There’s no debate about it, when it comes to purchasing things we need, everybody would go for what is brand new and there are good reasons for that. Brand new products are better, not damaged and you can always return it back if they happen to not work exactly as they were designed. However, they cost a lot and sometimes people just have to make do with second hand items. This is very common in the furniture world.
We are going to compare used and new office furniture, look at the reasons that lead people to get either of them as well as the benefits and limitations of choosing ol furniture over new and vice versa. If you are thinking of furnishing your office but are unsure on what to go with, stick around and learn a few tips along the way.
New Office Furniture
Any person starting their business for the first time is always consumed by the need to make an impression. This makes them go all out, at the expense of the budget, to go for brand new furniture pieces. This comes with its own mix of pros and cons as outlined below.
Pros
Better Aesthetics: New office furniture looks better from all angles. Having never been used comes with a lot of benefits since everything is fresh and clean. From the paintwork, the upholstery, the framework and any other additions that make furniture functional. Having new furniture in the office elevates the profile of the office in a major way and this is exactly what you need when starting out; a strong image to win the confidence of your potential customers.
Warranties: Buying new office furniture comes with warranties and other after sales services as you are buying it directly from the manufacturer. This gives you privileges like the ability to return the furniture if it doesn’t fit your needs within a certain period. The furniture can also be replaced if it breaks way too soon due to mistakes that have nothing to do with you. In a nutshell, new furniture comes with follow ups and this protects your investment.
Better Quality: New furniture is better quality and will last you much longer as it is completely unused. Every single part has been constructed with care using the best materials money can buy and all these add up towards determining what the final price will be. Quality furniture means that you and the people working under you use comfortable, durable and reliable pieces of furniture that don’t cause body aches.
Flexible Payment Plans: You can get flexible payment plans when you buy brand new furniture by striking a deal with the manufacturer. What makes this worth it is the fact that you will be getting high quality pieces of furniture that will help you achieve what you want even as you continue making the payments. At times you may even get great discounts and offers that knock the price down.
High Resale Value: Brand new furniture has high resale value. At some point you may feel the need to refinish the space with bigger and better furniture and you could kill two birds with a single stone by selling off what you were using, something that can only be possible if you were the first buyer. Depending on how well you have maintained them, you can fetch prices near what you bought them for and that’s an underrated achievement.
Cons
Expensive: Furniture is not cheap and the more you need, the more you will have to spend. Depending on the quality of materials used, the cost could run into thousands of dollars and this is one of the reasons why people baulk away from going with brand new furniture and choose to go with used ones. The benefits are many in the long run, but the initial cost can be too much for new businesses.
Longer Shipping: The time it takes to place an order to the furniture arriving at your door is very long. Most furniture makers don’t simply make furniture hoping someone will walk in and buy it, they depend on orders and this can take weeks and by the time it arrives, you may have lost valuable business. This means you have to make the order much earlier.
Requires Professional Help: Setting up your office with brand new furniture will require the help of professionals in order to make use of the space available to the best of your abilities. This is extra labour and it rarely comes free. You eventually have to pay something from your pocket to get this done.
It Arrives Disassembled: Most times, brand new furniture comes in their separate pieces and this is necessary to make their shipping much easier and faster. But this means you will have to handle the entire process of assembling everything from scratch. You can use a manual that comes along with the pieces but this can be a lot of work for those involved.
Used Office Furniture
Used furniture is what you go for when getting new furniture is beyond your budget, after all, setting up an office is not a cheap undertaking. If you are stuck at this point and unsure on whether to go with used furniture or not, the following are the pros and cons that should help you make that decision.
Pros
Affordable: Used furniture means it has been owned and used by another owner before you and this fact alone knocks the price down significantly. This allows you to save money and get functional pieces of furniture in return. On average, used furniture goes for less than half the initial price and you can even knock it down a little further if you know how to bargain.
Always Ready: Used furniture doesn’t need weeks of construction or a prior order to be placed. It is ready for shipping at any time and this saves time. If you are running against the clock as far as opening an office is concerned, then you have to go for used furniture to speed things up a little. You can get your furniture shipped to you within hours from the moment you place the order.
It is a Form of Recycling: By buying used furniture you are stopping them from ending up in a landfill. By repurposing used furniture for your establishment, you will continue using that piece of furniture for a little longer before it finally breaks down beyond use. On top of getting a better deal, you are keeping the environment cleaner.
Antique Look: Sometimes you may be lucky enough to land used furniture with a very cool vintage design and this can transform your office from normal looking one into a classy and unique working space. This kind of vibe is what makes your customers feel good being around the office.
Cons
Are Worn Out: Anything that has been used will always come with some form of damage or an appearance of being worn out. Functional as they may be, when you use a worn out piece of furniture for a space as serious as the office will give your establishment a bad look.
Unpredictable: You never know what you may get when it comes to used furniture. The seller will try everything to complete the sale and this includes hiding important information about damaged parts or other issues. Finding out that the furniture you just bought is missing a leg or the upholstery has bugs is the last thing you want to deal with once you have already paid.
No Warranties: Most times, used furniture is bought from individuals rather than manufacturers and there’s little that people can do to address your concerns once you have parted with your money. All they care about is getting the furniture off their hands and ocne that is done, you will not have access to them again and you will be forced to live with any fault that comes with the furniture.
Final Verdict
The choice to go with new or used office furniture is influenced by a lot of factors and each of them should be taken seriously if you hope to find furniture that fits your needs. If you do choose to go with brand new furniture then do due diligence and get the best value for your money and that will come in the form of Flexispot.
We are the best office furniture makers around and we have all types of products from sit-stand desks like the Adjustable Standing Desk Pro Series, or standing desk converters like the EdgeRiser Standing Desk Converter or ergonomic chairs like the Soutien Ergonomic Office Chair to that you can get without breaking your bank.
Feel free to check out our website and browse through our long list of office products that will make your office more homey and refined.
