Downloading a 3D model is the easy part. Making it work in your scene without problems takes a few quick checks. These are the ones I do every time I bring a model into SketchUp.
1. Check the scale
Compare the model with something you know, like a door or a standard chair height. Fixing scale right after import is much easier than fixing it after you have built around it.
2. Look at the file size and detail
Very heavy models can slow down your viewport. For items that appear many times in a scene, a lighter version is usually enough.
3. Make sure it is a component
Components let you update or swap every copy at once. Loose geometry can't do that, and it makes the model harder to manage later.
4. Check the materials and textures
Confirm the textures loaded and look right, and that they don't point to files on someone else's computer. If a material looks wrong, swapping in a clean seamless texture often fixes it. A light parquet wood texture is a good example of something that works well for floors in interior scenes.
5. Match the style of your scene
A very detailed model next to simple ones can look out of place. Check the lighting and the level of detail so everything feels like it belongs together.
These five checks take about a minute and save a lot of cleanup later.
I share SketchUp models and textures at SketchShaper if you want a library to browse.
Over to you
What do you check first when you bring a model into a project? I would like to hear your routine.
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