Need to sell softa with cat scratching damage
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Anonymous
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I have a very nice, high quality 1 year old sectional couch that we can no longer use (it is too big for the space it is now in). We would like to get rid of it and buy a new couch -- and would prefer to get some money for it. The problem is, the cat scratched it for a few months before we were able to train her not to, so it has a couple of spots that are scratched. Is there a reasonable way to repair those? I know I could get some matching fabric from the company, I just don't know anything about reupholstering aside from the fact that it is very expensive.
If I sell it as-is, how much will the value be affected by the scratches? Unfortunately they are not in the back where they could easily be hidden. |
Anonymous
| You should donate it. It's a bummer, I know--our cat shredded the arms of our sofa, which is the only piece of new furniture we've ever bought. But no one wants to buy a damaged sofa. |
Anonymous
| If there are cat scratches, people may assume there is cat pee on the sofa. I wouldn't be interested in the sofa just knowing that a cat lived with it, but I think more information is needed. Is this a $3k sofa or an $10k sofa? If it's a truly high-end sofa, someone might be interested in paying a reasonable or nominal price for it. |
Anonymous
| You could put it on craigslist, disclosing the damage, and see if you get any takers. It would be at a huge discount (probably greater than 50% off), though, and people expect bargains on that site, although it's still better than a yard sale in terms of what you can expect to sell it for. Or you can donate it for a tax write off (if you itemize). |
Anonymous
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We sold our sofa--it was older but no scratches--and made clear that it came from a cat household. It cost us $1600 originally, and we sold it for $50 (yes, that's right) on craigslist. WE had a lot of interested offers and sold it within the day.
Sofas are hard to sell regardless because buyers need to be able to haul and transport them. My advice is to just cut your losses and offer to sell for a ridiculously low price. The time effort and money to fix up your sofa for sale just isn't worth it. Unless it's a Stickley or something like that. |
Anonymous
| I'm interested in how you trained your cat not to scratch the sofa. Seriously. |
Anonymous
| Please don't donate an unsellable item. You are just causing the organization to incur the costs or pick up and disposal. |
Anonymous
Our cat likes those corrugated cardboard scratchers. We put a couple of them near the couch, and she eventually started to use them. Usually it takes her awhile to warm up to a new one. |
Anonymous
| Just put it on craigs list. Someone will likely buy it. |
Anonymous
OP here -- gross, why would people assume my cat was urinating on the couch? I understand not being interested if you knew a cat lived with it, although all she has done is scratch it for a few months when she walks by. The couch has barely been used and is in excellent condition (bought new closer to the 10k end than the 3k end). |
Anonymous
OP here. Someone in need would be happy to have this couch. It is not a throwaway, despite the cat scratches. It's a very nice, extremely comfortable sectional sofa. |
Anonymous
| Donate it to A Wider Circle in Silver Spring. |
Anonymous
| I would not think the cat peed on the sofa because it scratched on the sofa. The PP obviously dislikes cats. |
Anonymous
Right, but everyone thinks that about stuff they own and are trying to sell. To a buyer, whatever it is you are selling, it is worth a lot less than you think it is. |
Anonymous
I wouldn't either, but I would assume that it smelled like cat. |