Before you consider replacing a bed, it is important to consider how old the previous bed is. A bed holds up well for a couple of years, and starts to deteriorate and become old after around 8 years of regular use. If the bed is only a couple of years old, it probably does not need to be replaced. However, older beds should be replaced for hygienic and health reasons.

However, there is also the consideration of bedroom size. It is important to take the measurements of the square footage of the room that a bed or bedroom furniture will be going in to ensure that everything will fit. If a king sized bed is needed for a master bedroom and it takes up more than half of the room's square footage, a smaller bed will probably be a better choice so there will be more room for walking and dressing. Measurements should be taken of every room where furniture will possibly be added. It is important to keep the measurements of the room handy while shopping so the furniture can be measured as well and calculations can be made to determine if the pieces will fit well.

Consider the bed that your visitors will sleep in. If you already have an extra room in the house which can be used as a guest room, you can forgo the space saving sofa bed for your guests and put a nice big guest bed in the guest room. To be a hospitable hostess, you should buy a very soft bed and luxurious mattress for your guest bed. If you live in a house which is full of young children, cousins, and friends, or a house which frequents an abundance of visitors, keeping sofa beds in the basement or den can provide extra casual seating, and fold out to a bed that will comfortably sleep extra guests.

If you are really pinched for space, folding beds can be folded into a closet for storage, and folded out to sleep on. If you are living in an apartment, or a very small house, a folding bed is the best option for sleeping extra guests as it requires the least space, and can be stowed away when it is not being used.