Business owners are always looking for ways to save money. Whether you’re an office manager, company controller, or a business owner, you know that buying office furniture is a major investment.
People often ask if they should consider purchasing used office furniture to save money while furnishing their offices. To answer this question, consider the following 4 factors before making your purchase:
Aesthetics?
While pre-owned furniture is often relatively new, buying new items allows you to be current with the latest designs and technologies. For example, within the past few years, open concepts and ergonomic features have become increasingly popular. Much of the product available in the used market is not part of the most recent trends.
Selection?
New furniture is available in mass quantities unlike used furniture, which is limited. When you buy new, it’s easy to find the particular sizes, colors or designs you desire in the quantity you need. Used furniture is limited to selections on-hand at the time of the need.
Lead Time?
Since used product is sold from available stock, it is available for immediate delivery. Although some new product is stocked by dealers and distributors, much of it must be manufactured which can take 4 to 6 weeks or more.
Warranty?
New products come with a manufacturer’s warranty, which can last 10 or more years. Used product is normally sold with no warranty. Also, new items are likely to be in stock for a while, making them easy to add to. Parts can be more accessible with new products if you need to replace them.
Eco-Friendliness?
Although many new products are made using recycled materials and with eco-friendly production methods, new cannot compare buying used furniture in reducing your company’s carbon footprint, helping reduce waste and the consumption of resources and energy. You may even gain LEED points for waste management, recycled content, and materials and resource reuse with a used office furniture purchase.
Affordability?
A significant advantage of buying used furniture is its affordability. Buying used allows you to purchase durable, high-quality pieces for a fraction of the price of new furniture. Companies save as much as 25-50% or more in purchasing used over new furniture.
Conclusion
New or Preowned may be the better choice for your company depending on your goals. With new, you will have access to the latest styles and trends without limits of available size. With used, you will be able to purchase at a lower price + the used product is available on a quick lead time.
Considering a blend of new and used may be a good option for your company. Use new in front office to get the benefit and used for a back-room environment where design and new technologies may not be as important.
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