I want to buy a new couch for our TV room.  We have 2 matching love-seats right now which I love, but they are a bit small.  It’s a tad squishy for all four of us to watch movies in comfort.  Invariably someone ‘accidentally’ pokes someone else which results in an ‘accidental’ kick and that’s not even the kids.  Football Day is also little uncomfortable – four dads sipping tea, perched forward on red microfibre to avoid getting too close to what may be considered a snuggle.

So we’ve decided to start looking for new couches.  My quandary is this…do I buy cheap new furniture or  expensive used stuff.  I mean if I have $500 to spend – do I buy a new mediocre quality faux leather sectional that smells like mothballs and feels like saran wrap.  Or do I wait until someone is ditching their down-stuffed custom couch because they no longer like the colour?  I have to say that I do really appreciate good quality things – I just don’t like paying good quality prices.  That’s why I buy used stuff.

I do love a good deal which is why used stuff is so appealing, but you also have to be careful that you don’t end up with someone’s couch that still harbours squishy broccoli that their kid hid between the cushions.  You know you can never get rid of that broccoli smell and once one kid does that, then yours will too.  Like how cats pee in the same place that another one peed – kids do it too – maybe not the peeing part, but hiding vegetables for sure.

Pets and kids are definitely a consideration when I make any big purchase; I always have to keep in mind that what you never thought could happen to a couch or a new carpet or a cashmere sweater can and does.   I replaced my old, old sofa with these red ones only six months ago as I always said that I wouldn’t get new furniture until the sippy cups were gone and the cat had died.  Well we have a new cat now and sippy cups have been replaced with drippy nail polish.  I realize that unless I want to shroud my furniture in plastic or impose kid and pet-free zones, there will always be something to worry about.  So I’ve resolved myself to the fact that at this point in my life (meaning until kids leave home), furniture is somewhat disposable.  Life happens and I refuse to get stressed out over accidental smears and spills so I don’t buy anything that a) would make me cry if it got ruined or b) is too expensive to be replaced.

So…new or used.  Well I think that once again I’ll be lurking on UsedVictoria to buy a sturdy, good quality used sectional to replace my other used couches, but I’m going for leather this time.  I want to be able to hose it down after the dog licks up the worst of the mess.

Oh and look out for my ad when I post these love-seats.  It will read something like:

Two Natuzzi  red microfibre matching loveseats.   From non smoking house.  Pets – lots: dog, cat, hamster, guinea pig and rabbit.  Those with fur allergies – don’t bother.  Kids too – dirty ones.   Those with kid allergies – move on.  Comes with matching cushions – proven sturdy through many pillow fights.  No broccoli…but did I mention that we can’t find the hamster?