Furnishing Consultants

We are specialist contract furnishers to housing associations and similar organisations who provide social housing. Since 1952, we've been advising and supplying furnishings to some of the best-known providers of social housing in the UK.

Our clients include providers of care homes, key worker accommodation, hostels, supported housing, foyers and similar projects.

Homefactors Ltd
PO Box 2661, Buckhurst Hill, Essex IG8 1SN

tel: 020 8203 3166
email: info@homefactors.co.uk

Photo of social housing

© Homefactors Ltd. All rights reserved.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it be before you deliver our order?

This mostly depends on what you have ordered. Most items are made to order although we hold a quantity of our standard contract spring-interior divan bases and mattresses in stock for very swift delivery.

Orders comprising only divan sets, bed bases and mattresses are usually delivered within 7 working days (sometimes we can deliver the same day or next day but it depends on when we receive your confirmed order, our existing delivery schedule and the quantity ordered).

Orders comprising only bedding items (duvets, pillows, sheets etc) are dispatched by carrier within 2 working days of your order.

Delivery of cabinet furniture (wardrobes, chests of drawers etc) is usually about 3 weeks. By the way, all our cabinet ware (apart from some office desking and storage cupboards) is delivered fully assembled. We don’t supply ‘flatpack’ furniture for accommodation areas, but where access is difficult the final assembly can be done on site.

Upholstery is made to order with your choice of design and colour of covering, therefore delivery time is a little longer than for cabinet items.

A composite order comprising a combination of the items above will be received at our warehouse and when everything is ready we will contact you to arrange one delivery date for everything.

Can I arrange a split delivery if I need some items from my order really quickly?

Split delivery can be arranged. A delivery charge may apply depending on circumstances. Please contact us to see how we can help

How will I know when you are going to deliver my order?

Where items are delivered on our own transport or our factory vehicles, we will contact you to advise the date (and, if possible, a timeslot) for your delivery.

Where items such as textiles (bedding, and curtains which we are sending for you to hang on existing track) are sent via a carrier we usually know when they have been dispatched but we cannot be certain about the exact day or time of delivery. In such cases we usually ask you if the address where the items are required is staffed during normal working hours and if this is not the case we will ask you for an alternative delivery address.

What are the delivery charges?

For orders delivered on our own transport:

Within the M25, for orders below £350 + VAT, delivery is £35 + VAT, to one address.

Outside the M25, for orders below £500 + VAT, delivery is £40 + VAT, to one address.

Furniture is usually placed and unpacked by our delivery crew.

For speed and convenience, orders comprising only bedding and/or curtains for you to hang yourself are delivered by carrier. For order values below the amounts shown above, the carriage charge for bedding and curtains delivered by carrier is £15 + VAT.

I am confused about fire retardancy/flame retardancy standards and regulations. Can you explain?

This is a long answer, so please bear with us so that we can explain fully.

All soft furnishings on sale in the UK must comply with relevant laws about flame retardancy (also termed fire retardancy). However, the relevant standards are different depending on whether the furniture is intended for use in a 'regular' domestic household or whether it is for use in a setting where the risk of fire and the consequent hazard to life and limb is higher than in a 'domestic' context.

Furniture bought from a retail shop or outlet is intended only for 'domestic' use and conforms only to the minimum legal requirement for that situation, which is Ignition Source 0 and 1. These standards test what happens to the furniture when subject to smouldering matches and cigarettes. Ignition Source 0 and 1 is not adequate for our clients and their service-users.

Upholstery and soft furnishing for your use must comply with FR regulations for medium hazard (Ignition Source 5) or high hazard (Ignition Source 7). This is sometimes called Crib 5 and Crib 7 as the testing process involves small cages known as 'cribs' which contain the source of the fire hazard during the tests. It means the same as Ignition Source 5 and 7 and the terms are interchangeable. Ignition Source 5 and 7 furniture is available only from specialist contract suppliers such as ourselves. This level of protection is a permanent, built-in feature of Homefactors' bedding, curtains and upholstery fabrics and does not wash out or decrease over time.

When you ask your supplier if the items are flame retardant you will always be told 'Yes, of course, it's the law that they have to be'. However, a retailer will most likely have assumed that you are asking if the items are legally FR for 'domestic' use. Even if you ask if they are suitably robust to stand up to heavy-duty use the supplier might not even know that there are higher FR standards than IS 0 and 1. You therefore should ask specifically whether the items comply with Ignition Source 5 at the very least, and you must insist on a specific answer. Being told 'Yes' It's the law, of course it is flame retardant' is not sufficient assurance that the item meets the appropriate standards for your use.

We know of one situation where the local Fire Inspection Officer closed the customer's premises until the organisation disposed of all their very new seating which had been bought from a reputable high-street retailer and purchased settees and chairs complying with Crib 5. The purchase of unsuitable items proved to be a painful false economy. We also know of a case where a resident placed a faulty portable TV on the bed. After a short while the TV caught fire. Fortunately the bed, bedding and curtains complied with Ignition Source 5 and 7 and, although there was some smoke damage, our client was told by the Fire Service that it was the use of the correct FR items which had contained the fire and allowed the occupant to escape the building. In this case the fire damage was mainly cosmetic and there were no serious injuries. The Fire Service advised that had the correct FR standard not been provided the fire would have destroyed two storeys and several residents would have been at the very least severely injured.

Can I negotiate a discount?

Savings are available for quantities of 6 or more mattresses or items from our heavy-duty bedroom ranges. There are also price break-point for various quantities of bedding items and from time to time we have bedding 'specials' which usually comprise over-production, cancelled orders or end of line items. Given that we are suppliers to a specialist niche we believe that our price guide is competitive for the heavy-duty contract ranges we offer.

I need a longer-than-normal bed than normal for a very tall resident. Can you help?

We can supply custom-made non-standard size beds, bedding and seating for residents who are particularly tall or heavily built. We also supply items appropriate for bariatric use. Please enquire and we will be happy to help with your particular needs.

How do I order curtains and blinds?

We offer a full measure, supply and fitting service including fitting heavy-duty metal curtain track.

Custom-made FR roller blinds, vertical blinds and venetian blinds are supplied and fitted. For these we will visit site and take accurate measurements, then we will provide a quotation.

When you don’t need the full fitting service, we make and deliver curtains for you to hang on existing track. For speed, convenience and economy you can download our 'How to ...' guides from this website. These show you how to take accurate measurements on which we will base our quotation.

Why don't you put prices on the website?

We know it is somewhat frustrating not to be able to see prices on the website. We don't intend to annoy you on purpose but we find that after consultation with us many customers decide on something different (often more appropriate and frequently saving themselves money) from their original choice. Showing prices on the website allows clients to make an inappropriate purchase without speaking to us before they place an order. As you have to phone, email or fax us to get prices it gives us a chance to get to know you and your needs and to advise accordingly. We are always glad to speak to you, and we will give prices on the phone or by email in response to a query, with a catalogue and price guide for your ongoing use being sent out straight away by first class post.

Please also see our answer to 'Can I negotiate a discount' above re savings and price-breaks.

Why can't I find the answer to my query in the FAQs?

Perhaps nobody has asked the particular question before, or maybe it is something that should be included but which we have overlooked. Please contact us with your query which will receive our immediate attention. We may include your question and the answer in our FAQs if we think it would be helpful to other customers.

About Homefactors

We're specialist contract furnishers to housing associations and similar organisations who provide social housing in the UK. Our clients include providers of care homes, key worker accommodation, hostels, supported housing, foyers and similar projects.

Our pricing is competitive and our service excellent.

Homefactors was established in 1952 and our founding Managing Director was the founding chairman of the British Contract Furnishing Association (BCFA)

Our emphasis on personal service has made us the choice of many of the leading housing associations in the UK.

We are the one-stop contract service for:

  • beds and bedroom furniture

  • items of Inherently Flame Retardant bedding to Ignition Source 7 *

  • FR seating *

  • dining and living room furniture

  • housewares

  • inherently FR curtains and blinds

  • appropriate standards of flame retardancy for social housing

For more information on flame retardancy and Ignition Source levels, check our FAQs.

Contact

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Thank you

We'll be in touch as soon as we're able!