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....do you get what you pay for? In other words will a $4000 sectional necessarily hold up better than a $2000 sectional? Is the quality really that much better or are you paying for marketing or a name brand.
Yes and no, it really depends on what 2 sectionals you are comparing to each other. Can you get a good quality sectional for $2,000? Yes. You can pay more for a sofa of equal or lesser quality, but you can also pay more and get better quality.
If you are looking at a more expensive sectional, ask the salesperson what features make it more expensive. Is it a higher grade fabric, down-wrapped cushion, kiln-dried hardwood frame, 8-way handtied coils? What features make one piece of furniture more expensive than another? What company makes it?
I've seen lesser quality Chinese made sofas upholstered in mohair velvet and I've seen hand made 8-way hand tied sofas in cheaper synthetic fabrics. You might be paying for better quality, you might be paying for higher grade fabric, you might be paying for higher makup (nicer store environment/trendier store location), or all 3 of these. Do you homework: ask for cut sheets with information on particular features and manufacturers, look up manufacturer online, shop around for the best price, and ask for a discount (don't expect one, but you won't get anything if you don't ask).
I've worked in furniture stores before and I'm friends with a few designers; you do get what you pay for if you do your homework. I had a friend who was a designer who did the same hand made custom sectional for 2 different clients. One was done is a high grade linen and the other was done in this really beautiful linen that had slivers of leather running through the weave; the high grade linen sectional was $12,500 and the unusual linen with leather was $28,000. The only difference was one fabric was hundreds more per yard; an extreme example, but you get the point.
I, too, used to sell furniture for a living. You got a very fine reply from jgardener, so I won't speak to those aspects.
One thing not touched on I will add:
What type of sectional are you considering? An L shape, a U shape, one side with a chaise, with or without an ottoman (are more than one "ottomen")? I ask this rhetorically for a couple of reasons. Often customers only consider how they will use their sectional RIGHT NOW. But is it possible your sectional will outlast this home? Some people know they are destined to move often. If so, look for something that is versatile. Also, if you are buying only one section with an arm, the fact that it is a right arm or a left arm won't change, so that will dictate future configurations. Unless, of course, you buy a sectional with removable arms that can be re-placed, something that does exist in the market.
One other thing to look at is how the individual sections are attached to each other. Some manufacturers include NO attachment mechanism. By which I mean if someone in the house is the type to sit down heavily, or hurl themselves onto the sofa, the sections will need to be straightened constantly. Perhaps you are saner that I am and that would not bother you, but it would drive me bats.
I would require sections with fasteners. Some manufacturers use velcro (to my mind not totally effective but better than nothing). Others use a big metal snap. I used to sell a lot of Natuzzi leather sectionals and their pieces usually had what amounted to a metal hook and eye. That was, in my experience, the most sturdy fastener we had in my store. You could move one section fairly decisively and the next section would move with it. But keep in mind if you reconfigure your sectional at any time, these fasteners will be visible if you want to use that particular section without its neighbor. Something you can do with sectionals that have no fasteners.
Did I just add to your problems? After having this conversation, some people end up buying a sofa and a love seat. A sectional is a major purchase for most people, so it's good that you're taking your time and asking questions.
higher quality furniture is definitely worth the investment vs buying the cheap stuff. However, as the previous user posted, you really need to do your homework because there are a LOT of factors. You can get one sofa with the same quality in the frame, the springs, and the cushions and just have a different fabric change the cost by thousands.
Different grades of foam make a huge difference. Daughter bought a sectional a two years ago, and the recliner at one end where it is most frequently sat on, the foam has already died, you have to place a small pillow behind your back so you aren't hitting your back on the wood frame. Less dense foam turns to dust in a couple of years.
My sectional at home is over ten years old and the foam is like new, as is the leathr and the mechanical in the recliners..
There are different grades and different warrantee on the foam, the wood structure, and the metal mechanical parts.
Buy a cheap one and all three of those components will wear our rapidly. If you plan to replace ever few years, buy cheap, if you want it to last years, spend money.
What type of sectional are you considering? An L shape, a U shape, one side with a chaise, with or without an ottoman (are more than one "ottomen")? I ask this rhetorically for a couple of reasons. Often customers only consider how they will use their sectional RIGHT NOW. But is it possible your sectional will outlast this home? Some people know they are destined to move often. If so, look for something that is versatile. Also, if you are buying only one section with an arm, the fact that it is a right arm or a left arm won't change, so that will dictate future configurations. Unless, of course, you buy a sectional with removable arms that can be re-placed, something that does exist in the market.
For the reasons mentioned above, we purchased a modular couch. We purposely did this because we knew we were looking to move and didn't want to buy another L-shape couch that would not allow us to alter the configuration. It worked out well for us and you can buy attachments to put underneath so that the modular components do not move around.
OP, we bought a cheap L-shaped couch that I really loved the look of but it was a leather blend.
Within two years, all of the material started to flake off of the couch, little by little. Fortunately, it wasn't terribly expensive and I learned my lesson. Before we purchased our new couch, which was expensive to me, I read the reviews about the couch I wanted and they were pretty positive. I also waited around for it to go on sale. At the end of the day, I think a 2K couch could be the same quality as a 4K couch if you do your homework.
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