It is that time of year when "sale" seems to be on every other page of the paper. Inevitably, there are friends and family who ask me if "such and such" is a good price, and it’s always difficult to answer in a succinct way. Needless to say, the idea of a good price is relative.

How can a sofa range up to $10,000 in price, when a newspaper advertised an entire living room suite for $999? Here are five things to look out for:

#1 Fabric - The most expensive isn’t always the best choice. If your family has some youngsters, I’d steer clear of the sofa with silk fabric. Little Suzy might have meant simply to enhance its beauty with her new markers but you may not see it that way.

Silk is a beautiful option, but – and I know I’m running the risk of sounding like a broken record – form must follow function. Try something in leather or ultra suede that will survive the growing (or what some parents refer to as the "destructive") years.

The fabric can certainly affect the price of a piece of upholstered furniture, but this is not the only element that affects my choice of suppliers.

#2 Frame - There are various ways to frame a sofa. I always choose a frame that is made of kiln-dried hardwood. The drying ensures that the materials are not going to warp with change of temperature and humidity. With the large span of the seating area, the obvious place for the frame to be most jeopardized is in the middle. Sometimes on a sofa that is designed to seat four there is an additional leg in the middle for added support. With less-expensive pieces, the frames are made of pressboard and very dense cardboards. The look and shape of the final product is the same but the life is obviously seriously compromised.

Support - The ideal support is an eight-way, hand-tied spring system. This indicates that the support of the sofa or chair is going to be even and consistent, while being comfortable. This spring system is attached to the frame so the base of the piece is solid and consistent.

In less-expensive furnishings, the support system is made with either half as many springs or with high-density foam. Eventually this foam loses its spring and the furniture sags where it is used the most – especially at the front where your legs interact with the edge of the piece.

A no-sag front is another characteristic of a well-made sofa, which is an additional support system that runs along the front edge attached to the spring system and frame. If you think back to your university days, you’ll remember those various dorm rooms with well-worn, sagging pieces where you sat almost to the floor and getting up was equivalent to a good abdominal workout and leg press.

Cushions - On top of the support system are the cushions. Less-expensive sofas often have cushions that are fixed to the base so the fabric doesn’t have to cover the entire surface of the cushion. You want to be able to flip the cushions over to extend their lifespan. Inside these cushions is a foam centre with either a Dacron or down wrap. Down is more expensive, but makes the sofa that much more comfortable as the cushions give with your body while the foam provides support and helps the cushion keep its shape. Having just foam makes the cushions uncomfortable and hard. Less dense foam might make the cushion more comfortable, but the life of the foam is reduced.

Details - Upholstery material can vary in price by many thousands of dollars depending on the fabric. The various fringes and piping can also increase the price of the product. A quick word about leather – it must be a full hide. Sometimes a hide is made half it’s normal thickness so that each hide produces a suede and a leather finish. It also needs to be a full aniline dye, which means the hide is submersed in dye so the colour is right through the leather and not painted, which can chip and peel on the surface, which reveals another colour when scratched.