For those who value their dollar, used cubicles and used office furniture for sale from reputable, quality brands can be a very wise business investment. Gently used office desks from Haworth Furniture, for example, may be in very decent condition and last you 10 years or more, while a brand new version of that same desk could cost you two or three times as much.
Meanwhile on the other end of the buying spectrum, brand new cheap office desks might come with a very tempting price tag, but in all likelihood they are not made to last beyond a few years. It is impossible to avoid the truth in the old saying “you get what you pay for.” More than anything, it’s important to know and trust your office furniture dealer!
It is important to mention that used business furniture does come with some caveats that require flexibility. Most preowned inventory is classified as “As-Is” and comes from gently-used stock. While the dollar savings are quite attractive, you must be willing to overlook a few scratches and dents.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when buying used office furniture:
FLEXIBILITY ON COLOR & FINISHES:
Unless you are trying to match to existing office furniture finishes or consider yourself very picky, this normally does not present an issue. Most used office furniture liquidators only keep inventories with the most common colors and finishes that can easily adapt or blend into the average office work environment. For example, it is unlikely you will come across bright pink second hand office chairs, nine times out of ten they will be black or blue.
FLEXIBILITY ON SIZE & CONFIGURATION:
If your business demands are very specific, having to select from the fixed sizes or configurations of “What You See Is What You Get” used office furniture may not work for you. For example, a set of used desks may all be left-hand oriented when your offices would be better suited for right-hand desks, or a cluttered small office with limited dimensions might need specialized narrow storage instead of used file cabinets in standard widths. These types of situations are not likely to find what they want in an “As-Is” inventory.
FLEXIBILITY ON DELIVERY & INSTALLATION:
Distance can be a formidable obstacle when trying to buy used executive office furniture. While a common savings perk with brand new furniture is Free Shipping, cheap used furniture can have less-than-cheap additional costs to package and ship the items to you – and the farther away you are, the more expensive it can be.
Your best bet is to find a used warehouse within your region, since the shorter the distance, the lower the freight costs and the faster it can arrive to you. Even better, you can look for used furniture within an hour or two from your office. This removes the need for palletizing and freight shipping, and can just be directly delivered and installed.
And speaking of local, if you are in the NY/NJ/TriState area, you can also check out our sister site, Used Office Furniture NYC.
QUALITY:
While the quality of 2nd hand office furniture can often be in top notch condition, brand new is still brand new. Items from office furniture liquidation may have some nicks and scratches, and it may no longer have that “new car smell”, but on the bright side, many untrained eyes will have trouble telling the difference.
AFTER SALES SERVICE:
Any reputable office furniture dealer (like us!) will offer reliable customer service regardless of whether you purchase new or used office furniture from them. But keep in mind, warranties on as-is, pre owned furniture will typically be more limited in scope and duration.
SPACE PLAN CONFIGURATIONS:
Those who buy new office desks, tables or storage can order a custom layout however they wish, since the parts are specified according to their preference. Used inventories, however, have a predetermined list of components in specific sizes that can only be put back together in so many ways. In the end, the most flexible, open-minded buyer will be the most satisfied with used office furniture inventories.
LEARN MORE!
Curious to know more about the differences between new, used, and refurbished office furniture?
Download our free white paper here: Something Old, Something New, Something Green – How to Choose Between Brand New, Clones, Newly Remanufactured, Refurbished/Used, or New Alternatives.