into my house. This is more of a “preference problem” in that it fits in the house but perhaps it doesn’t fit in the designated space (a significant problem) or it fits in the space but it’s too big anyway.
What can you do if your sofa is too big?
If it’s not going to get into your house because it won’t fit through the door or fit once inside, return it. That’s all you can do. That’s what I did. It’s a hassle; it’s not like returning a shirt or shoes. You need delivery help. If it needs to be returned long distance, that could be costly if the retailer won’t pay for it. This outcome should be avoided at all costs.
If your sofa just happens to be too big per your preference, try re-arranging the room where it’s going. Often if you move things around, a seemingly large sofa can look better in a place other than where you intended it to go.
If that’s not acceptable to you or there really is not good solution, you have no choice but to sell (at a loss mostly likely) or return it (if you can or if it’s financially worth it).
How can you ensure the sofa you buy will fit?
Unless you have double doors, a spacious foyer and large rooms, buying a modular sofa is a safe bet if you want a sizeable sofa. Modular sofas can be rearranged to fit most spaces and because they are in sections, will get into your place.
