Five checks before you buy light-luxury furniture

Check the material, not the photo. Look inside drawers and behind doors: insect holes, crumbling edges or a musty smell mean the timber was not dried properly and will move after delivery.

Test moisture. Unfinished undersides should feel dry to the hand. Wood above the specified moisture content will warp in a heated apartment or a humid coastal market.

Rock it. Place the piece on a flat floor and press the corners; listen for creaks. On a sofa, sit and shift your weight —?a good frame is silent.

Inspect edges and banding. Rounded, tight banding protects the core; loose or nailed-on edging will lift and swell. Check that nail heads are flush and evenly coloured.

Ask for the spec sheet. Foam density, frame timber species, webbing vs. sinuous spring, and the fabric's Martindale rub count tell you more than any render.