Made to Order vs Ready-Stock Rugs: Waiting Time, Choice and Fit
Buying · 23 October 2026 · 6 min · Published by Raheem & Son for RS Living
RS LIVING makes every rug to order and holds no ready stock. A ready-stock rug already exists, so it can leave sooner; a made-to-order rug waits for the loom, about 50 days to about 90 days for our pile rugs, but can be made in your size and checked against a sample first.
What each one means
A ready-stock rug already exists: it was made before anyone ordered it, in sizes and colours someone chose in advance, and it waits on a shelf. A made-to-order rug is woven after you order it. RS LIVING makes every piece to order and sells no ready stock, so the trade-offs below are ones we live with.
Read what made to order really means and how made to order works.
Waiting time
Ready stock wins on speed. A made-to-order rug takes as long as the loom does: we estimate about 90 days for hand-knotted, about 60 days for Oushak and handloom, about 50 days for hand-tufted, and usually a few weeks for flatweave and jute. These are estimates of production time, not delivery promises. For international orders timelines are subject to change; we will email the confirmed delivery time and tracking details.
| Group | Estimated production time | Designs |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-knotted rugs (100 knots, 80 knots and lower knot density) | About 90 days | 63 |
| Hand-knotted Oushak rugs | About 60 days | 12 |
| Handloom rugs | About 60 days | 17 |
| Hand-tufted rugs | About 50 days | 46 |
| Poufs | About 45 days | 51 |
| Flatweave and jute rugs | Usually a few weeks | 79 |
| Cushion covers, baskets, wall hangings and furniture | Usually a few weeks | 201 |
Size and fit
Made to order wins on fit. A shop with stock can sell only the sizes it holds. Every RS LIVING rug design lists nine standard sizes, from 2 x 3 ft to 12 x 15 ft, and 217 of 217 designs can be made to your own width and length. Rugs for the UK, the EU and the EEA are always made to your exact size.
See rug sizes and prices and the rug size guide.
Colour and what you see on screen
With a stocked rug, the photograph may be of the very piece you receive. With a made-to-order rug it cannot be. On RS LIVING: Images are digitally rendered from our designs and reference photographs. Every piece is made to order, so colour, texture and scale may vary slightly from what you see.
That is the case for a sample before you commit, and for reading why your rug will not match the photograph.
Returns and faults
Return terms differ most between the two, so read them before you pay. Ours, from faults and your rights: Outside the UK and EU, including India, write to us as early as you can and we will tell you honestly where your piece has reached. Because every piece is made to order, once production has started we cannot accept a change-of-mind return, but we will always deal with a faulty or wrongly described item under the law that applies to you.
If you find a fault in a rug, tell us within 3 days of delivery at living@raheemandson.com, with your order number and daylight photographs of the whole rug and the fault. We collect the rug from you, repair it and send it back, and we pay the courier both ways. This is an additional service. It is on top of your legal rights, not instead of them, and it does not reduce them.
Rugs delivered to the UK, the EU and the EEA are made to the exact width and length you enter, so each one is made to your specification. Because of that, the statutory 14-day right to cancel does not apply to them once your order is accepted. This does not affect your other statutory rights, including those for faulty goods.
How to decide
Choose ready stock if you need the rug within days and a standard size fits the room. Choose made to order if the size matters, if you want to see the real yarn first, or if the design you want is not held in stock. If you choose made to order, settle the size and colour before production starts, because that is when your choices are fixed.
Sources
Production times: the owner's estimates of 18 October 2026, as on shipping and duty, with design counts computed from the RS LIVING catalogue. Returns, faults and the UK and EU rule: faults and your rights. Image wording: the RS LIVING image disclosure.
Questions
Does RS LIVING sell ready-stock rugs?
No. Every piece is made to order after you order it; nothing is held in stock.
How long does a made-to-order rug take?
We estimate about 90 days for hand-knotted, about 60 days for Oushak and handloom, about 50 days for hand-tufted and usually a few weeks for flatweave and jute. These are production estimates, not delivery promises.
Can I return a made-to-order rug if I change my mind?
Outside the UK and EU, once production has started we cannot accept a change-of-mind return, but we will always deal with a faulty or wrongly described item under the law that applies to you. Write to us as early as you can if anything changes.
Why choose made to order over ready stock?
For the size and the choice: a made-to-order rug can be made in your size and colourway, and you can check a sample of the yarn first. The cost is the wait.
