A Guide to Buying Used Office Furniture

A Guide to Buying Used Office Furniture

There are various reasons why individuals, corporates or start-ups would opt for buying second-hand office furniture. Whether a bad economy is creating cash flow problems, or start-ups don’t have adequate funds yet to invest in new office furniture, used office furniture becomes an affordable alternative for office spaces.

When deciding on the used office furniture option, it is however important that individuals and corporates take a few factors into consideration before their purchase. To assist, we have created a guide below to buying second-hand office furniture:

Reputable Company

Ensure that you purchase from a reputable company in the market, especially when purchasing online. These companies usually have secure online payments; better quality used office furniture stock and shows or state if and where stock is damaged.

Uniformity

Whether you are a start-up, or an established corporate, it is important to consider the strong effect of uniformity in your office design. Customers and employees form a perception about your brand based on what your office space looks like. Having different office desks, cabinets etc. that don’t match in the type of design, colours etc. can create a sense that you “don’t have it all together”. This will create a negative brand image amongst customers and employees. A lack of uniformity can easily happen when purchasing used office furniture. It is therefore important to ensure that you scout various options that will all fit together, or consider purchasing from a company that has multiple items in the same office desk or colour available.

Online vs. Store

Purchasing new items online are usually risk-free, but this is not the case with used office furniture. It is important to be able to inspect the items and ensure that you are aware of any damages or items not functioning properly. Sometimes online stores do however have live chat functions. If so, consider speaking to a consultant about the furniture items you are interested in, and asking for close up photos from various angles. You can also ask them to specify any damages or functional issues an item might have.

After-sale service

Second-hand office furniture will have a shorter lifespan. It is therefore important to consider if a specific supplier offers an after-sale service for their furniture. This is especially important with office chairs as the gas lifts can stop functioning after a while. Some suppliers service or replace gas lifts which could assist with expanding the lifespan of your used office chair. Speak to a consultant on whether they have services like this available.

Consider buying samples

A lot of stores will sell their samples when they don’t need them anymore. This is the best second-hand buy as these items are barely used and therefore in a mint condition. When visiting a used office furniture store, ask your consultant whether they have any sample items available to look at. You will get the best value deals when purchasing these items.

 Ready to buy your used office furniture? Visit our Seconds shop here.