The short version
| Made to order | Ready made | |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Built to your dimensions | Fixed sizes from a catalogue |
| Choice | Your fabric, colour and configuration | Whatever is in stock |
| Wait | Days to weeks, depending on the maker | Often next day |
| Change of mind | No automatic 14-day right | 14-day right when bought online |
| Faults | Full legal protection | Full legal protection |
What “made to order” actually means
A made-to-order sofa is produced after you place the order, to the specification you chose: the length, the depth, which side the corner sits on, the fabric and the colour. Nothing is built until you have confirmed what you want.
That is a different thing from “handmade”, and the two get mixed up constantly in furniture advertising. Handmade describes how something is built — by hand rather than on an automated line. Made to order describes when it is built. A sofa can be one without being the other, and a seller using “handmade” loosely should be able to tell you exactly who builds their sofas and how.
Where made to order genuinely wins
The obvious answer is fit, and it is the right one. Most living rooms are not the shape furniture catalogues assume. Alcoves, radiators, bay windows, chimney breasts and awkward door swings are the norm in UK housing, particularly in older terraced and semi-detached homes.
If your alcove is twenty centimetres narrower than every standard corner suite on the market, a made-to-order sofa is built twenty centimetres narrower and the problem disappears. With a ready-made sofa your options are to live with a blocked doorway or to keep looking.
The second advantage is configuration. Left-hand or right-hand corner, a longer arm on one side, a firmer or softer seat fill — these are ordinary requests on a made-to-order sofa and impossible on a stock one.
Where ready made is the better choice
It would be dishonest to pretend made to order suits everyone. Buy ready made if:
- You need it immediately. Some stock sofas arrive next day. Made to order never beats that.
- You want to sit on the exact sofa first. Showroom stock lets you do that. Made to order means judging from photographs, swatches and measurements.
- You want an unconditional right to change your mind. This is the big one, and it is covered below.
- Your room is a standard shape and a standard size fits fine. If nothing needs adjusting, you are paying for flexibility you will not use.
The cancellation difference, explained properly
When you buy online or over the phone from a UK business, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 normally give you 14 days to change your mind and send it back, no reason needed. It is a genuinely strong right.
It does not apply to goods made to your specification or clearly personalised. A sofa cut to your measurements falls squarely into that exemption, because it cannot be sold to anyone else. So with a made-to-order sofa there is no automatic 14-day change-of-mind right once production has begun.
What does not change is everything to do with faults. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the sofa must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described, whichever way you bought it. If it is not, you have 30 days to reject it for a full refund, and a right to repair or replacement after that. A seller cannot contract out of those rights and should not try.
The practical advice: before ordering anything made to measure, find out when production starts, because that is your cancellation deadline. Our own terms are set out on the returns and cancellations page.
Does made to order cost more?
Not necessarily, and often the opposite. The intuition that bespoke means expensive comes from high-street retail, where made-to-measure sits at the top of the range.
The actual cost driver is usually overheads. A retailer with large display showrooms, sales staff and stock sitting unsold has to recover all of that in the price. A delivery-only seller has none of it. That is why a made-to-order sofa from a small operation can undercut a mass-produced equivalent from a chain, while still being built to your dimensions.
What you should compare is like for like: the same fabric quality, the same frame, the same seat construction. Price alone tells you very little.
Questions worth asking either way
- What is the frame made from, and is it guaranteed?
- Is the seat foam only, or foam and fibre? Foam alone flattens faster.
- How long from order to delivery, realistically?
- When exactly does production start, and can I cancel free before then?
- Is delivery included, and does it include carrying the sofa into the room?
- What happens if it does not fit through the door?
If you are leaning towards made to order, the next step is measuring properly. Start with our room measuring guide, then have a look at which shape suits your room.
Common questions
Is made to order the same as handmade?
No. Made to order means the sofa is built after you order it, to your specification. Handmade describes how it is built. A sofa can be made to order without being handmade, and a seller should be able to tell you exactly who builds their sofas.
Can I cancel a made-to-order sofa?
Free of charge before production starts. After that, the 14-day change-of-mind right does not apply, because goods made to your own specification are exempt under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. Always ask when production begins, as that is your deadline.
What if a made-to-order sofa turns out to be faulty?
Your rights are identical to any other purchase. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can reject it within 30 days for a full refund, or ask for a repair or replacement after that. The seller arranges and pays for collection of a faulty item.
Is a made-to-order sofa more expensive?
Not automatically. The bigger cost factor is usually the seller's overheads. A delivery-only business with no showroom can often price a made-to-order sofa below a mass-produced one from a high-street chain.
How long does a made-to-order sofa take?
It varies enormously between sellers, from a few days to several weeks. Ask for a specific answer before ordering rather than accepting a vague range, and get the delivery date confirmed once the order is placed.